Stephen A. Smith, renowned as one of the most successful personalities in sports media, is also a fervent New York Knicks fan.
After New York’s 116-103 defeat to the Indiana Pacers in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, Smith momentarily shed his analyst role for his Knicks fandom during ESPN’s postgame coverage.
A longtime observer of the Knicks’ ups and downs, Smith was not prepared to watch the team miss another chance to reach the Eastern Conference finals, a stage they’ve only seen once since 2000.
In a segment that resonated with Knicks fans everywhere, Smith passionately urged the team to seize their moment. Despite acknowledging that key players Josh Hart and Isaiah Hartenstein were battling injuries, he confidently predicted, “They will play, and the Knicks are going to the Conference finals.”
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Smith then delivered a fiery plea: “But dammit, this is what it’s about. You’ve been waiting for decades to get back to the Eastern Conference finals. I understand how you’re feeling right now. You didn’t put yourself in this position; a lot of injuries, but dammit you’ve gotten to this point. It’s Game 7… Here’s the bottom line. There is no tomorrow! There is no tomorrow! Get it done… Get it done Sunday at 3:30 Eastern! Be ready! I don’t give a damn what you gotta do! Figure it out!”
His speech was so stirring, it could be set to music and played in the Knicks’ locker room as a pre-game rally cry by coach Tom Thibodeau.
Nonetheless, the energy at Madison Square Garden should be electric without extra incentives, as 19,500 fervent Knicks fans are expected to fill the stands, ready to propel their team to a pivotal victory on Sunday afternoon.
