Leon Rose has once again orchestrated a 50-win Knicks season — but Mike Breen’s recent praise of the team president has been dubbed “blasphemous” by Stephen A. Smith.
With the Knicks blowing out the Bulls on Friday, Breen — a colleague of Smith’s at ESPN — suggested to viewers on the MSG broadcast that the expectations surrounding the Knicks had gotten out of hand.
“There are many Knick fans, and many in the media, and many within the organization, who feel that this season would be considered a disappointing one if the Knicks don’t make the NBA Finals,” Breen said during the fourth quarter of New York’s 136-96 demolition of Chicago.
“… Obviously a championship is what everyone wants and that’s the goal, but just remember where the franchise was before Leon Rose arrived.”
Even with the Knicks in third place of the Eastern Conference, Smith took issue with Breen’s defense of Rose.
Calling the play-by-play man a “Hall of Famer” and “one of the greatest voices in the history of sports,” he then proceed to gently rip into the legendary broadcaster.
“We know what he does for us, ESPN/ABC. But you can’t allow this to go unchallenged,” Smith said. “You’ve been there. We know that the New York Knicks have improved. … New York Knick fans have suffered, We haven’t won a championship since Richard Nixon left office. We haven’t won a championship since 1973.
ESPN/ABC basketball announcers Doris Burke and Mike Breen during the second quarter of the game between the Boston Celtics and the Denver Nuggets at TD Garden on March 2, 2025. Getty Images “We appreciate Leon Rose and the job that he’s done. Does that mean that we’re supposed to be satisfied of every damn thing that falls short of a trip to the NBA Finals?”
Despite their 50-28 record, the Knicks’ Finals aspirations have become muddied in recent weeks and months, with Jayson Tatum returning for the Celtics and James Harden being traded to the Cavs in February, while the Pistons lead the conference at 57-21.
Still, to Breen’s point, the Knicks have failed to make the playoffs just once since the 2020-21 season — Rose’s first full season in charge of basketball operations. And that run was preceded by seven consecutive seasons without playoff basketball.
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Smith also went on to criticize Rose’s blockbuster trade for Mikal Bridges — who has averaged just 11.6 points since the All-Star Break — before lovingly tearing into the 64-year-old Breen again.
“Damn it, Mike Breen, don’t do this. Don’t give passes,” Smith said. “We need a trip to the Finals. Because it’s not looking good in the future. Boston’s not going away, Detroit’s coming.’
“I want to be respectful to Mike Breen. But when I see you. And I will see you, we’re gonna talk about this Mike Breen. I love you.”
Knicks president Leon Rose watches the Knicks take on the Clippers on Jan. 7, 2026. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post With just four games left in the regular season, the Knicks are jostling for playoff positioning and hold a one-game lead over Cleveland for the No. 3 seed in the East.
They’ll face fellow postseason teams in the Hawks, Celtics, Raptors and Hornets to close out the regular season before embarking on another playoff gauntlet.
The Knicks reached the Eastern Conference Finals last season -— their first trip to that stage since 2000 – before falling to the Pacers in six games.
