Stephen A. Smith: Knicks players ‘don’t want to go’ to White House

Sports commentator Stephen A. Smith on Wednesday said the New York Knicks “don’t want to go” to the White House to celebrate their win at the 2026 NBA Finals.

“This is what I’ve been hearing and I’m going to say it,” Smith said on ESPN’s “First Take.” “Don’t know how much truth there is to it because I haven’t heard from the players directly, but one of the things that people have been talking about around New York City, and around Madison Square Garden, is that the climate was a little bit different.”

“People have been a little bit stressed because the owner, James Dolan, has an attitude with players because they don’t want to go to the White House,” he added.

Smith said he does not “give a damn” about the situation and that he doesn’t know whether the story is true or not.

“But I believe anything when it comes to James Dolan, because he’s a walking embodiment of petulance,” he continued. “This........

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