Stephen A. Smith was spotted at a marquee event on Saturday, but it wasn’t the New York Knicks’ postseason opener.
The ESPN personality was seen at Day 1 of WrestleMania 42 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nev. Smith got booed heavily by the tens of thousands of WWE fans in attendance.
zThey really booed tf outta Stephen A 😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/fst4fAMrwI
— Julian Weeks (@JulianWks) April 18, 2026
Smith received heavy scrutiny from hoops fans, too. Several folks called out Smith, a vocal Knicks fan, for choosing to attend WrestleMania instead of Game 1 of New York’s first-round series against the Atlanta Hawks at Madison Square Garden. Many used words such as “phony” and “fake” to describe his Knicks fandom.
As I've been saying for years!
— KBD 🇺🇸 (@KBD_47) April 18, 2026
Stephen A Smith is a fake Knicks fan! He decided to get booed at WrestleMania rather than be at MSG for the Knicks game 1!
He was always a Philadelphia 76ers fan and an Allen Iverson Glazer!
He just became a Knicks fan when it was convenient! https://t.co/9RvYAtnYmM
Stephen A Smith in Las Vegas instead of at the Knicks playoff game just shows what many people have said for years. He's a massive phony. #WrestleMania
— Ari Fantis (@rprez2012) April 19, 2026
AINT NO WAY SO CALLED KNICKS FAN STEPHEN A SMITH IS AT WRESTLEMANIA RN AND NOT AT MSG FOR GAME 1 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
— Furlaniquetamère🃏🔴⚫️ (@RipCT_Norb) April 18, 2026
It’s not the first time Smith’s mental investment in the game of basketball has been questioned. The ESPN host got clowned last playoffs for getting caught playing solitaire instead of watching live action during the 2025 NBA Finals.
If the man can’t be bothered to watch the pinnacle of the sport, it’s not surprising to see him miss the first of likely several Knicks home games in the 2026 postseason.
Perhaps Smith is still reeling from being called a “part-time Knicks fan” Josh Hart, who must have felt vindicated not seeing Smith on the sidelines for their 113-102 win over the Hawks.
