Trump shines light on Stephen A Smith’s presidential hopes after Knicks lose Game 3 with Trump at MSG

President Donald Trump took a flirtatious shot at Stephen A. Smith at the White House on Monday night after an ESPN analyst said he would blame Trump if the New York Knicks lose Game 3 of the NBA Finals.

Well, the Knicks lost.

And Trump had an answer.

After attending Game 3 at Madison Square Garden, Trump spoke to reporters before boarding Air Force One to return to Washington, D.C. Fox News Digital/OutKick asked Trump about Smith, who has repeatedly floated the idea of ​​running for president, saying Trump will be blamed if the Knicks lose.

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“I think he’s a good man, but you need some skills to run for president,” Trump said. “You need a high IQ. I’m not sure Stephen has that. I don’t think he does, actually.”

Oh well.

That was Trump, after watching the Knicks lose at Madison Square Garden, responding to one of ESPN’s biggest stars suggesting that his presence could be responsible for the outcome.

The Spurs beat the Knicks, 115-111, in Game 3 on Monday night, deciding the series in New York 2-1. It marked the first NBA Finals game at Madison Square Garden since 1999, when the Tim Duncan-led Spurs beat the Knicks in Game 5 to win the series and the title.

So, naturally, Stephen A. simply prepared an excuse for a possible loss in advance.

Smith, a known Knicks fan, had already made it clear that he did not want Trump at Madison Square Garden for the game. Despite Trump’s appearance making him the first sitting U.S. president to attend an NBA Finals game, Smith didn’t mind Trump setting a historic precedent.

The “First Take” host argued before the game that Trump had “no business” coming to New York City for Game 3 and said the president in attendance would create unnecessary chaos in one of the Knicks’ biggest games in decades.

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He also said that he would blame Trump if the Knicks lost. He did not, however, assert that he would give Trump credit if the Knicks won. Funny how that works.

President Donald Trump watches the start of Game 3 of the 2026 NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs at Madison Square Garden. (Samuel Corum/Getty Images)

Smith tried to argue that his position was not political. He said he would feel the same way if Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton or Ronald Reagan attended the game.

It is possible.

But there is another important consideration to consider.

Smith has spent more than a year flirting with a 2028 presidential run. He said he had no choice but to consider it. He has often commented that people connected to politics told him that he should run for president and that he could win.

Does anyone in the world believe that President Stephen A. Smith would skip the Knicks NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden?

Come on.

Smith may want the Secret Service to let him sit in court rather than sit in the White House watching the game from afar. He probably wouldn’t stop there, either. Fans can expect to see Smith at every NBA Finals game at Madison Square Garden. Almost every game in every series.

That’s what makes Trump’s twisted response so striking.

Smith wants to be taken seriously as a potential presidential candidate, but he also wanted to challenge the actual president by attending one of the biggest sporting events of the year. Something Trump has done to both presidents, by the way. Arguably no president in history has appeared at major American sporting events like Trump.

But Trump decided not to get involved with what Smith said that the Knicks lost because of the president’s appearance in the game. Instead he took a shot at Smith for the presidency and his sanity. And, as is often the case, Trump pulled no punches.

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Smith has become one of ESPN’s most powerful figures by knowing exactly how to be ignored. He’s loud, he’s dramatic, he’s political when he wants to be and he always knows the moment.

Trump in the same way.

ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith said he will blame President Donald Trump if the New York Knicks lose Game 3 of the NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden. (Paras Griffin/Getty Images)

So when Stephen A. inserted himself into the story by saying he was going to blame Trump for the Knicks’ loss, Trump responded in the most Trump way possible.

He asked if Stephen A. Smith was smart enough to be president.

Fortunately, Smith is likely to let it go and not give an answer.

That’s right, and if you believe that, we have a bridge to sell you.

Stay tuned.

Because there is no chance that this will end in peace.