Oh, Stephen A. Smith, what is it this time?
While many of the points ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith hits about his New York Knicks are right on the money, it can sometimes become a bit much. Granted, how could it not feel like an over-the-top theatrical performance when the man is seen on the digital screen more than the president?
Either way, Smith’s latest Knicks-centric outburst zeroed in on a familiar target, Mikal Bridges. Only this time, the “five first-round picks for Bridges” topic was bandied about with a twist.
“I’m sick with my New York Knicks,” Smith opened. “The Knicks ain’t winning a damn thing.
“Let me tell you something right now: Mikal Bridges, in this six-game stretch, (has) 39 total points, averaging 6.5 points per game, 5 of 24 from 3-point range, 16 of 50 from the field, can’t buy a basket — it’s unacceptable.”
Bridges has drawn Smith’s ire in recent times. The “First Take” host routinely cites the massive compensation the Brooklyn Nets paid to bring Bridges to Manhattan, as viewers have heard “five first-round picks” time and again.
However, the direction in which Smith took it this time was the big story.
“The person I’m blaming most for this is Jalen Brunson,” Smith announced. “It’s the only thing I can blame Jalen Brunson for, who I’m so proud to have as a New York Knick. But this is all his fault; all of it.”
Brunson and Bridges go back to a simpler time together. The two arrived at Villanova together in 2015, and they played together for three seasons — winning two national championships in the process (2016 and 2018) — before entering the NBA draft.
“Mikal Bridges, to get him … they gave up Bojan Bogdanovich, four unprotected first-round picks, a protected first-round pick in 2025, a first-round swap, and a second-round pick,” Smith added.
“Why did they do that? They did that because, instead of waiting a year and signing a five-year, $270 million match extension, Jalen Brunson signed a four-year, $156 million extension the year before, giving the New York Knicks a $113 million discount.”
Ok, so what’s the point?
“He did it so they could go get his boy,” Smith proclaimed in reference to Brunson wanting the Knicks to trade for Bridges. “Mikal Bridges ain’t a scrub … but he ain’t an All-Star. You (Brunson) can’t let your organization give up that much to get a dude [who’s] going to ultimately handicap you from building a roster that can compete for a championship.”
While Smith isn’t wrong in his at-a-glance assessment, it’s too little, too late.
Had Smith used a more objective and knowledgeable eye last spring, and subsequently heading into the 2025-26 season, he would have brought much more skepticism to the table. The 2024-25 Knicks performed magic acts to get this flawed roster to Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals last spring — before bowing out to the Indiana Pacers.
Instead, Smith was on the record as picking the Knicks to represent the East in the 2026 NBA Finals. Now that the team hasn’t dominated in an injury-plagued conference, Smith’s hysteria is bubbling up to the surface.
At the end of the day, however, Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges still have everything they want in front of them. Currently the No. 3 seed, if they can finish the season strong and do damage in the playoffs, they can shut up Stephen A. Smith and everybody who doubts their championship-contending status.
Next up on the New York Knicks’ schedule, which has turned into one tanking team after another, are the aforementioned Indiana Pacers. Tip-off is slated for 7:30 p.m. ET from Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night.
