As the New York Knicks hosted the San Antonio Spurs in Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Monday, a major storyline before and during the matchup was the attendance of President Donald Trump.
Leading up to the game, ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith, a known Knicks fan, said he would blame Trump if New York lost the game.
Stephen A. Smith goes OFF on President Trump attending tonight’s Knicks game 😳
“I’m blaming the president for the United States of America If the New York Knicks lose this tonight. It is selfish. This is not the place for the president to be coming.“ pic.twitter.com/nvKhbF1AHZ
— SleeperHoops (@Sleeper_Hoops) June 8, 2026
After the Knicks did indeed lose the game, Trump was asked about Smith’s quote, and the president wound up taking a shot at the ESPN analyst.
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
Smith then clapped back at Trump on Tuesday.
Stephen A Smith responds to Donald Trump calling him a low IQ individual on First Take:
“You wanna talk about IQ, I could say I could put my IQ against yours, I got something even better I could ask you why you been running from me for the past year since I asked you to talk to… https://t.co/iI1DpLjkRb pic.twitter.com/Edon6R1fzF
— Ahmed/The Ears/IG: BigBizTheGod 🇸🇴 (@big_business_) June 9, 2026
It’s certainly possible that Trump’s attendance at Game 3 served as a distraction, and certain measures were put in place that impacted the typical home game experience.
“Fans, media members and stadium employees were required to provide a ticket or pass to get past various checkpoints, and they were instructed to pass through a magnetometer upon arrival,” ESPN’s Ben Golliver wrote. “Secret Service personnel and police were positioned at every corner outside the arena in large numbers.”
The Knicks also released a statement before the game telling fans what to expect, though Trump wasn’t specifically mentioned.
— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) June 6, 2026
In addition, no watch parties were allowed outside Madison Square Garden during the game, though conflicting reasons were provided as to why.
The Knicks lost the game 115-111, missing out on a chance to take a 3-0 series lead that would’ve put them in prime position to clinch the title. The Spurs came to play with their backs against the wall, and the series is now 2-1 with Game 4 set for Wednesday.
If San Antonio wins that one, the team will have home-court advantage back on its side in what will essentially become a best-of-three series. But if the Knicks win Game 4, they will move to within one victory of claiming their first championship since 1973.
Game 3 was close, with the Knicks leading at times in the second half before the Spurs turned it up a notch. Knicks star Jalen Brunson and Spurs star Victor Wembanyama both had big games, with each of them finishing with 32 points.
Trump isn’t expected to attend Game 4, according to a report from ESPN’s Shams Charania, which will likely change the atmosphere a bit at Madison Square Garden.
President Donald Trump is not expected to attend Game 4 of Knicks-Spurs in the NBA Finals on Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden due to scheduling conflicts and obligations, sources tell ESPN. Trump, a lifelong Knicks fan, watched the majority of Game 3 from a suite.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 9, 2026
Meanwhile, it will be interesting to see if Smith and Trump continue to go back and forth in the NBA as the championship series rolls on.
