Stephen A. Smith takes credit for Knicks getting to the NBA Finals

You probably think it’s Jalen Brunson, Leon Rose or Mike Brown who deserves credit for getting the New York Knicks back to the NBA Finals. Well, you would be wrong.

Stephen A. Smith is here to tell you, he’s the one who deserves credit for pushing the Knicks to where they are right now. That’s right, Smith believes his subtle motivational tactics from afar on First Take are at least part of the reason the Knicks are playing in their first NBA Finals in over a quarter-century. And he wants everyone to know it.

“I deserve some credit, so I’m gonna take it.” Smith boldly stated Wednesday morning on First Take from San Antonio. “When I called the Knicks out, I almost had a stroke on national television, they didn’t lose since. They’ve been 11-0. So I’m looking at the New York Knicks and I’m saying, ‘Yo, there’s a level of urgency.’”

There’s a level of urgency, and who better to inform the Knicks about that level of urgency than Stephen A. Smith.

“It’s not just because it’s the NBA Finals,” Smith continued to preach. “The Spurs can kick your ass! You gotta show up. You gotta show up! You got people out there talking about the Knicks might win in five. The Spurs might win in five!”

Smith has had a bit of a love-hate relationship with the Knicks. Josh Hart went at him earlier in the season after Smith went off on Mikal Bridges, who was having a pedestrian regular season. And more than just Bridges, Smith ripped the Knicks and even Jalen Brunson for dealing five first-round draft picks to acquire Bridges in 2024.

Smith put the Knicks on blast again during the playoffs, claiming they were on the verge of needing to fire head coach Mike Brown and make drastic changes while trailing the Atlanta Hawks 2-1 in their first round series. To the Knicks credit, and their credit only, they turned it around and haven’t lost a game since April 23, Game 3 of the first round.

Knicks fans often hesitate to claim Stephen A. Smith as one of them, choosing to question his fandom rather than embrace it. And rightfully so, there is certainly a performative aspect to Smith’s Knicks fandom. But Smith has sounded like every other irrational Knicks fan in recent months.

Fans are not supposed to be objective. In February, fans were wishing the Knicks never traded for Mikal Bridges so they could use those five first-round draft picks to land Giannis Antetokounmpo. Fans were similarly crushing the team when they were trailing the Hawks in the first round of the playoffs, rushing to criticize the Knicks for firing Tom Thibodeau last season. And now that they’re in the Finals, surely there are Knicks fans crediting their own superstitions for sparking this historic playoff run.

But if Smith really wants to take credit for getting the Knicks to the Finals, he should show up to the parade and give the team his ring size if they win a championship, and let’s see what type of reaction he gets.