Sports commentator and political analyst Stephen A. Smith doubled down on his criticism of Donald Trump’s attendance at Game 3 of the NBA Finals, insisting that the president disrupted the New York Knicks’ momentum and contributed to their loss. Smith made the comments during a June 11 appearance on Sean Hannity’s Fox News show, where he repeated that Trump had no business being at the game and argued that his presence brought bad energy to a team that had entered the finals with a 13-game playoff winning streak and a 2-0 series lead over the San Antonio Spurs.
Smith’s remarks followed days of public backlash after he blamed Trump for the Knicks’ 115-111 defeat in Game 3 on June 8. Hannity pushed back during the interview, saying Smith had “lost his mind” by assigning blame for the outcome of a basketball game to the president. Smith defended his stance, saying he had made the comment before the game and stood by it, adding that people who dismiss sports superstition from the outside do not understand how fans view momentum, rhythm and energy during a playoff run.
The exchange escalated into a broader personal dispute between Smith and Trump. Asked about Smith’s criticism earlier in the week, Trump mocked Smith’s intelligence and suggested he lacked the aptitude needed for public office. Smith later responded by jokingly challenging Trump to a debate. Trump then posted a sharper insult on June 10, calling Smith an “arrogant fool” and a “low IQ individual,” while also saying he was unqualified for political office.
On Fox News, Smith said he was not offended by Trump’s remarks and made clear that he had no problem with the president responding. He said that since he had criticized Trump publicly, Trump had the right to “clap back.” At the same time, Smith questioned Trump’s status as a genuine Knicks fan, arguing that someone raised in Queens who had lived through decades of frustration with the team should understand how easily a playoff team’s “mojo” can be interrupted.
Smith said the Knicks’ Game 3 loss confirmed his view, noting that the team had looked dominant during its winning streak and then struggled in Game 4 as well, at one point falling behind by 29 points. He repeated that Trump’s appearance had broken the team’s rhythm and insisted that the president knew he had interfered with the club’s momentum. Smith concluded that a true Knicks fan would not have done something that he believed affected the team in such a sensitive stretch of the postseason.
The controversy took an unexpected turn on June 10, when the Knicks completed a remarkable comeback to defeat the Spurs after erasing a 29-point second-half deficit. The win gave New York a 3-1 series lead and moved the franchise within one victory of its first championship in more than 50 years.
