Dylan Backer
New York Knicks guard Josh Hart has found himself in a bit of drama with a well-known ESPN analyst this week. After Hart defended his teammate Mikal Bridges for the amount of criticism he has received by the fans and media alike, ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith took exception to that defense.
Knicks’ Josh Hart and ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith are beefing
“I need Josh Hart to be quiet. … Seven picks. … For a dude who can’t even get you 10 PPG,” Smith said on ESPN’s First Take earlier this week.
Hart did not take those comments very well, as Hart was merely coming to the defense of his teammate and friend. His response to Smith’s comments on First Take is a good indication of how he feels about his opinion.
“For me, I think Stephen A., as a part-time Knicks fan, needs to shut the hell up. He barely knows guys that are on the team,” Hart said in response to Smith before Thursday’s game against the Charlotte Hornets (h/t Newsday’s Steve Popper).
Hart took Smith’s comments personally, as Smith is known for saying takes that can sometimes come off as over the top or overreactionary, especially about the Knicks. Smith claims to be a lifelong Knicks fan, though Hart questioned his fandom after essentially telling him he can’t defend his teammate.
Smith escalated the drama on Friday
The drama doesn’t stop there, however, as Smith fired back once again on Friday on his Sirius XM show, The Stephen A. Smith Show, where he had more criticism for the way Hart handled the initial comments.
“First of all, you don’t who I know. Secondly, you don’t know who talks to me. Thirdly, you don’t even know how close I am to the people that cut your checks. Josh Hart, clearly you haven’t done your homework,” Smith said Friday.
The last thing the Knicks need right now is a media distraction. The pressure is already on the team to deliver a title to the city after 53 years, and they are in the midst of a competitive late season playoff push.
Hart is a key factor to what the Knicks are capable of, and so is Bridges for that matter. Bridges has had a down season overall, but they still are leaning on him to deliver on the biggest stage like he did last year in the second round against the Boston Celtics.
Regardless of which side is correct in this feud, Hart and the Knicks need to remain focused on the task at hand, though Hart has the full right to defend himself. Hopefully, this will fuel the Knicks to prove any of the doubters wrong with the playoffs nearing.
More about:New York Knicks
