Stephen A. Smith does not want President Donald Trump anywhere near Madison Square Garden for Game 3 of the NBA Finals.
The Knicks are home in the Finals for the first time since 1999, leading the Spurs 2-0 and chasing their first championship since 1973.
Smith’s issue is that Trump’s appearance risks turning a New York basketball night into a presidential security event.
Stephen A. Smith says Trump shifts the spotlight
Smith made the point bluntly on ESPN’s First Take, arguing that the President’s presence is too disruptive for the moment.
“This President has no business showing up in New York City. I am dead serious. It is selfish. It is narcissistic. It is ridiculous that he is coming to this game.”
Smith also said he’d blame Trump if the Knicks lost Game 3 to the Spurs.
“I’m blaming the president for the United States of America If the New York Knicks lose this tonight. It is selfish…. This is not the place for the president to be coming. He knows it. He just doesn’t care.”
The language is harsh, but the basketball logic is clear. This should be about Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, Victor Wembanyama, and a city getting its first Finals home game in 27 years.
Trump’s security might affect the Knicks’ atmosphere
The practical concern is not imagined. The Knicks told fans to arrive at least two hours early, bring as little as possible, and prepare for airport-style screening.
The NYPD also canceled the planned watch party outside MSG after coordination with the Secret Service, while a strict no-bag policy was put in place for fans entering the arena.
That matters because the watch parties had become part of the Knicks’ run. For fans priced out of the Garden, the street scene was their way into the moment.
Stephen A. Smith’s criticism carries a political edge
Smith’s comments cannot be separated from politics. He has become more vocal about national issues, and he has publicly discussed, then stepped back from, possible political ambitions.
Still, that does not make this criticism empty. Trump’s attendance brings security, headlines and cameras that can take attention away from the team and the fans.
The fair reading is that both things can be true. Smith may be leaning into a political posture, but he is also right that the Knicks’ biggest home game in decades now has to share the stage with Trump.
For New York, that is the tension. The President may be a Knicks fan, but Game 3 was already big enough without another spotlight fighting for space.
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