Fans Are Already Tired Of Stephen A. Smith During Knicks-Spurs NBA Finals

Well, it didn't take long for the NBA community to run out of patience with Stephen A. Smith.

Since the New York Knicks are back in the NBA Finals, fans should expect Smith to be even louder than usual. Don't expect him to be consistent though. We're talking about a guy who was legitimately calling for people's jobs .

"If you lose in the first round to the Atlanta Hawks, I think heads are going to roll because remember, you got rid of Tom Thibodeau," the charismatic ESPN personality yelled on national television.

The Knicks have not lost since dropping Game 3 against the Hawks. After taking care of their first-round series, they swept the Philadelphia 76ers and Cleveland Cavaliers to secure an NBA Finals berth for the first time since 1999.

According to Smith, the Knicks have gone on a run because he called them out in late April. No, we're not kidding.

"I deserve some credit, so I'm gonna take it. You know, when I called the Knicks out, I almost had a stroke. They haven't lost since - they're 11-0," Smith said.

After Smith fired off this claim on "First Take," countless Knicks fans voiced their frustration with him online. Most of them are tired of him trying to insert himself into every conversation.

"The single worst thing about being a Knick fan is sharing a team with SAS," a Knicks fan wrote on social media.

"Dude never fails to make himself the main character," a second fan said.

"He's always switching up on them, he says if Knicks don't win game 1 there is barely any optimism they'll win the series," another person replied. "That's not a true fan."

"The only bad part about this run is this guy gets to act like he had some part in it," another Knicks fan commented.

Who is Smith picking to win the Finals?

To the surprise of absolutely no one, Smith has the Knicks defeating the Spurs in the NBA Finals.

"They're winning the chip. They're winning the chip," Smith said. "The New York Knicks will walk into the NBA Finals as the clear underdog … But the way the New York Knicks have been playing basketball, it obviously has to continue."

If the Knicks drop Game 1, there's a chance Smith will flip his pick the very next day. For now though, he's seeing orange and blue skies.

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This story was originally published June 3, 2026 at 5:30 PM.