Stephen A. Smith may have delivered his magnum opus this week.
The ESPN analyst went viral for an epic rant about the New York Knicks on “NBA Countdown” after they blew a 28-point lead to the Brooklyn Nets and lost 111-106 on Wednesday. Almost no one on the team was spared, as Smith ripped into forward Julius Randle, head coach Tom Thibodeau, president of basketball operations Leon Rose, and others in the nearly three-minute rant. Check it out.
The New York Knicks are a national disgrace, Ladies and Gentlemen. pic.twitter.com/4sxpzgWAkC
— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) February 17, 2022
It is hard to pinpoint the single best moment from Smith’s tirade. Was it his exasperated scream, “The New York Knicks are trash!”? Or was it his furious “I’m not finished, Jalen,” when co-host Jalen Rose tried to interject?
In any event, Twitter loved Smith’s all-timer of a rant. Here were some of the best reactions to it.
I had always wondered what it would be like to witness Michelangelo paint the Sistine Chapel, Shakespeare write Hamlet or The Beatles perform A Day In The Life.
I don't have to wonder what that would be like anymore. https://t.co/lI1ZSqmHl9
— David Ubben (@davidubben) February 17, 2022
when SAS calls iso it’s game over https://t.co/74XaKsvrnN
— Mike Golic Jr (@mikegolicjr) February 17, 2022
to me, this is cinema https://t.co/mtuhkEPmuj
— Bobby Wagner (@bwags) February 17, 2022
This is a spot-on impersonation of Jay Pharoah's Stephen A impersonation on SNL. https://t.co/e8PtPmUHV1
— Stewart Mandel (@slmandel) February 17, 2022
The Knicks are now 12th in the East at 25-34 and have lost three separate games where they led by 20-plus points in 11 days. Smith, a longtime Knicks fan, has suffered greatly because of the team over the years. But this may be the lowest (and thus the most entertaining) point of Smith’s fandom ever.
