Stephen A. Smith New York Knicks Credit: ESPN

Stephen A. Smith has never been one to downplay his status as a celebrity.

But on Wednesday night, the ESPN personality took his bravado to another level while discussing the current state of the New York Knicks’ roster.

“This is the mecca. This is Madison Square Garden. This is New York City, baby. They can’t get a star,” Smith said of his favorite team during ESPN’s NBA Countdown. “It’s the mecca. And the stars come to visit. We never have any!

“Do you realize that there’s a legitimate argument that Stephen A. Smith is one of the big stars in New York? Do you realize that? That’s a damn shame. Bad knees, 56-years-old, ain’t thought about playing basketball in about 30 years and I am a bigger star than most of the New York Knicks. It’s a damn shame.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQTCNKn8Pu0

The crazy thing? Smith might be right.

While the Knicks have gone from laughingstock of the league to a perennial playoff contender under head coach Tom Thibodeau, the franchise still lacks a certain level of star power. Jalen Brunson is a nice player and Julius Randle is a two-time All-Star, but New York’s roster still doesn’t possess the type of top level talent necessary to compete for NBA titles.

Smith, meanwhile, is one of the most powerful voices in all of sports media and has a growing presence outside of sports as well. It’s not a stretch to say that to the average sports fan or even NBA fan, the First Take host is more recognizable than every player on the Knicks’ roster, outside of perhaps Randle and Brunson.

For what it’s worth, Smith’s reported salary of $12 million per year would currently rank seventh on New York’s roster. And with his contract at the “Worldwide Leader” up later this year, it likely won’t be long until he climbs even further up that list.

[ESPN NBA Countdown]

About Ben Axelrod

Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.