The New York Knicks are a prestigious franchise in the NBA. Boasting of 3 championships and names like Patrick Ewing, Carmelo Anthony and Walt Frazier in their ranks, their history is as rich as the league’s. While the city offers its own charm, it is the Madison Square Garden that most basketball players consider the biggest stage for their sport. The Garden has seen several historic performances over the years. One such came from the 2 time MVP, Stephen Curry in 2013. This was recently talked about by a former Knick and ex-teammate of The King, LeBron James.

Stephen Curry has had an illustrious career in the NBA. His 14 year journey so far has seen him become one of the greatest point guards to ever grace the NBA. Over his fabled career, Curry has often gone off for spectacular nights, absolutely destroying the opponents with his unbelievable shooting prowess. While several teams have suffered the fate of Curry’s brilliance, it was the New York Knicks that were among the first to deal with a Chef Curry masterclass. After the former Knick, the Knicks’ biggest fan shared his opinion on this performance recently. And no, it is not Spike Lee.

Stephen Curry’s Madison Square Garden Masterclass

The Knicks have seen some terrific performances over the years in the iconic Madison Square Garden. From Carmelo Anthony’s 60-point game to Michael Jordan‘s 39-point heroics at 40, the Garden has seen it all. However, another incredible performance came from the 9 time All Star, Stephen Curry in 2013. He cooked up a Chef Curry masterclass, putting up 54 points in the Garden, getting the Knicks fans’ approval too.

Former Knick and ex-teammate of LeBron James, Iman Shumpert discussed this performance in a recent interview. Shumpert stated, “That man had 50 and the Garden was cheering for him.” He also shared a chant that the Knicks were using to hail Curry at the time. “I think we ignited that confidence that came because after that game bro, he got very disrespectful.”

However, The Knicks’ biggest fan, ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith did not seem to agree to these statements.

Read More: “Superteam Can’t Beat the Poverty Knicks I’m Crying”: NBA Fans Look Away as Warriors Suffer Embarrassment Without Stephen Curry

Smith talked about this performance on ESPN’s show, First Take recently. “When you perform on the biggest stage, that does elevate your level of  confidence. And the Knicks for years have the people that folks used as stepping stones to elevate their level of play, so I’ll give credit where credit is due,” he said.

Smith adds to his Stephen Curry statement

Stephen A. Smith has always been vocal about his support for the esteemed franchise. Being a New Yorker himself, he has inherited the love for the franchise that the city holds for years. Naturally, when talking about his favorite franchise, Smith had to defend the Knicks.

“It’s not the Lightskin Man, it’s the Baby Faced Assassin, that is who Steph Curry is, the greatest shooter god has ever created,” Smith talked about Curry’s brilliance, while defending the Knicks. “I can’t blame the Knicks for the assault he put on them.”

He further added, “As far as I’m concerned, the biggest star the Knicks have had is Patrick Ewing….you wanted a star because remember, the Knicks had the 8th pick, Steph Curry gets draft 7th…..you get an opportunity to get Donovan Mitchell but….there’s so many d**n mistakes the New York Knicks have made in terms of avoiding getting a star….but I’m not going to blame them for the Steph Curry thing because Steph Curry is Steph Curry.”

Watch This Story: The Most Watched JRE Episodes

Smith defended the Knicks despite venting out his frustration at the franchise. However, he also hailed Curry’s unbelievable night. Curry got the Knicks fans cheering him on during the game but even 10 years after the game, this has not stopped.