Stephen A. Smith may claim to be a New York Knicks fan, but there’s just no way that the First Take host, who notably juggles wearing many hats at any given time, is watching any of their games.
After New York knocked off the Milwaukee Bucks 122-109 on Sunday, where Jalen Brunson dropped a cool 43 points, Smith had something to say about one of the better teams in the Eastern Conference. And being that he nearly cried on air regarding Julius Randle being out for the season, one would think he’d follow to the point where he could recite things that make sense.
Well, you’d be wrong.
“I’m looking at Grimes; he’s looked good,” Smith said.
Smith is referring to 23-year-old guard Quentin Grimes, who hasn’t been on the team in two months. On February 8, 2024, Grimes, Ryan Arcidiacono, Malachi Flynn, Evan Fournier and two second-round picks were traded to the Detroit Pistons in exchange for Bojan Bogdanović and Alec Burks.
He must’ve missed that trade.
And if that wasn’t bad enough, he has no idea that Isaiah Hartenstein actually starts for his supposed favorite team.
“I’m looking at Isaiah Hartenstein as a reserve, giving you activity off the bench,” he added.
Smith was called out by Knicks superfan and comedian Sam Morril earlier this year for referring to Hartenstein as “some guy.” That some guy named Hartenstein has started 46 games for the Knicks this season and has made 33 straight starts. He’s not giving any activity off the bench.
The only thing riding the pine is Smith’s knowledge about the franchise he claims to be so deeply fond of. And as it turns out, he actually and legitimately might not know anything about the team he claims to rep. And while that is what it is, considering ESPN’s NBA coverage largely revolves around two players — LeBron James and Stephen Curry — Smith can’t claim to be the foremost celebrity Knicks fan and not know what he’s talking about.
It would be like Spike Lee clamoring over Frank Ntilikina’s ability to shoot from mid-range and beyond the arc.
Smith’s passion for the Knicks is evident, but factual errors about the roster raise questions about his analysis and how much he’s actually paying attention. The Knicks are having one of their better seasons in recent franchise history, and these mistakes erode Smith’s credibility.
[Cynical NYK on X]
About Sam Neumann
Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.