{
  "id": 10818164,
  "title": "Stephen A Smith Makes Stunning LeBron James Admission After Knicks Championship",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/30/stephen-a-smith-makes-stunning-lebron-james-admission-after-knicks",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-30T00:38:05.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Newsweek",
    "slug": "newsweek",
    "url": "https://www.newsweek.com/sports/nba/stephen-a-smith-makes-stunning-lebron-james-admission-after-knicks-championship-12503061"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In a recent interview on ESPN's First Take, Stephen A. Smith made an unexpected admission regarding his support for the New York Knicks following their championship victory. He revealed that if the Knicks had lost in the NBA Finals, he would have begged LeBron James to join the team. Smith, known for his strong backing of the franchise, praised the team's NBA Championship win, which came after a series loss to the Atlanta Hawks in the first round. Despite acknowledging that James is the second-best all-time player after Michael Jordan, Smith jokingly mentioned he would even offer to carry LeBron's bags or caddy for him, if given the opportunity. The Philadelphia 76ers star will begin the next NBA season with his new team, facing the Knicks at Madison Square Garden on October 20th.",
  "summary": "ESPN star Stephen A. Smith delivered a surprising rant about LeBron James and the New York Knicks' 2026 NBA championship.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Newsweek",
        "title": "Stephen A Smith Makes Bold Knicks Promise Before New NBA Season",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/30/stephen-a-smith-makes-bold-knicks-promise-before-new-nba-season",
        "published": "2026-09-30T01:03:55.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}