Jemele Hill Doesn't Hold Back Her Opinion Of Stephen A. Smith

Stephen A. Smith has become one of the biggest personalities in media over the past few years. If he's not ranting on ESPN's "First Take," he's making appearances on NewsNation. 

Smith has become a very polarizing figure due to his interest in politics. In just the past few months alone, he has hinted at running for president in 2028. If he does consider making a bid for the presidency, he'll have to take a break from his usual workload at ESPN. 

Although some people might get tired of hearing Smith yell on "First Take," former ESPN personality Jemele Hill isn't one of them. 

Hill let fans know on Friday that "First Take" is a rare show in today's era of sports talk. She believes Smith values having journalists, like Brian Windhorst, on his nationally-televised show. 

"I caught First Take’s discussion on Anthony Edwards and it’s a reminder of how additive journalists with boots on the ground can be to these types of discussions," Hill wrote on X. "Brian Windhorst, who doesn’t get enough credit, gave important context to the discussion because he was actually at Minnesota’s season-ending press conference and dropped a key nugget about the advice Michael Jordan gave Edwards.

"Journalists are largely being phased out of sports discussion shows. The journalist + ex-athlete is a mix that works. Both sides are kept honest. With the cancellation of Around the Horn, there aren’t many spaces for journalists to thrive. Get Up still uses a fair amount of journalists. First Take is a real rarity in that it is a journalist-led show (Stephen A Smith). I don’t know if we’ll really see that on sports television anymore."