Stephen A. Smith spent all week warning that President Donald Trump’s presence at Madison Square Garden would turn Game 3 of the NBA Finals into a circus. He said he’d hold Trump responsible if the Knicks lost. The Knicks lost 115-111 to the San Antonio Spurs on Monday night, ending their 13-game winning streak. Trump was ready with a response.
Informed of Smith’s comments before boarding Air Force One after the game, Trump kept his initial tone polite before redirecting.
“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 that Stephen has that. I don’t think he does, actually.”
Jun 5, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Stephen A. Smith looks on before the game between the San Antonio Spurs and the New York Knicks in game two of the 2026 NBA Finals at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images
Trump became the first sitting U.S. president to attend an NBA Finals game. When shown on the MSG Jumbotron during the national anthem, he was greeted with audible boos throughout the arena. Trump described his reception afterward as “mostly cheers.”
President Trump responds to Stephen A. Smith saying he’d blame Trump if the Knicks lost tonight:
“I think he’s a nice guy but you need a certain aptitude to run for president. You need a high IQ, I’m not sure Stephen A Smith has that.”
(h/t @big_business_) pic.twitter.com/C9xbMSTXb9
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) June 9, 2026
What Smith actually said and why Trump’s response pointed somewhere specific
Smith’s position before the game was that his objection had nothing to do with Trump’s politics. He said on his ESPN First Take, he would have said the same thing about Obama, Bush, Clinton, or Reagan, calling it purely a logistical and atmospheric concern about disrupting New York’s most significant basketball moment in 27 years.
Trump’s response didn’t engage that argument. Instead he went directly to Smith’s widely discussed flirtation with a 2028 presidential run.
President Donald J. Trump dances his way out rally in the fieldhouse at Rockland Community College May 22, 2026.
Smith told CBS News earlier this year he would “not rule it out” and expected to decide in early 2027. He has also said in other interviews that he doesn’t think he’ll run because he’d “have to give up his money.” In April of last year, Trump himself praised Smith as “a smart guy” who should consider running.
Rev. Al Sharpton weighed in Tuesday morning on Morning Joe, taking a shot at Trump over his MSG visit, keeping the political noise around the series alive heading into Game 4 Wednesday night.
The series is 2-1 Knicks. None of the surrounding noise changes that, but it will still follow both teams back to MSG on Wednesday.