Stephen A. Smith has been one of the biggest supporters of the Knicks, going back to before he became a prominent voice in the media. However, his support has not been unconditional, as he has often called out the team when they are performing poorly or are taking what he feels are bad decisions in the front office or on the court.
Therefore, when the Knicks are now on the verge of potentially taking a commanding 3-0 lead in the NBA Finals, people expected he would be back on the side of what some people deem to be his ‘bandwagon’ support of the Knicks.
But when asked if he would want a ring from the team if they win the NBA Finals, the sports analyst refused, saying he doesn’t believe he deserves it, and if any fan is getting a ring handout from the team, only Spike Lee deserves that honor.
Near the end of a segment on First Take, Michael Wilbon was poking fun at Stephen A. Smith for criticizing Mikal Bridges before his Game 2 performance, where he bounced back and had an extremely efficient game (20 points, six rebounds, six assists, 8-13 FG, 61.5 FG%).
“I’m in our nation’s capital, in this studio where they do PTI, and I’m doing First Take. They are down 2-1 to the Atlanta Hawks. And I almost caught a stroke on national television cuz I’m going the hell off, like ‘you better not lose this series. You’d better not.'”
“Calling everybody out. Cheerleaders, dancing, everybody getting fired. Mike Brown is gonna be gone. Karl-Anthony Towns gonna be traded. Mikal Bridges, you too. Everything.”
“They ain’t lost the game since. They ain’t lost the game since that rant. So y’all could talk about me all y’all want to. I’ll do it again. I’ll do it again,” said Smith.
Then Wilbon asked Smith if he would take a ring if the Knicks gave him one.
“I don’t want one. I don’t want it. I didn’t earn one. No. Only Spike Lee deserves that. I don’t deserve that. I don’t deserve that,” Smith said humbly.
“But I will tell you this much. I’m telling you this right now. I don’t need one. Been a Knicks fan all my life. We waited 53 years. Don’t blow this. Don’t blow this at all. You understand what I’m saying? It’s not going to be healthy.”
Although I need to make it clear for the readers, no team was actually offering Smith a ring; he was only asked a hypothetical question. But if he were offered one, he rightly feels that a devoted fan like Spike Lee would deserve it more than him. The 69-year-old film director even showed up in a Knicks jersey today, signed by Pope Leo, the Head of the Catholic Church in the Vatican City.
Spike Lee’s Knicks jersey is signed by Pope Leo ✍️ pic.twitter.com/wBDoRE3BEu
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) June 8, 2026
Smith has not only criticized the Knicks before their 13-game winning streak, but also voiced his concerns back when the team added key pieces like Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby to this roster.
So if we are objectively judging whether Stephen A. Smith has been a devoted Knicks fan in the true sense of the word, then no, his support for the team has not reached a level where he deserves a ring. And he also agrees with that assessment.
But that is a disadvantage that came as a part of his job as a sports analyst to have an unbiased analysis of both sides, and if that means he has to call out the team when things are going sideways, then I guess he has accepted that it is the cost of doing what he loves for a living.
