Stephen A. Smith Accused Of Being ‘Fake’ Knicks Fan originally appeared on The Spun.
ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith has unleashed plenty of rants about the New York Knicks over the years, but is he truly a fan of the team?
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When the Knicks made a run to the Eastern Conference finals this season, Smith raved about the franchise’s playoff success. As you’d imagine, he wasn’t thrilled about the front office parting ways with head coach Tom Thibodeau after their season-ending loss to the Indiana Pacers.
“IÂ don’t like the decision because it has scapegoat written all over it,” Smith said. “I’ve been critical of Tim Thibodeau in the past. The man has gotten them to the playoffs, the last four years, they’ve advanced every single time. They got better than the year before, and they were within two games of a berth to the NBA Finals, and the reason why they didn’t get there is because they weren’t good enough.”
On Wednesday, the Knicks zeroed in on their replacement. According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Knicks are expected to make Mike Brown their next head coach.
Smith appeared on “SportsCenter” for a brief phone interview due to discuss the Knicks’ coaching hire.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – FEBRUARY 08: Sports television personality Stephen A. Smith is seen on Radio Row ahead of Super Bowl LVIII at the Mandalay Bay Convention Centeron February 08, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)Rob Carr/Getty Images
As he was listing several key players on the Knicks, Smith accidentally butchered Deuce McBride’s name. He referred to him as “Michael McBride” while on ESPN.
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Several people ripped Smith for this blunder, calling him a “fake” Knicks fan.
“Ah yes imo Michael McBride is the best player we have drafted in the history of our franchise forget Ewing forget any other Knicks draftee Michael McBride is here,” one fan sarcastically said.
“This is hilarious,” a second fan wrote on X. “He’s such a fake fan it’s annoying how much ESPN tries to tell us otherwise.”
“He’s hands down the worst fake fan of any team sport,” another fan said.
Smith, who is enjoying a brief vacation, has not responded to all the negative comments regarding his fandom.
Whenever Smith returns to “First Take,” he’ll probably have something to say about his critics.
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Related: Former ESPN Star Makes Accusation Against Stephen A. Smith
Stephen A. Smith Accused Of Being ‘Fake’ Knicks Fan first appeared on The Spun on Jul 3, 2025
This story was originally reported by The Spun on Jul 3, 2025, where it first appeared.