Spike Lee Finally Got His Knicks Ring Moment — And Stephen A. Smith Says It’s About Time

The New York Knicks are NBA champions for the first time in 53 years. And for Stephen A. Smith, that victory lap shouldn’t just belong to the players.

The ESPN personality and lifelong Knicks fan is throwing his full support behind a growing movement: giving filmmaker and courtside fixture Spike Lee a championship ring. According to reports circulating online, the idea has taken root among fans and even some within the organization, though the Knicks have not confirmed any plans to honor Lee with jewelry.

“I completely support this for Spike Lee. No Knicks fan deserves this more than him,” Smith posted on X, formerly Twitter.

It’s hard to argue. Lee has been the most visible — and vocal — Knicks supporter for decades, sitting through the highs of the 1990s and the gut-punch lows that followed. He watched Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls end playoff runs. He saw Reggie Miller choke the life out of Madison Square Garden. He lived through the Derek Fisher, Isiah Thomas, and Mike D’Antoni eras, which is its own form of torture.

Now, after the Knicks beat the San Antonio Spurs 4-1 in the NBA Finals, Lee is finally on the winning side of history.

And he’s leaning into it. Lee resurrected his iconic 1980s character Mars Blackmon for a new ad campaign, with the fictional film nerd leaving Michael Jordan a voicemail after New York’s victory. The clip — shared by Jumpman23 and picked up by sneaker culture accounts — shows Blackmon needling Jordan with classic comedic timing. It’s a full-circle moment for a director who spent years watching Jordan dismantle his favorite team.

The goodwill even extended to Miller, who buried the hatchet with Lee after the Knicks clinched the Larry O’Brien Trophy. Old rivalries, apparently, can finally rest.

Beyond the nostalgia, Lee also dropped a new pair of Air Jordan 3s in Knicks colors — a sneaker release that sold out almost instantly. For a man whose name is synonymous with Knicks culture, the timing couldn’t be better.

New York’s championship parade is set for Thursday. Lee is expected to be front and center. Whether he ends up with a ring or just a better seat, one thing is clear: the Knicks’ 53-year drought is over, and Spike Lee is soaking in every second.