Stephen A. Smith Warns Victor Wembanyama’s Spurs About Harsh New York Reality

Stephen A. Smith believes that the San Antonio Spurs are about to walk into a storm. After dropping the first two games of the NBA Finals at home, Victor Wembanyama and company now head to the New York Knicks trailing 0-2 against the Knicks. While the margins have been slim, ESPN’s most outspoken analyst thinks the challenge waiting in Manhattan goes far beyond basketball.

The Spurs have already learned that talent alone is not enough against a battle-tested Knicks group. Now comes Madison Square Garden, arguably the loudest stage in basketball. According to Smith, the Finals could unravel quickly for the Spurs if its young core is not prepared for what awaits in the Knicks.

Stephen A. Smith Warns Spurs About Madison Square Garden Challenge

ESPN’s First Take commentator Smith fired his warning shots at the Spurs on June 5 after New York won game 2 by a scoreline of 105-104. The dedicated Knicks fan said the Spurs’ young players’ lack of experience could be a problem for them when the series shifts to Madison Square Garden. He said even teams with good experience had a hard time playing the Knicks because of the pressure the Knicks fans put on them. 

“We’ve seen veterans fold at the Garden. What am I supposed to believe about youthful, exuberant, ignorant young dudes? They don’t know what they’re about to encounter.”

Stephen A. Smith believes the Spurs’ lack of experience will haunt them in New York

“We’ve seen veterans fold at the Garden. What am I supposed to believe about youthful, exuberant, ignorant young dudes? They don’t know what they’re about to encounter.”

(Via Hoop Collective) pic.twitter.com/3QPfYIz3Cj

— NBA Base (@TheNBABase) June 6, 2026

However, Smith’s apprehension is not baseless at all. In fact, the Spurs have already shown that they lack experience in their first two games of the playoffs. In Game 1, the Spurs gave up a ten-point lead to the Knicks, who dominated the last minutes of the game. In Game 2, the team experienced the frustration of making costly mistakes at the end.

The biggest mistake came when the Spurs tied the game and had possession for a possible game-winner as Wembanyama tried to pass, but instead passed it off Castle’s back. Moments later, he committed a foul against Jalen Brunson, who had a chance to win the game for the Knicks on a free throw.

Wembanyama apologized for his mistake the following morning. 

“I threw that one away. I messed up. We needed to win that game. This game was ours.” (Via MSN)

Even though it was his own error, the reason why he said such a thing is not simply to blame the Spurs’ star for making that mistake. He further stated that the Knicks have the upper hand in terms of morale due to their consecutive wins in the first two games on the road. Based on him, the Knicks were able to prove that they are capable of defeating the Spurs, which makes things more difficult now.

What is interesting about him is that he defended the Frenchman who did not put his right hand on his chest during the playing of the anthem before the first game.

However, once the ball tips, sympathy disappears. The focus now shifts entirely to basketball, and Smith believes the Spurs are running out of room for mistakes, with the Knicks holding a 2-0 lead and Madison Square Garden preparing for its first Finals game in decades, the Spurs face its toughest test of the season. If the young Spurs fail to handle the moment, Smith believes this series could end much sooner than expected.