Smith Apologizes to Brunson, Hart on Live MSG Podcast
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- Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart recorded a live edition of their podcast "The Roommates Show" at the Infosys Theater inside Madison Square Garden on Friday — one day after an estimated two million fans filled Lower Manhattan for a ticker-tape parade celebrating the Knicks' first NBA title in 53 years.
- The sell-out, Juneteenth-eve show was simulcast on ESPN with all proceeds going to the Garden of Dreams Foundation, MSG's non-profit supporting children in need.
- Stephen A. Smith appeared as a "secret guest" and was loudly booed and heckled throughout his appearance, prompting him to quip, "They don't know that boos are cheers."
- Brunton and Hart confronted Smith about his 2016 declaration that "Villanova doesn't have a real NBA prospect on this squad" after their NCAA title (a roster that also featured Mikal Bridges and Donte DiVincenzo) and his 2022 reaction to the Knicks signing Brunson, when Smith exclaimed, "JALEN BRUNSON ISN'T THE ANSWER. Is he KD? Is he Kawhi Leonard?"
- Smith, 58, apologized on the simulcast: "I'm a grown-ass man. I was beyond wrong... I have never been more happy to be wrong in my life" — then conceded he would repeat his past skepticism "if it means another championship."
- Other guests during the taping included Karl-Anthony Towns, Miles "Deuce" McBride, Knicks legend Carmelo Anthony, and the co-hosts' wives Ali Brunson, Shannon Hart, and Samara Hillman.
Why it matters: Smith's on-air apology, broadcast on ESPN, publicly vindicates Brunson and Hart nearly a decade after he dismissed their talent — the same broadcaster who once asked "Is he KD?" about Brunson now says he's never been "more happy to be wrong" in the wake of the Knicks' first championship in 53 years.
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