Stephen A. Smith's Insensitive New York Knicks Support Amid Other NBA Teams' Injury WoesStephen A. Smith (Image Credits: Imagn)
The 2025-26 NBA season is just around the corner. However, even before the 80th season of the biggest basketball league has tipped off, injuries to key players have been a point of concern for several contenders. Amid these unfortunate developments, Stephen A. Smith found another way to stay in the limelight, making cryptic and controversial remarks involving the New York Knicks and other NBA teams’ injury woes.

Notably, the Boston Celtics are holding their breath as Jayson Tatum nurses a serious Achilles injury. At the same time, the Cleveland Cavaliers face uncertainty with Donovan Mitchell sidelined due to an ankle issue.

Speaking on ESPN’s First Take, Stephen A. Smith claimed that the Knicks are destined for the NBA Finals this season. Rather than analyzing the Knicks’ own growth and potential, he leaned on the injury struggles of other franchises to argue that the team could win the Eastern Conference this season.

“I’m looking forward to my Knicks, my New York Knicks, capitalizing off on the Achilles tear to Jayson Tatum, the Achilles tear to Damian Lillard that ultimately lets him depart from Milwaukee, and going back to Portland, the Achilles tear to Tyrese Haliburton in Indiana. The New York Knicks are going to the NBA Finals…” Smith said.


Supporting his teams wasn’t the problem; however, his ‘not-so-funny’ way of predicting his favorite team’s future was! Smith’s prediction, laced with questionable humor, didn’t land really well with many NBA fans. Many criticized him for appearing to celebrate injuries to star players rather than focusing on the Knicks’ own merits.

Fans Bash Stephen A. Smith For Celebrating Other NBA Teams’ Injury Concerns

Stephen A. Smith took aim at commentators who never played professional basketball but still present themselves as expertsStephen A. Smith (Image Credits: Imagn)

From Damian Lillard’s Achilles tear that altered Milwaukee’s season (now he is with the Portland Trail Blazers) to Tyrese Haliburton’s devastating blow in Indiana, several teams are dealing with injuries ahead of the 2025-25 NBA season.

Instead of empathy, fans heard Stephen A. Smith gleefully use those misfortunes as an advantage for the New York Knicks. One of the fans wrote, “This n**ga such a ho. So glad he not a part of my fanbase”

Another fan was frustrated that Stephen A. Smith talked about Tyrese Haliburton’s Achilles injury and wrote, “Didn’t he say he’s happy that Tyrese Haliburton is hurt ? S**mbag.”


One of the fans expressed his hatred towards Smith and wrote, “I truly hate this dumb mf Now the Knicks need to watch all their Achilles”

“Bit of an insane way to word it bro what the f**k,” another fan called out to Stephen A. Smith, commenting on his way of phrasing his support for the New York Knicks.

Another fan called LeBron James’ is rightly beefing with Stephen A. Smith and wrote, “Bron pressing this guy showed the world how unlikeable and a pos SAS rly is”

A fan wrote, “Bro this guy does not represent New York. People need to stop listening to this loser. Go Knicks but saying they will be in the finals automatically because other starts are injured is such corny behavior.”

Another fan said, “Snake A Smith, what a loser thing to say.”


“He’s always wrong and he’ll be wrong again,” a fan claimed.

Stephen A. Smith’s words may have been fueled by passion for his Knicks, but the delivery missed the mark. Instead of hyping his team’s own strengths, his remarks left fans questioning his sensitivity.