Stephen A. Smith fired back at President Donald Trump in an intense First Take segment following Game 3 of the NBA Finals.
On Monday night (June 8), President Trump attended the third game between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs, which prompted boos when his face on the jumbotron during Avery Wilson’s rendition of the “Star Spangled Banner.”
Earlier in the day, Smith said on his podcast The Steven A. Smith Show that he would place blame on Trump if the Knicks lost, and after the team did, the politician addressed Smith’s comments post-game.
“I think he’s a nice guy, but you need a certain aptitude to run for president,” Trump told a reporter, per C-SPAN. “You need a high IQ. I’m not sure that Stephen has that. I don’t think he does, actually.”
The comment only got Smith more heated about the alleged President Trump curse, and he doubled down on comments about the politician on the Tuesday (June 9) episode of First Take.
"Our president showed up in New York City last night, Smith began. "And needless to say, what I feared would happen ended up happening. The New York Knicks lost. And obviously, I'm blaming him."
Smith went on to share his thoughts that Trump "disrupted our mojo." "I've said this on many occasions over the last 24 hours and I'm saying it again: The man messed things up," he continued.
The sports personality explained that Trump was 26 years old the last time the Knicks won a championship back in 1973 and "knows how miserable New York fans have been" since 53 years ago. "Why? Because he's a Queens native. He's from this area. He knows exactly what New Yorkers have been through and he didn't care," Smith claimed.
After a brief detour into politics, Smith said Trump's comment about him having a "low IQ" made him "laugh." The ESPN host also recalled streets in Manhattan being blocked off for President Trump to attend the game, although he was allegedly sleeping through the game.
"I'm not gonna accuse him of snoring because I wasn't an earshot. But the brother wasn't awake," Smith claimed. "If it was that important for you to be there, why did you look like you were asleep? Didn't you call our former President Joe Biden 'Sleepy Joe'? Well, what should we call you? 'Cause you weren't awake."
Smith concluded by saying that Trump betrayed the Knicks for his own "selfish, narcissistic motives." "I told you if you showed up, what could potentially happen? And it ended up happening," Smith continued. "And now the New York Knicks have to go back to San Antonio. Why? Four game five. Why? Because you got in the way for your own selfish motives."
Smith previously called President Trump a narcissist on his podcast and said that the politician had “no business” at Madison Square Garden. “It has nothing to do with politics. It was everything to do with the ferver that exists around the New York Knicks, and he is disrupting everything the Knicks have been vibing with,” Smith said.
