The ESPN Broadcaster Used A Portion Of Monday’s ‘First Take’ To Question Trump’s Attendance, Says Trump Should Skip NBA Finals Game
Stephen A. Smith did not hold back Monday when asked about President Donald Trump’s expected appearance at Madison Square Garden for Game 3 of the NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs.
During a segment on ESPN’s “First Take,” Smith said Trump’s attendance would create an unnecessary distraction on one of the biggest basketball nights New York City has seen in nearly three decades.
“This president has no business showing up in New York City. I am dead serious,” Smith said. “It is selfish. It is narcissistic. It is ridiculous that he is coming to this game.”
"This president has no business showing up in New York City…it is ridiculous that he is coming to this game" – Stephen A. Smith takes issue with Donald Trump attending Game 3 of the NBA Finals at MSG pic.twitter.com/EDa2IWdW2g
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) June 8, 2026
The comments came as New York prepared for the Knicks’ first home NBA Finals game since 1999. The team enters Monday night with a 2-0 lead over the Spurs and a 13-game postseason winning streak, the second-longest playoff streak in NBA history.
Security Concerns Add To Madison Square Garden Tension
Smith’s criticism centered less on Trump’s politics and more on the impact his visit is expected to have on fans and New Yorkers trying to move through Midtown Manhattan.
Security around Madison Square Garden has tightened ahead of the game, with enhanced screenings, a strict no-bag policy and guidance for fans to arrive at least two hours before tipoff. Watch parties outside the arena were also canceled, and several blocks near the Garden were restricted to vehicle and pedestrian traffic.
Smith said he would feel the same way if any sitting president attended the game under similar circumstances, naming former Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Ronald Reagan as examples.
Still, Smith’s frustration carried the extra panic of a lifelong Knicks fan who does not want anything disturbing the team’s rhythm.
“If it causes the New York Knicks to lose tonight, I’m blaming him,” Smith said. “I’m blaming the President of the United States!”
Trump’s Knicks Ties And Dolan Invitation
Trump, who has long described himself as a Knicks fan, was invited to the game by Knicks owner James Dolan, who also owns Madison Square Garden. Dolan has publicly supported Trump in the past and has described him as a friend.
The Garden was also the site of a controversial Trump rally in October 2024. Dolan has donated to Trump’s political efforts, and the two have known each other for years through New York business and social circles.
Trump’s expected appearance would make him the first sitting U.S. president to attend an NBA Finals game. Former President Obama attended the 2019 NBA Finals between the Golden State Warriors and Toronto Raptors, but he did so as a private citizen after leaving office.
Smith, who has faced criticism from some public figures for how he discusses Black celebrities and politicians, delivered one of his sharpest public rebukes of Trump through the lens of Knicks fandom.
“I’ve been fair-minded, down the middle as an Independent for a long time,” Smith said. “Hell hath no fury like Stephen A. scorned if the New York Knicks lose tonight.”
For the Knicks, the task is simple even if the scene is not. New York can move one win away from an NBA championship with a Game 3 victory over the Spurs, while San Antonio looks to steal one at the Garden and bring the Finals back to Texas with new life.
