When the New York Knicks signed Jalen Brunson to a four-year, $104 million contract back in 2022, many NBA analysts laughed at the Knicks’ obvious desperation after they threw a ton of money at the former backup point guard for the Dallas Mavericks.
Four years and an NBA Championship later, Jalen Brunson isn’t just an NBA Finals MVP, but he’s also been crowned the undisputed King of New York (sorry, Aaron Judge). Making his haters and doubters eat crow in the wake of his ascension to the top of the mountain, Jalen Brunson is reminding his skeptics of their hating ways, and Stephen A. Smith is finding out the hard way that Brunson’s fanbase has the memory of an elephant.
According to Variety, Stephen A. Smith was on the receiving end of a chorus of boos as he joined Jalen Brunson and his right-hand man on and off the court, Josh Hart, as they recorded a special live edition of Brunson and Hart’s podcast, The Roommate Show, at the Infosys Theater at Madison Square Garden. Taking place this past Juneteenth, Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart emerged with the Larry O’Brien trophy in hand to thunderous applause and praise before being joined on the show by their fellow teammates Karl Anthony Towns, Deuce McBride and Knicks legend, Carmelo Anthony.
While everyone enjoyed a warm reception from the New York crowd, Stephen A. Smith was not so lucky, as many remembered his criticism of the Knicks’ signing of Jalen Brunson in 2022. Though Smith has since become a huge fan of Jalen Brunson and even apologized to the man for his criticism following their Game 5 win in the NBA Finals, the fans showed no mercy and let the boos rain down on the NBA analyst as soon as he stepped on stage.
Per Variety:
The boisterous ESPN personality was greeted by a loud chorus of boos and heckling throughout his “secret guest” spot.
“Are they saying ‘Deuce?’” joked Hart as Smith came out to the boo-birds.
“They don’t know that boos are cheers,” added Smith, trying to save face. “Boos are cheers.”
The crowd had good reason to boo Smith, who infamously said that “Villanova doesn’t have a real NBA prospect on this squad” after the team won the 2016 NCAA Men’s National Championship (the team had future NBA difference-makers Brunson, Hart, Mikal Bridges and Donte DiVincenzo, to name a few).
As wrong as he was about the Jalen Brunson signing, we need to take into account that Stephen A. Smith is also known as a staunch Donald Trump supporter and as we all know from the chaos that ensued in New York leading up to Game 3 in Madison Square Garden, Donald Trump is loathed by most of the good people of the city that never sleeps. That definitely didn’t help Smith on the Junteenth show.
Still, Smith did once again admit he was wrong and explained his love for the franchise as the audience continued to let him have it for ever doubting the team.
Smith, 58, claimed that he “came out of the womb a Knicks fan” to more jeers from the crowd before rattling off a series of infamous moves by the Knicks’ organization in the 2000s and 2010s while owner James Dolan was calling the shots, and before he handed the reins to Leon Rose (and got distracted by erecting his Sphere in Las Vegas).
“So, I apologize for being wrong,” Smith continued. “But let me be very clear: if it means another championship, I would do it again.”
Aight, b.
Now we wait on Becky Hammon to publicly apologize to the Knicks 1A and NBA Finals MVP.
