Donald Trump and Stephen A. Smith turned Knicks vs Spurs into a running sports-politics feud during the NBA Finals.
The back-and-forth began when Trump appeared at Game 3 at Madison Square Garden. New York lost 115-111, and the Knicks’ lead in the series was cut to 2-1.
Smith, a lifelong Knicks fan, framed the visit as a distraction. Trump then responded by making the fight personal.
Stephen A. Smith blames Donald Trump before Knicks Game 3 loss
Awful Announcing highlighted Smith’s pregame warning as he objected to Trump attending the NBA Finals at MSG.
Smith said: “If it causes the New York Knicks to lose tonight, I’m blaming him. I’m blaming the president of the United States! And damnit, I hope the GOP loses votes because of it if we lose tonight!”
He also argued that Trump had “no business” showing up in New York City for that game, pointing to the security and atmosphere around a sitting president’s visit.
Donald Trump fires back with low IQ insult
After the Knicks lost Game 3, Smith kept blaming the disruption around Trump’s appearance.
Trump fired back by questioning Smith’s intelligence and political ambitions, saying a candidate needed “a certain aptitude” and “a high IQ.”
The feud then moved to Truth Social, where Trump reportedly called Smith an “arrogant fool,” a “low IQ individual” and “dumb as a rock.”
Stephen A. Smith responds with debate challenge
Smith did not let the attack sit unanswered.
He pushed back by saying Trump would need to worry if he ever ran, because he believed there were people he would “smoke” in a debate, including Trump.
Smith’s sharpest line was: “No disrespect, but I ain’t Kamala and I ain’t Joe Biden. I’m a little bit different.”
The argument grew because it was not only about basketball. Smith has repeatedly entertained talk about a possible 2028 presidential run, while Trump treated that possibility as part of the insult.
What started as a Knicks fan blaming a courtside distraction quickly became one of the strangest side plots of the NBA Finals.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
