Stephen A. Smith’s feud with President Donald Trump did not end with the New York Knicks’ championship celebration. After Trump congratulated the Knicks and praised Jalen Brunson following their NBA Finals win, Smith used a CNN appearance to push the fight into a new lane: a public debate.
The ESPN commentator said Sunday on CNN’s State of the Union that he would be willing to sit across from Trump and debate him directly. His comments came after Trump attacked Smith’s intelligence during their back-and-forth over the president’s appearance at Game 3 of the NBA Finals, the only game the Knicks lost in their 4-1 series win over the San Antonio Spurs.
The feud started at Madison Square Garden
Trump attended Game 3 of the NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden, where the Spurs beat the Knicks 115-111. Smith had argued before and after the game that Trump should not have attended, saying the president’s presence created pressure around the event and joking that Trump would get blamed if New York lost.
The Knicks did lose that night, but the series quickly turned back in their favor. New York came from behind in Game 4, then closed out San Antonio with a 94-90 win in Game 5 to secure its first NBA championship since 1973. Jalen Brunson won Finals MVP after scoring 45 points in the title-clinching game.
Trump congratulated the Knicks after the win
After the Knicks finished the series, Trump posted a congratulatory message on Truth Social. He praised team owner James Dolan and called Brunson a newborn superstar, while also naming Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby, and Mitchell Robinson.
The post added another layer to the story because Trump had been part of the conversation throughout the Finals. His appearance at Game 3 became a talking point on sports shows, political panels, and social media, especially after cameras showed him sitting in Dolan’s private box during the game.
Fun fact: Trump made history as the first sitting U.S. president to ever attend an NBA Finals game.
Smith says he is open to a debate
Smith pushed back after Trump called him a “low-IQ” individual and suggested he would be overwhelmed in a political debate. On CNN, Smith said that if Trump wanted to question his intelligence, the president should debate him personally rather than point to someone else.
Smith said he would be “more than happy” to sit across from Trump and debate some of the decisions the president has made. He also made clear that he is not trying to run for president, saying he likes his job and his money too much to give them up for a campaign.
The ESPN analyst said his challenge was not about launching a political career. Instead, he framed it as a direct response to Trump’s insults and said the two could discuss policy and leadership in front of the public.
Little-known fact: Before his journalism career, Smith spent a year at New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology before transferring to Winston-Salem State on a basketball scholarship.
The age and alertness question came up, too
During the CNN interview, Smith was also asked about Trump’s age and whether he believes the president is sharp enough for the job. Trump turned 80 on Sunday, bringing fresh attention to questions about age, stamina, and public appearances.
Smith said he would not associate Trump with the word “sharp,” but he also said he was not trying to denigrate the president. He called Trump an upgrade from Joe Biden in terms of alertness, while still criticizing some of Trump’s decisions and public behavior.
Smith also returned to the viral Finals moment that helped fuel the feud. He said Trump appeared to be “caught napping” at Madison Square Garden, while adding that the president has a lot on his plate and keeps a demanding public schedule.
The story is now bigger than Game 3
What began as a sports-media joke about a Knicks loss has turned into a public clash between one of ESPN’s loudest voices and the president of the United States. The Knicks’ championship should have ended the Finals storyline, but Smith and Trump have kept it alive through television comments and social media shots.
For now, the debate challenge appears unlikely to become an actual event. Still, Smith’s remarks gave the feud a sharper political edge, tying the Knicks’ historic title run to a larger argument over Trump’s age, public image, and willingness to face one of his most vocal critics.
TL;DR
- President Trump attended Game 3 of the NBA Finals at MSG on June 8, 2026, and was booed during the national anthem.
- The Knicks lost 115-111 to the Spurs, ending their 13-game playoff win streak, and Stephen A. Smith blamed Trump’s attendance.
- Trump responded by questioning Smith’s IQ and calling him an “arrogant fool” on Truth Social.
- Smith fired back by pointing to footage of Trump appearing to sleep during the game and comparing him to “Sleepy Joe” Biden.
- The feud highlighted real concerns about presidential security disruptions at public sporting events and the growing overlap between sports media and political culture.
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This article was made with AI assistance and human editing.
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