Stephen A. Smith is again making headlines. We all know that he is a hardcore New York Knicks fan, as he has frequently reminded viewers of his loyalty to the franchise whenever he appears on television.
But a recent claim he made about his role in the Knicks’ magical run to the NBA Finals has sent the basketball world into a full-blown frenzy, and not in a good way.
Stephen A. Smith’s Recent Comment Regarding the Knicks
During Wednesday morning’s edition of “First Take,” Smith suggested that his public criticism of the Knicks may have played a small role in motivating the franchise during its playoff run.
He implied that his remarks helped create the kind of pressure that pushed the team toward its first NBA Finals appearance in more than 25 years.
“I deserve some credit, so I’m gonna take it. 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.”
“It’s not just because it’s the NBA Finals. The Spurs can kick your a**! 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!… You gotta be ready for this. You gotta understand that you got to take them out. You can’t give them no life to breathe,” Smith said during the segment.
Stephen A. Smith says he deserves credit for the Knicks’ NBA Finals run
“I deserve some credit, so I’m gonna take it. You know, when I called the Knicks out…They haven’t lost since.”
(h/t @TheNBABase ) pic.twitter.com/I5cZgok8cu
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) June 3, 2026
As expected, the statement immediately caught the attention of social media users.
NBA World’s Reaction to Smith’s Comment
Sports media personalities often make games more engaging through strong opinions. However, one particular influencer made it clear that he wasn’t willing to give Smith a pass this time. In his view, the ESPN analyst had crossed the line from journalist to attention-seeker.
“Dude really annoying as hell. Like I don’t want to hear the ‘he’s a journalist’ crap anymore. He’s a pest,” the influencer wrote.
Dude really annoying as hell. Like I don’t want to hear the “he’s a journalist” crap anymore. He’s a pest
— G♏️ (@IamGeorge__) June 3, 2026
When New York was battling through the first round against Atlanta, Smith openly questioned Mike Brown’s in-game tactics and even suggested that the coach could have faced serious consequences had the Knicks been eliminated early.
As we know, that scenario never became reality. Now that Smith is suggesting his criticism somehow inspired the turnaround, one influencer cleverly flipped the argument around.
They asked if Smith deserves credit for motivating the Knicks this season; he should also be held accountable for not “motivating” them in all the previous years when they failed to reach this stage.
“Lmao ayi this man. So all these years Knicks been losing are we supposed to hold you accountable for that as well?” wrote the influencer.
Lmao ayi this man. So all these years Knicks been losing are we supposed to hold you accountable for that as well?
— LeGOAT (@SACryptoBull) June 3, 2026
Meanwhile, popular Knicks statistics and fan page “KnicksMuse” suggested that Smith might have simply been rage-baiting the NBA community.
“I honestly respect the rage-baiting… He’s so good,” wrote the admin of the page.
I honestly respect the rage-baiting.
He’s so good.
— KnicksMuse (@KnicksMuse) June 3, 2026
One user took a much different approach and didn’t bother with detailed analysis. He just chose to roast Smith.
“The single worst thing about being a Knicks fan is sharing a team with SAS,” wrote the user.
Stephen A. Smith says he deserves credit for the Knicks’ NBA Finals run
“I deserve some credit, so I’m gonna take it. You know, when I called the Knicks out…They haven’t lost since.”
(h/t @TheNBABase ) pic.twitter.com/I5cZgok8cu
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) June 3, 2026
Game 1 of the NBA Finals will start tonight at 8:30 P.M. ET at the Frost Bank Center. It remains to be seen if Smith’s motivation works this time.
