Stephen A. Smith hearing Knicks feuding with James Dolan over visiting Trump’s White House

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Stephen A. Smith reports Knicks feuding over Donald Trump
Credit: ESPN

Donald Trump might be driving a rift between the New York Knicks players and franchise owner James Dolan, according to Stephen A. Smith.

After Jalen Brunson, Karl Anthony-Towns, OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart led the Knicks to their first championship in 53 years, the feeling around Madison Square Garden should still be celebratory as they begin their title-defense quest. But with an 0-3 start, now 1-3 thanks to a win over the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday night, Stephen A. Smith is hearing the climate is different around the Garden this season, and not in a good way.

“People have been a little bit stressed,” Smith said of the Knicks Wednesday morning on First Take. “Because the owner James Dolan has an attitude with players because they don’t want to go to the White House.”

Smith noted he has not heard this directly from the players, so he doesn’t know it to be true, but he has been hearing enough of the rumor to share it on national television.

“I don’t know whether it’s true or not,” Smith added. “But I’ll believe anything when it comes to James Dolan because he’s a walking embodiment of petulance. This man is as petty as they come.”

With the Knicks winning their first championship in 53 years, and first with Dolan at the helm, Smith is concerned the often-criticized NBA owner might be satisfied with just getting one, believing last season’s title will be enough to carry them through the next quarter-century.

“This guy Dolan, I don’t trust him. I don’t trust him one bit,” Smith continued. “He’s petty enough to have an attitude because he’s tight with Trump and wants to go to the White House and some of the players, if not most of them might not want to go.”

Trump caused headlines during the NBA Finals when he attended Game 3 at the Garden as a guest of Dolan’s, with his presence controversially causing watch parties outside the arena to be canceled. Interestingly, Game 3 with Trump in the building was the Knicks’ lone loss of the Finals. But shortly after the Knicks were crowned NBA champions, Dolan went on WFAN’s The Carton Show and claimed they were ready to see Trump again.

“We just did receive an invitation from the White House, which we accepted,” Dolan told hosts Craig Carton and Chris McMonigle last June. “We still have to figure out the details, but yes, of course. Look, I invited the president to come down for the game. He is a friend. I’ve known him for 30 years and I’m very proud to bring the team to the White House.”

While Dolan may have rushed to accept the invite, he may not have checked with his players first. Because according to Smith, they’re not as eager to visit Trump at the White House as Dolan appears to be.

Championship teams have visited Trump during his second term in the White House, including the Los Angeles Dodgers and Philadelphia Eagles. But if the Knicks ultimately go to the White House, they would be the first NBA championship team to visit Trump during either of his terms.

The post Stephen A. Smith hearing Knicks feuding with James Dolan over visiting Trump’s White House appeared first on Awful Announcing.



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