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Donald Trump responds to Stephen A. Smith after NBA Finals Game 3

Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Jun 9, 2026, 6:12 AM

Last updated Jun 9, 2026

Donald Trump responds to Stephen A. Smith after NBA Finals Game 3

Summary

President Donald Trump attended Game 3 of the NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden on June 8, where the San Antonio Spurs defeated the New York Knicks 115-111. Trump's appearance drew boos during the national anthem, prompting ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith to criticize him for disrupting the game atmosphere. Following the game, Trump dismissed Smith's comments, suggesting he was mostly cheered and questioning Smith's intelligence. The controversy adds to Trump's public persona and the current NBA Finals narrative.

Source Links

Yahoo Sports

By the Numbers

•Trump appeared at the Knicks vs. Spurs game amid heavy security.
•Smith blamed Trump for distracting from the Knicks' performance.
•Trump said he received cheers and criticized Smith's intelligence.
•The Spurs currently lead the NBA Finals series.

Latest Updates

4:25 PMYahoo Sports — Stephen A. Smith Fires Back at Trump After “Low IQ” Comment
6:12 AMYahoo Sports — Donald Trump fires back at ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith

What they're saying

"
Well… that didn’t take long. Less than 24 hours after Donald Trump took a shot at Stephen A. Smith’s intelligence following Game 3 of the NBA Finals, the ESPN star fired right back on First Take — and he absolutely did not hold back. “You wanna talk about IQ,” Stephen A. said. “I could put…
— Yahoo Sports