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SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 05: Stephen A. Smith speaks at SiriusXM on Radio Row at Super Bowl LX on February 05, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images for SiriusXM)
The New York Knicks have been considered as one of the favorites of the Eastern Conference all year. Right now, they sit third in the East standings. They likely won’t be able to catch the Pistons for the top spot, but catching the Celtics for second is possible.
ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith is a big Knicks fan. He has made that well-known over the years. He recently lobbed some criticism towards the team. Josh Hart did not like that and fired back with comments of his own. He didn’t appreciate what he had to say about the team.
Now, Smith doesn’t seem willing to let this go. He continued to go after Hart on his show, spouting off his resume.
Stephen A. Smith Takes More Shots at the Knicks
While speaking on the Stephen A. Smith Show, he took more shots at Hart while proving why he can continue to do so.
“I just love how people ignore the resume. Let me say this about myself. So I spent 20 years covering the NBA, and I’m on the road and in locker rooms for over 100 games a year. And because my success on television has me in studio, and I’m not there at the games the way that I used to be. And as a result, I’m not going to know the players the way that I used to know the players.”
Then, Smith took a final shot at Hart.
“What did I say about the New York Knicks that requires me to know anybody? First of all, you don’t know who I know. Secondly, you don’t know who talks to me. Thirdly, you don’t even know how close I am to the people that cut your checks. Josh Hart, clearly, you haven’t done your homework.”
Stephen A. Smith Will Continue to Criticize New York Until They Win a Title
Smith will continue to talk about the Knicks in a negative light until they are able to win a championship. He thought they were going to the Finals last season before New York fell to the Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals. This year, they have a much better shot.
New York has the third-best offense in the NBA. With that kind of offense, they have a chance to win against anyone in the East. Defensively, they have the fifth-best defense in the league. With those statistics, this is the best chance they’ve had to reach the Finals in the last 25 years.
Hart has been more injured this season, and his stats are down across the board. Even so, he’s still shooting over 50 percent from the field and over 40 percent from beyond the 3-point arc. He is a big reason why they Knicks have been so effective on the offensive end.
The Knicks are certainly talented enough to come out of the East. It’s questionable if they are good enough to beat whoever comes out of the West, especially if it’s the Thunder or the Spurs. Those two teams are the favorites to win it all.