Josh Hart responds to Stephen A. Smith dismissing his support of Mikal Bridges and telling him to be quiet and play: “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.” SAS also admits he doesn’t know current players as much.
Josh Hart came to the defense of Mikal Bridges a few days ago publicly saying that he thinks Mikal gets too much flak for his play recently:
Josh Hart on Mikal Bridges:
I think he gets some of that unfair flak just because he’s doing what’s asked of him. And if we were to sit there and say ‘go shoot 15 shots a game’, he would be efficient and he could do it. But that’s not what’s been asked of him.
“I need Josh Hart to be quiet. Sit down. The only time I want you standing up and talking is when you playing. Not when it comes to Mikal Bridges.”
Josh Hart responded to the media pre-game for their match against the Hornets:
“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.”
“I’m definitely not going to listen to a part-time Knicks fan,” Hart responded Thursday before the Knicks faced the Hornets. “When Stephen A. rolls up to MSG with a ‘New York’ on his chest and ties up his sneaks and plays for us, then I’ll listen to what he has to say.”
People might remember a few years ago in April 2024 when avid Knicks fan Stephen A. Smith commended Quentin Grimes for his role in a win against Milwaukee the previous night and “some guy” named Isaiah Hartensteen off the bench. Quentin Grimes had not been with the team for two months because he was traded in February and Isaiah Hartenstein was the starter for most of the season because Mitchell Robinson was injured.
His response to being caught not knowing Quentin Grimes was traded 2 months prior:
Thank you — and @Awful Announcing — for spelling my name right! And pointing out the latest error I made. I believe I know McBride is on the team and Grimes is not. But OMG, with all the stuff on my mind, I forgot. When I make a mistake, I own it. Ya want a cookie for catching it? Knock yourself out. Not my first mistake. Won’t be my last. Infallible is not my middle name. Enjoy your moment!
“I just love how people ignore the resume. Let me say this about myself. So I spent 20 years covering the NBA and I’m on the road and in locker rooms for over 100 games a year. Damn near 120 games a year when you take into account the playoffs and the multitude of locker rooms that I have to go into. And because my success on television has me in studio, and I’m not there at the games the way that i used to be. And as a result, I’m not going to know the players the way that I used to know the players. I don’t know shit. Really? Well, what about 99% of the sports commentators and pundits on television and radio and on newspapers and dot com sites and podcast all over the country, if not the world? Do they have to know you? What did I say about the New York Knicks that requires me to know anybody? 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.”
We will await further comment for how that explains he mistook Deuce McBride for Quentin Grimes in a game that he watched 24 hours prior.