The NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs spawned a sideshow bout between Stephen A. Smith and Donald Trump.
After the Knicks took a commanding 2-0 lead over the Spurs in San Antonio, owner James Dolan invited Trump to Madison Square Garden for Game 3 of the NBA Finals Monday night, and the president of the United States accepted. Unfortunately for New Yorkers, Knicks fans, and media, Trump’s attendance would wreak havoc around the arena.
With Madison Square Garden sitting in Midtown Manhattan, directly above Penn Station, the president’s travel required enhanced security, forcing watch parties to be canceled or relocated, and requiring fans attending the game to arrive several hours early.
Not wanting to risk messing with any of the mojo around the Knicks and their 13-game playoff win streak, Smith was vehemently opposed to Trump attending the NBA Finals. Trump, however, didn’t listen. And as bad luck would have it, the Knicks’ winning streak was snapped Monday night, as they lost Game 3 of the Finals to San Antonio with Trump in attendance.
“If it causes the New York Knicks to lose tonight, I’m blaming him,” Smith ranted on First Take Monday morning. “I’m blaming the president of the United States! I’m gonna stay on that. And damnit, I hope the GOP loses votes because of it if we lose tonight! I’m gonna be against them. All of them!”
Before heading back to Washington after the game, Trump was asked about the rant, with a reporter saying, “ESPN commentator Stephen A. Smith, who was talking about running for president said he would blame you if the Knicks lost the game, how do you respond to that?”
Reporter: Stephen A. Smith said he would blame you if the Knicks lost
Trump: He is a nice guy but you need a certain aptitude to run for president. You need a high IQ. I don’t think Stephen has it. pic.twitter.com/7DV1fZdcfL
— Acyn (@Acyn) June 9, 2026
“I think he’s a nice guy,” Trump said of Smith. “But you need a certain aptitude to run for president. You need a high IQ. I’m not sure that Stephen has that. I don’t think he does actually.”
Interestingly, we’re barely a year removed from Trump saying he would “love” to see Smith run for president, calling him a “smart guy” with great entertainment skills. But it’s not hard to get on Trump’s bad side, and Smith seemed to strike a nerve by blaming POTUS for ruining the Knicks’ 13-game win streak. Knicks fans, meanwhile, will hesitate to claim either of the bickering celebrities.
About Brandon Contes
Brandon Contes is a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. He previously helped carve the sports vertical for Mediaite and spent more than three years with Barrett Sports Media. Send tips/comments/complaints to bcontes@thecomeback.com