Stephen A. Smith Says Trump at MSG Will Kill NBA Finals Energy

The ESPN commentator told an X user that the president's planned appearance at Game 3 of the NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden will disrupt the atmosphere inside the arena.

Stephen A. Smith responded to a user on X saying Trump's attendance at Game 3 will ruin the 'vibe.'
Game 3 of the NBA Finals is scheduled at Madison Square Garden.
President Trump is reported to be planning to attend the game.
Smith did not elaborate further on what an undisrupted vibe would look like.

Sports commentator Stephen A. Smith told a user on X this week that President Donald Trump's planned attendance at Game 3 of the NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden will ruin the “vibe.”

Smith was responding directly to a post on the platform. The comment did not come in a broadcast segment, an op-ed, or a formal statement — it came in a reply box, which is where these things happen now.

Game 3 is set for Madison Square Garden, Seventh Avenue and 33rd Street, New York, NY 10001. Trump is expected to attend. Smith, who appears on ESPN's First Take and is not shy about his opinions on either sports or politics, did not specify which element of the vibe he considered most at risk — the basketball, the crowd, or the halftime entertainment.

The Hill reported the exchange on July 15, 2025.

Neither the NBA, the Knicks organization, nor the arena issued any comment on the vibe question specifically.