Overview
- Smith was swept to the ground outside Madison Square Garden following Monday's 137-98 Game 1 win over the 76ers, then told fans to relax as he got back up.
- Fan video shared by the New York Basketball account on X showed a surging crowd pressing in, a voice yelling for people to stop, and a few bystanders trying to pull him up.
- Addressing the episode on Tuesday on FanDuel's Run It Back, Smith said people kept their phones out instead of helping and recalled shouting, “Yo pull me up.”
- There have been no public reports of a serious injury, and Smith remains set to graduate from North Carolina A&T this week.
- The scene has fueled wider criticism of rowdy postgame gatherings around the Garden, with some fans on social media urging tighter enforcement to keep crowds from turning dangerous.