Trump Turns on His Favorite Sportscaster After Knicks Game Disaster

Politics admin June 9, 2026 0 Comments

Trump Turns on His Favorite Sportscaster After Knicks Game Disaster

President Donald Trump has turned on Stephen A. Smith after a calamitous appearance at Game 3 of the NBA Finals.

Trump, who turns 80 on Sunday, put the area around Madison Square Garden on lockdown for his visit, only for him to get booed during the national anthem and fall asleep during the game. The Knicks, for their part, had their 13-game winning streak broken by the San Antonio Spurs, cutting the Knicks’ lead in the series to 2-1.

Smith, an NBA analyst for ESPN who has touted a run for the presidency, had warned of trouble from the start, saying on his SiriusXM radio show that he didn’t want Trump at the event. “There is nothing short of madness that is coming the way of everybody come Monday,” Smith forecast. He also said he’d blame Trump if they lost.

“If they lose tonight? I’m looking right at him. I’m blaming him. I’m blaming the president of the United States of America if the New York Knicks lose this tonight.”

Speaking after the game, which the Knicks lost 111-115 to the San Antonio Spurs, Trump responded to Smith’s critique by dismissing his political ambitions.

“He is a nice guy, but you need a certain aptitude to run for president,” Trump told reporters before boarding Air Force One. He had traveled to Downtown Manhattan on Marine One before taking a motorcade to Madison Square Garden.

“You need a high IQ. I’m not sure that Stephen has that, I don’t think he does actually.”

In April last year, Smith said he was leaving “all doors open” to a presidential run, earning praise from Trump. He said in May last year that he would “love” to see the ESPN personality run for president, describing him as “a smart guy.”

“I’ve been pretty good at picking people and picking candidates, and I will tell you I’d love to see him run,” Trump said.

However, the relationship appears to have soured because of Smith’s comments about the thin-skinned president on Monday morning.

“This president has no business showing up in New York City. I am dead serious,” Smith, 58, said on ESPN’s First Take. “It is selfish, it is narcissistic, it is ridiculous that he’s coming to this game.”

He cited the “congestion” it would create. Indeed, Trump’s presence caused issues. Security restrictions meant that ticketholders had to queue for hours to get in, with queues stretching for two blocks outside Madison Square Garden. Thousands of New York Police Department officers and hundreds of Secret Service officers were deployed in response to his presence.

Metal barriers stymied footfall and nixed what would have been a lucrative night for bars near the venue. One New Yorker told the BBC the tight security was “killing the vibe of the Knicks.”

Trump attended with his granddaughter, Kai Trump, 19, Knicks owner James Dolan, and members of his administration.