Bill Maher got an up-close taste of the action during Sunday’s game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the New York Knicks.
The comedian and political commentator Maher was sitting courtside as the Lakers faced the Knicks at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, Calif. on Sunday. In the second quarter, Lakers guard Marcus Smart deflected a pass during a Knicks possession and went flying out of bounds to try to save the loose ball.
Smart ultimately failed to keep the ball in play … but did succeed in causing some chaos on the sideline. He took out a few of the monitors of the ESPN television broadcasters and also ran into Maher and some other fans who were sitting in the first row in the process.
Here is the video.
Marcus Smart took out Bill Maher pic.twitter.com/ODam0krrIN
— Lakers Lead (@LakersLead) March 8, 2026
Maher, 70, is a New York City native who was presumably cheering on the Knicks on Sunday. But his HBO show “Real Time with Bill Maher” films in Los Angeles, giving Maher the perfect opportunity to catch a game.
Meanwhile, the former NBA Defensive Player of the Year Smart is known for his hustle, which sometimes includes all-out efforts for loose balls. Maher learned that the hard way on Sunday, but he at least fared better than this other courtside fan who was once steamrolled by a current Lakers player.
