Stephen A. Smith Doubles Down On Knicks' Game 3 Complaint, 'Grow Up!'

Stephen A. Smith doesn't want President Trump attending Game 3 of the 2026 NBA Finals on Monday night.

President Trump, 79, is expected to attend Game 3 of the NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden on Monday night. The Knicks are leading the Spurs, 2-0. President Trump's appearance is expected to cause long security lines and a watch party outside of the arena has been cancelled.

The President of the U.S. is excited to support his hometown team tonight.

"I watched the end of the game – they were dominant," Trump said. "Wemby's a great player. He's going to be a great player and he is already a great player. I said, ‘How do you guard this guy? He's 7-foot-5 and has a great shot.' But they found a way to do it. They're a great team."

Smith, meanwhile, has said that he doesn't want President Trump to attend.

"He's coming to Game 3 of the NBA Finals, and I don't want him there," Smith said. "It has nothing to do with politics, policy, or anything like that. It has everything to do with him disrupting and contributing at the same time to the chaos that's going to be existing at Madison Square Garden."

Smith says he would say the same thing to any politician.

"If it were Barack Obama coming to the Garden, I would say, ‘Stay home.' Stay at the White House… I have been covering sports for over 30 years. And I'm telling you right now, come Monday, for Game 3 of the NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden, I expect to see an environment I have never seen in my entire career covering sports."

Smith doubles down on his stance

The ESPN star doubled down on his stance over the weekend.

"Grow the (expletive) up!" he said to a critical fan.

"I have a problem with any politician - any politician - that shows up, causes delays and interferes with these watch parties buzzing all over NYC. It's not political. It's about the @nyknicks and the vibe this city has going. Anyone who messes with that needs to not show up. It's not about politics. Take that b.s. take somewhere else. Not today. Not now!"

Smith might be polarizing with a lot of his takes, but that's one that should get a lot of approval.

Game 3 is set for Monday night at 8:30 p.m. E.T.

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This story was originally published June 8, 2026 at 9:57 AM.