Getty Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks dunks past Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers.
Outspoken ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith hinted on his show “First Take” that he might have been jinxing the New York Knicks in their pursuit of NBA stars.
“Who the hell is going to the Knicks that I recruited? Nobody,” Smith said on the August 25 episode of the “First Take” after he was ribbed for lobbying stars to play for the Knicks.
Smith revealed that he even begged Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard, who has requested a trade, to come to New York while seated ringside in Las Vegas during last month’s Terence Crawford-Errol Spence Jr. fight.
“In Vegas, did I not sit ringside, turn around in front of the crowd, and beg Damian Lillard right in front of you?”
— Stephen A Smith says he personally begged Damian Lillard to join the Knicks at the Spence-Crawford fight
Last summer, he lobbied for Donovan Mitchell, but the Utah Jazz shipped him to Cleveland instead.
Giannis Antetokounmpo’s recent comments about his uncertain future in Milwaukee in a New York Times story on Thursday raised hopes of the Knicks fans, especially Smith, that the two-time MVP might come to play in New York.
“I love it. I love it. I think that means it’s a possibility that he could end up in a bigger market,” Smith said on “First Take”. “When he said what he said, all I thought about was ‘the Knicks got a chance, the Knicks got a chance.'”
But Smith is also wary because of the Knicks’ string of bad luck in their star chasing dating back to 2009 when they missed out on Stephen Curry, who was selected one pick before them, LeBron James in the 2010 free agency, Zion Williamson and Ja Morant in the 2019 draft and Kevin Durant in the free agency that summer.
“The New York Knicks have suffered long enough. We deserve a star,” Smith said. “Julius Randle, I respect you, but I need a superstar at the Garden.”
With the uncertain futures of Joel Embiid in Philadelphia and Antetokounmpo in Milwaukee, Smith hopes he’s not jinxing the Knicks again.
“I hope [my recruitment] works at least one time,” Smith said.
Richard Jefferson Believes Knicks Will Land 2 Stars
Former Knicks rival Richard Jefferson believes the once-moribund franchise is long overdue to land the elusive NBA stars.
“I think Joel Embiid and another superstar will end up in New York,” Jefferson boldly claimed on the August 17 episode of the Road Trippin Show.
Jefferson, who now works as a basketball analyst with Yes Network and ESPN, views Jalen Brunson as the key to the Knicks finally becoming an attractive destination for stars.
“No one wanted to come be the savior of the New York Knicks,” Jefferson said. “So now that they have the talent they built within, they’ve got core pieces, they’ve got an all-star point guard in [Jalen] Brunson, and now guys are going to want to play there.”
Knicks Waiting for the Right Star
The Knicks have been patiently building a playoff contender. Last season, they made a leap, pushing eventual Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat to six games in the second round.
This summer, they have resisted going all-in for B-level stars, saving their draft capital for top-tier superstars such as Embiid and Antetokounmpo. They even tried to sign Antetokounmpo’s brother, Thanasis, to plant the seeds of a potential Giannis chase. But the Bucks ultimately brought Thanasis back to be reunited with Giannis.