Stephen A. Smith had frightening experience after an endoscopy test revealed unexpected results: "I was sweating bullets"

Stephen A. Smith is arguably US sports television’s most charismatic analyst. He is a ball of energy that oozes with confidence. Viewers could almost feel his presence emanating through their television screens. Rarely will one find him in a less-than-enthusiastic mood.

In December 2021, though, that boundless energy almost went out. Smith, on the “Ultimate Human Podcast with Gary Brecka,” had this to say about a harrowing near-death experience:

(39:37 mark)

“This particular day, I wasn’t feeling well. I was scheduled for the endoscopy but went there anyway and I came out that night, I had a 102.5-degree temperature. I was sweating bullets. You would have thought that I jumped into a pool with my clothes on.

“Doctors came over, they evaluated me and instantly diagnosed me with Covid. When I had Covid, whatever medication they had had me on for the esophagus, for the acid reflexes, whatever antibiotic they gave me, I don’t know what happened but it made things worse. The next thing you know, I had double pneumonia.”

Stephen A. Smith announced on December 21, 2021, that he tested positive for Covid-19. He took time off but was still around for ESPN’s NBA Countdown on Christmas. Smith was in his place when he worked during the said date. Afterward, he revealed that he was so drained by the experience.

A few weeks after surviving COVID-19, he revealed that the doctors told him that he might not have made it had he not been vaccinated.

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Stephen A. Smith opens up on his hallucinations during his bout with Covid-19

Stephen A. Smith has had some hilarious moments fantasizing about sports results. He’s often dreamed of the New York Knicks one day becoming the NBA champions again. The veteran sports analyst sometimes couldn’t hide his excitement when top free agents were available for the Knicks to acquire.

Although several of his sports fantasies have remained just desperate hopes, he has never stopped dreaming big. When it comes to the Knicks, he has never stopped dreaming.

During his bout with Covid-19, Stephen A. Smith opened up not about those New York or even Miami-related dreams. Here’s what he had to say about his mental battles during that said time:

(41:55 mark)

“I was hallucinating so much I thought I was a rap artist, rapping about Kyrie Irving. Another minute I thought I was a basketball player going up against LeBron James. And another day, I thought I was a singer. I didn’t know what the hell was going on!”

From there, things only got worse. He was in the emergency room at an undisclosed hospital in New Jersey, where he was told that things didn’t look good. It wasn’t until he was given a new set of antibiotics and a steroid shot that gave him some relief.

Eventually, Stephen A. Smith survived and vowed to do better with his health. The longtime TV talk show host has been working out with Gary Brecka to improve his overall health. He even gave Brecka a glimpse of his torso to show how far he had come along.