Trump Fires Back At Stephen A. Smith After Knicks Lose NBA Finals Game 3

The New York Knicks lost Game 3 of the NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs with President Donald Trump in the building at Madison Square Garden.

Before the game, ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith declared that it would be Trump’s fault if the Knicks lost Game 3. Following San Antonio’s 115-111 victory to snap New York’s 13-game playoff winning streak, Trump clapped back at the popular sports talk debater.

“I think he's a nice guy but you need a certain aptitude to run for president,” Trump said. “You need a high IQ, I’m not sure Stephen A Smith has that.”

Trump’s attendance at Game 3 was the center of plenty of media attention. The NYPD shut down the popular watch party for fans outside of Madison Square Garden as a heightened Secret Service presence caused delays for players, personnel and fans entering the arena.

ESPN insider Shams Charania noted that a Secret Service stoppage caused him to lose his AirPods case.

Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox noted that Trump’s attendance was an inconvenience for the players after a media member revealed to the 28-year-old that his chapstick lid was confiscated.

"The President being here just makes it inconvenient on everybody else,” Fox said before the game.

During the national anthem, Trump was displayed on the jumbotron at Madison Square Garden and was met with a chorus of boos. The 45th and 47th President of the United States opted to watch the game from Knicks owner James Dolan’s suite. Courtside seating was littered with celebrities spanning from Timothee Chalomet and Spike Lee to DJ Khaled.

"It's a little left wing but it's great entertainment,” Trump said about the NBA following Game 3.

The President’s attendance at Game 3 strengthens the ties that the White House currently has in the world of sports. Trump had previously been outspoken against the NFL and NBA, but has since become the first sitting President to attend an NFL regular season game and an NBA Finals game. Up next, Trump is scheduled to host UFC Freedom 250 on the White House lawn on June 14.

Game 3 probably wasn’t the last time Trump will exchange with Stephen A. Smith.

As Trump aggressively noted, Stephen A. is contemplating a run for office in 2028. Popular prediction market sites like Polymarket that allow users to trade shares of real-world events are currently giving the popular sports talk show host a 1% chance of winning the presidency. Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson has a 2% chance of winning while political talk show host Tucker Carlson has a 3% chance.