Stephen A Smith goes viral picking his Pokemon starter

ESPN personality Stephan A Smith went viral across social media after a segment on his show of him picking his Pokemon starter caught fire on social media.

Sports fans across the world know Stephan A Smith for his on-screen antics and rants on ESPN. Smith is one of the network’s biggest stars and he even has his own show on YouTube. The format across his two shows are not very different. However, on his own show, instead of talking about the biggest trade or debating the biggest storylines of the day, he can speak about whatever he wants.

In a segment that saw him take questions from social media, a fan asked Smith who among the first generation of Pokemon would he pick – Charizard, Bulbasaur, or Squirtle.

Smith’s process for picking his first teammate on his Pokemon journey, and his unfamiliarity with the franchise, have intrigued many across the internet.

Stephan A Smith chooses Pokemon starter

Smith starts his answer by asking what the Pokemon are and then mispronouncing their names on air.

“These are Pokemons? I guess that’s what it is. I’m going to say… Charmander,” Smith said.

The host said that he chose the fire type because it reminded him of himself. The comparison Smith made was to him and the character’s forehead.

The sports personality has been one of the most-watched television personalities in recent years and might be older than many watching him might realize. Smith is 56, and he clearly missed the Pokemon craze when the franchise hit the culture when he was in his early thirties.

Social media has set ablaze with viewers and fans mocking his pronunciation of Charmander, and their shared forehead size.

“‘cha mander,'” one social media user said.

Smith then responded to his post, asking if he picked the right Pokemon with a photo of his photoshopped on Ash from the anime.