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Stop us if you’ve heard this before: Stephen A. Smith nearly passed out from yelling on ESPN’s “First Take.”
During this Friday’s episode of “First Take,” Smith and the rest of the crew discussed the New York Knicks’ playoff run and whether it’s a fluke.
ESPN’s Kendrick Perkins tried to give the Knicks credit for becoming an ascending team.
“This organization is not the old New York Knicks,” Perkins said. “They are trending in the right direction.”
Instead of accepting this compliment, Smith went on a wild rant about how Knicks fans have suffered so much pain over the last 15 years.
“It’s easy for you to say,” Smith yelled. “Until they get to a point where they get over that hump, it’s not good enough. Because James Dolan is the owner, and that means at any given moment, something can happen. That is our experience in New York City. You don’t get to sit over there and gloss over that.”
Unfortunately for “First Take” listeners, Smith didn’t stop there.
“We’re not saying these Knicks are a fluke. We’re saying, ‘Please, Dolan, don’t get in the way. Don’t sit up there and discombobulate everything because your ego gets in the way of your basketball personnel.’ That’s what we’re saying. You don’t get to sit over there and come at us and talk about what we’re supposed to be doing.”
Happy Friday, Stephen A. Smith just blew a gasket pic.twitter.com/GbGuMpZ9dH
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) May 10, 2024
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Knicks fans believe Smith is yelling about the team’s previous mistakes so he can generate views, which is certainly possible.
There’s no doubt the Knicks have dealt with a ton of obstacles over the years, but the future in New York is bright. Why dwell on the past?