Stephen A. Smith was six years old the last time the New York Knicks won an NBA title. That was 1973. Fifty-three years later, he finally got to scream it from the rooftops — and he made sure the Dallas Cowboys caught a straggling insult along the way.
The Knicks clinched the 2026 NBA Finals in Game 5 on Saturday, defeating the San Antonio Spurs 94-90 at Frost Bank Center. For a city that hasn’t tasted basketball glory since Richard Nixon was in the White House, the moment was seismic. For Smith, it was personal.
“Fifty-three years, fifty-three years, fifty-three years. It’s finally over! For years, I’ve been tortured. They actually associated us with the Cowboys! It’s all over. It’s all over, finally! Finally!” Smith said in a video posted to social media after the win.
Why the Cowboys Dig Matters
Smith’s jab at Dallas wasn’t random. The Cowboys haven’t won a Super Bowl since 1996 — a drought that now stretches 30 years. By comparison, the Knicks’ 53-year title gap was the longest active championship drought in major U.S. professional sports. Smith had repeatedly bristled at the suggestion that Knicks fans had anything in common with Cowboys fans, who’ve endured their own decades of playoff disappointments.
“He’s been waiting for this moment to weaponize,” said a source close to Smith, speaking on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to discuss his private conversations. “He’s kept a mental list of every time someone compared the Knicks to the Cowboys. That list is now null and void.”
The Knicks’ championship run wasn’t smooth. New York lost Game 3 at Madison Square Garden — a game President Donald Trump attended. Smith and the president engaged in a heated exchange on social media afterward, with Smith accusing Trump of being a bad-luck charm for the team. Trump fired back, calling Smith a “loudmouth.” The Knicks won Game 4 on the road, then closed out the series in San Antonio.
A Lifelong Devotion, Finally Rewarded
Smith grew up in Hollis, Queens, and has never hidden his Knicks fandom. On his ESPN show, on podcasts, in interviews — he’s carried the weight of the franchise’s failures like a second job. Teammates and colleagues say they’ve never seen him this unguarded.
“The man was literally shaking after the final buzzer,” one ESPN producer told reporters. “He kept repeating the final score like he couldn’t believe it.”
Fans online noted that Smith’s celebration video, posted to X, showed him pacing his living room with a championship hat already on. The clip has been viewed more than 4 million times as of Sunday morning.
What Comes Next for the Knicks — and for Smith
Expect Smith to spend the next several days — possibly weeks — in full gloat mode. He’ll likely dedicate segments of his show to roasting the Cowboys, replaying key Finals moments, and reminding anyone who’ll listen that New York is once again title town.
For the Knicks, the future looks bright. The core of Jalen Brunson, OG Anunoby, and this year’s Finals MVP returns next season. The franchise’s front office has not confirmed any offseason roster changes, but league insiders expect them to make a run at retaining key bench pieces.
But for now, Smith is savoring the moment. “I’ve suffered. We’ve all suffered. But it’s over,” he said. “The torture is over. And I’m going to enjoy every second of it.”
Leave a Comment