On Oct. 29, 2026, ESPN commentator Stephen A. Smith said on “First Take” that New York Knicks players “don’t want to go” to the White House to celebrate their 2026 NBA Finals win.
Smith prefaced the remark by saying, “This is what I’ve been hearing and I’m going to say it,” and added he did not know “how much truth there is to” the reports, according to his segment on the program.
The comments were made on ESPN’s “First Take.” The report did not include statements from Knicks players or White House officials.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
