Sports commentator Stephen A. Smith said on Wednesday that the New York Knicks “don’t want to go” to the White House to celebrate their win at the 2026 NBA Finals, according to a report by Ryan Mancini for The Hill.
Smith made the remark on ESPN’s First Take, The Hill reported. According to the outlet’s summary, Smith said he had been hearing the claim and would say it on air, and that he did not know how much truth there was to it. The Hill’s article is dated October 29, 2026.
The summary does not identify which players Smith meant, whether the team has responded, or what reasons, if any, were offered for the reported reluctance, according to The Hill’s excerpt. The excerpt ends mid-sentence, so the rest of Smith’s comments are not included in the material reviewed. Neither the summary nor the other material identifies a source for the claim beyond Smith’s own statement that he had been hearing it.
The summary also does not say when any visit would take place or who arranged it. Only the Knicks’ win at the 2026 NBA Finals is described as the occasion. A separate item in the material reviewed, a Fox News AI newsletter, does not address the Knicks or the White House. The Hill’s account is therefore the only report of Smith’s remarks available in these sources.
Sources: The Hill: Stephen A. Smith: Knicks players ‘don’t want to go’ to White House; Fox News: Fox News AI Newsletter: Don't want AI on your phone? What to do about it.