Stephen A. Smith turned Donald Trump's Madison Square Garden appearance into another target after the New York Knicks lost Game 3 of the NBA Finals.
The ESPN star had already said he would blame Trump if the Knicks lost, and the San Antonio Spurs made that line impossible to ignore with an 115-111 win. What followed was no longer just about the scoreboard.
Smith's frustration shifted toward Trump's connection to New York , the Knicks' long title drought, and viral clips that made it look like the president was not fully locked into the moment.
Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP via Getty Images
Stephen A. Smith dropped a First Take response after Donald Trump attended the Knicks' Game 3 loss to the Spurs at Madison Square Garden.
"I thought you were a New Yorker, Mr. President. I thought you cared. I thought it mattered to you, Gotham City, the New York Knicks, the erasing of a 53-year drought. I thought that mattered to you," Smith said.
Smith's shot landed because the Knicks are chasing their first championship since 1973. Game 3 was supposed to push New York closer to ending that wait, but instead the Spurs cut the Finals series to 2-1.
That gave Smith room to paint Trump's visit as something that failed both the night and the city he once called home.
Part of Smith's anger came from the images circulating after the game. Trump was shown in a luxury suite during the night, and Smith leaned into the online reaction that he appeared to be resting while the Knicks were fighting for control of the series.
"It's clear you need your rest, isn't it? More extensive analysis of your betrayal to New Yorkers will come a little bit later on my own platform," Smith stated.
The White House pushed back on the idea that Trump slept through the game, but Smith used the moment as another piece of his larger argument. He had already warned that the visit would become a distraction, and the Knicks' loss gave him the result he feared.
Whether fans buy the blame or not, Smith turned Game 3 into a personal case against Trump's courtside-era New York loyalty. The Knicks still lead the series, but the president's MSG night has become part of the Finals noise.
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