Stephen A. Smith has never been shy about wearing his heart on his sleeve, but even he cringed at what he was about to admit. On a recent episode of First Take, the outspoken ESPN personality made an embarrassing confession: if the New York Knicks hadn't finally ended their 53-year championship drought, he was ready to swallow his pride and beg LeBron James to come to the Big Apple.
“I gotta tell y’all something, and I’ve been holding this… I have a confession to make on national TV,” Smith began, his voice tinged with a mix of relief and embarrassment. “This is how desperate as a New York fan I was getting — if the New York Knicks had not gone to the NBA Finals, I was going to come here on national TV and beg LeBron James to come to New York. I was actually going to do that.”
The admission came just days after the Knicks clinched their first title since 1973, beating the San Antonio Spurs in a thrilling Finals series. For Smith, a lifelong Knicks fan who was just four years old when the team last won, the victory was a cathartic release from decades of suffering. “Everybody knows that’s the last damn thing I wanted to do,” he added. “I mean, that’s how desperate I was because 53 years is a long time and that’s how much suffering we’ve had to endure. … Desperate times, desperate measures.”
Smith's confession didn't stop there. He also took a moment to apologize to Knicks stars Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart during a live filming of their Roommates Show podcast at Madison Square Garden. “I was beyond wrong. I’m apologizing to this brother on national television; I’m apologizing to you; I’m apologizing to the entire Knicks organization,” Smith said, his tone sincere. “Let me be very, very clear — I have never been more happy to be wrong in my life. I’m 58 years old… I apologize for being wrong. But let me be very clear: if it means another championship, I would do it again.”
The idea of LeBron James joining the Knicks isn't as far-fetched as it might sound. With the Lakers struggling to build a contender around the aging superstar, rumors have swirled about a potential move. Some reports have even suggested that a single financial maneuver could push LeBron from Los Angeles to Golden State, while others speculate about a reunion with Kevin Love in the Lakers' frontcourt. But for Smith, the thought of LeBron in a Knicks uniform was a last-resort fantasy—one he's now glad he never had to act on.
The championship has brought more than just relief to New York. Knicks owner James Dolan used the victory parade to take aim at Mayor Eric Mamdani, sparking a heated exchange that dominated headlines. Meanwhile, Smith's co-hosts on First Take couldn't resist ribbing him about his near-begging scenario, with one joking that the network might have had to cut to commercial if Smith had actually gone through with it.
While Smith's admission might have been embarrassing, it also highlighted the intense passion that defines New York sports fandom. For a man who has built a career on hot takes and bold predictions, admitting he was ready to grovel for LeBron was a rare moment of vulnerability. And in the end, it paid off—the Knicks are champions again, and Smith can finally breathe easy. But if the team ever falters again, don't be surprised if he pulls that same card out of his back pocket.
