Stephen A. Smith faced a sea of boos at Madison Square Garden on Friday night (June 19) when he appeared as a surprise guest on The Roommates Show.
The ESPN personality stopped by a live edition of the popular podcast hosted by Knicks stars Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart, and while Smith tried to laugh off the hostile reception, he eventually found himself issuing an on-air apology after the New York Knicks stars confronted him about his old takes.
The special episode, held at the Infosys Theater at Madison Square Garden and simulcast on ESPN, came less than 24 hours after an estimated two million people packed Lower Manhattan for the Knicks' championship parade to celebrate the franchise's first title in 53 years.
As Smith walked onstage, boos rained down from the crowd. "Are they saying 'Deuce?'" Hart joked as Smith took his seat and tried to save face with a smile.
"They don't know that boos are cheers," Smith said. "Boos are cheers." Although, Knicks fans weren't convinced as Smith has spent years questioning both Brunson and the Villanova core that helped bring the Larry O'Brien Trophy back to New York.
After Villanova won the 2016 NCAA championship, Smith famously argued that the program didn't have a legitimate NBA prospect, despite the roster featuring future NBA standouts like Brunson, Hart, Mikal Bridges, and Donte DiVincenzo. Then, when the Knicks signed Brunson in 2022, Smith publicly blasted the move. On Friday, Brunson and Hart made sure he answered for those comments.
"We are now sitting here with this golden trophy there to your right," Hart told Smith while pointing at the Larry O'Brien Trophy. "Can you sit here and admit you were wrong?"
Smith initially played coy, pretending he couldn't hear the question, before he gave the crowd what they wanted.
"I'm a grown-ass man," Smith said. "I was beyond wrong. I'm apologizing to this brother on national television. I'm apologizing to you, I'm apologizing to the entire Knicks organization."
He paused before delivering the line that finally won over at least some of the audience. "Let me be very, very clear: I have never been more happy to be wrong in my life."
The apology earned cheers, though Smith wasn't about to let the Knicks off the hook entirely. Claiming he "came out of the womb a Knicks fan," a declaration that drew another round of jeers, Smith launched into a recap of the franchise's decades of dysfunction, citing years of failed moves and frustrations before the arrival of team president Leon Rose.
Eventually, he circled back to his original point. "So, I apologize for being wrong. But let me be very clear: if it means another championship, I would do it again," he said as the crowd booed him again.
