NBA reporter and analyst Sekou Smith dies at 48 from COVID-19

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11:39 a.m.ET

  • Tim BontempsESPN

Longtime NBA reporter and television analyst Sekou Smith died Tuesday after a battle with COVID-19. He was 48 years old.

A native of Grand Rapids, Michigan, Smith attended college in Jackson State, Mississippi, before starting his career at Clarion-Ledger in Jackson. He has become a fixture in the NBA world – first as a beatwriter covering the Indiana Pacers for the Indianapolis Star and the Atlanta Hawks for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, before joining Turner Sports in 2009.

For more than a decade, Smith performed across platforms for Turner, as an analyst for NBA TV, writer for NBA.com, and host of the Hang Time podcast.

Smith is survived by his wife, Heather, and their three children, Gabriel, Rielly and Cameron.

“We are all saddened by the tragic passing of Sekou. His commitment to journalism and the basketball community was immense and his warm and engaging personality will be missed,” Turner Sports said in a statement. “He was loved by his friends and colleagues at Turner Sports and the NBA. Our deepest condolences go out to his family and loved ones.”

Smith was universally beloved in the basketball world, both for the work he produced over his nearly two decades covering the sport and, more importantly, for being a kind and decent person, a person with a smile always present and a wonderful laugh. These virtues, and many others, were reinforced by the outpouring of messages on social networks following the announcement of his death.

In addition to his colleagues in the journalism industry, tributes came from NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, as well as Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr and New Orleans Pelicans coach Stan Van. Gundy.

“The NBA mourns the passing of Sekou Smith, a beloved member of the NBA family,” Silver said in a statement. “Sekou was one of the most gracious and dedicated reporters in the NBA and a wonderful friend to so many across the league. He covered the game for over two decades, including the last 11 years with Turner. Sports, where he showed his full range of skills as a television analyst, podcast host and engaging writer. Sekou’s love for basketball was clear to everyone who knew him and he always shone in his life. work. Our deepest condolences go out to his wife, Heather, and their children, Gabriel, Rielly and Cameron. “

Kerr and Van Gundy spent time working with Smith at Turner Sports, and they took the time to acknowledge his death after their respective teams trained on Tuesday.

“I just heard the news from Sekou Smith, and I’m just devastated,” Kerr said. “I know I speak for our entire organization, just overwhelming news today. Sekou has been a part of the NBA family for a long time.

“I just want to express our organization’s condolences to Sekou’s family.”

“It just hit hard,” said Van Gundy, who worked with Smith at Turner Sports before taking the Pelicans job ahead of this season. Van Gundy said he learned the news shortly before practice began. “I think for all of us this COVID thing was painful, to say the least. But when you lose someone you know, admire and respect and who is young. say, he might not be young by some of your guys’ standards, but young by my standards – it’s really, really tough.

“This thing is so scary and has caused so much grief to so many people. … Today is one of those days. There are a lot of people in Atlanta today who are mourning a great man in Sekou.”

NBA players past and present have also offered their condolences on his death, including Phoenix Suns star Chris Paul and future Hall of Fame member Dwyane Wade.

Smith, an avid Michigan Wolverines fan, has mentored countless colleagues in the industry as a member of the National Association of Black Journalists. He was also one of the few journalists to spend time in the NBA bubble at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida, covering last season’s playoffs, including the NBA Finals.

The NABJ and the Pro Basketball Writers Association have released statements honoring his life and legacy, as have the Pacers and Hawks, the two teams he has covered as a beatwriter.

“Sekou Smith’s death due to complications from COVID-19 is hitting many members of the NABJ Sports family extremely hard,” the NABJ said in a statement. “He was more than a colleague, he was a friend and a brother to us, and so many others.

“Our deepest prayers go out to his wife, Heather, and their children.”

“Our members are devastated by the passing of our beloved friend and trusted colleague Sekou Smith,” the Pro Basketball Writers Association said in a statement. “He was a kind, caring person and a great journalist. We love you, Sekou. Our hearts and prayers are with his family and his colleagues at Turner Sports.”

Arthur Triche, a longtime Hawks public relations officer, who worked with the team when Smith was covering them, told ESPN: “He was my friend before I took the job here, and he became my best friend. .

“He was my sidekick on the road, and people probably thought I was giving him company secrets, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. He always told me what was going on.”

Perhaps no one summed up Smith better and more succinctly than Hawks coach Lloyd Pierce after his team beat the LA Clippers in Smith’s adopted hometown of Atlanta on Tuesday night.

“As genuine of a person as there is in the industry,” Pierce said.



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