Stephen A. Smith faced a chorus of boos from gloating fans in Manhattan on Friday as the ESPN pundit admitted he was wrong about the New York Knicks' title hopes.
A day after the Knicks' championship parade, Smith was a surprise guest at Madison Square Garden's Infosys Theater, where teammates Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart hosted a live taping of their podcast, The Roommates Show.
The tension between Smith and the pair dates back about 10 years, to when Brunson, Hart and fellow Knicks star Mikal Bridges played together at Villanova. Under coach Jay Wright, the trio won a national title in 2016 before Brunson and Bridges won a second two years later. Smith was unimpressed at the time and predicted the Wildcats stars would fall short in the NBA. When the Knicks signed Brunson to a big free-agent contract in 2022, Smith remained skeptical, and the later additions of Hart and Bridges did not change his mind about the group known among fans as the 'Nova Knicks."
"We are now sitting here with this golden trophy there to your right," Hart asked Smith as the boos subsided. "Can you sit here and admit you were wrong?"
Smith's apology
Smith took the criticism in stride. "I'm a grown-ass man. I was beyond wrong," he said. "I'm apologizing to this brother on national television; I'm apologizing to you; I'm apologizing to the entire Knicks organization."
"Let me be very, very clear, I have never been more happy to be wrong in my life," he continued. "I came out of the womb a Knicks fan. I'm 58 years old. The last time the New York Knicks won a title before last Saturday, I was four. So, I apologize for being wrong. But let me be very clear: if it means another championship, I would do it again."
Brunson milks the moment
Brunson enjoyed the exchange as much as anyone, at one point interjecting, "Wait, they're not done," to cut Smith off and let the booing continue. When Smith apologized, Brunson turned to the crowd and repeated, "You were wrong."
The Roommates Show is not done with its public appearances. After hosting Smith, Carmelo Anthony and current teammate Karl-Anthony Towns this week, the podcast crew is planning a public block party for Thursday.
