The NBA Finals drama isn't just happening on the court. ESPN's Stephen A. Smith has locked horns with President Donald Trump, and neither side is showing any signs of backing down.
It all started when Trump showed up at Madison Square Garden for Game 3 of the Finals between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs. Smith, never one to hold back, predicted before tip-off that if the Knicks lost, he'd pin the blame squarely on the president. True to his word, after the Knicks fell, Smith didn't mince words.
“The brother wasn’t awake,” Smith said, accusing Trump of dozing off in his suite alongside Knicks owner James Dolan. “Didn’t you call out former President Joe Biden, ‘Sleepy Joe?’ Well, what should we call you?”
Trump fired back fast, taking to Truth Social to unload on Smith. He called the commentator “an arrogant fool,” a “low IQ individual,” and “dumb as a rock,” adding that Smith would be “annihilated in a debate by the most incompetent of politicians.” The president didn't stop there, labeling Smith a “loudmouth huckster” with little to offer.
But Smith isn't the type to tuck tail. In a sit-down with Fox News' Sean Hannity, he responded with characteristic swagger. “I take no offense at the president coming after me the way that he did. People go after him every day. I’ve certainly gone after him. He has every right to come back and clap back at me. I’m a big boy. I can take it. He’s not phasing me one bit,” Smith said.
Smith doubled down on his original argument, explaining why Trump's presence was a disruption. “This man was raised in Queens, New York. He’s a lifelong Knicks fan. He knows about the suffering that spans 53 years. And when you are a true sports fan, you know that every little thing can disrupt momentum,” Smith said. He pointed to the massive watch parties across the city—in Central Park, Bryant Park, and beyond—that had to be scrapped when Trump arrived. “The momentum was there. The energy was there. And what does this guy do? He shows up, they have to get rid of the watch party, he disrupts the momentum and the fervor, and that is why I blamed him for the loss in Game 3.”
This isn't the first time the Finals have seen off-court fireworks. The series has already been marked by heated incidents involving Knicks fans, and controversial plays that went viral. The mix of politics and sports has added another layer of intensity, especially with MSG's divided loyalties on full display.
With Game 5 looming, the stage is set for another round of verbal sparring. Smith has made it clear he won't shy away from Trump, and the president has shown he's just as eager to trade blows. For fans, it's a sideshow that's almost as compelling as the action on the hardwood.
