Some moments on sports television are louder than others. And then there are those rare instances where everyone just stops and listens. That was Stephen A. Smith this week. No viral antics. No digs at Lebron James. Just a clear, almost measured plea that carried more weight than his usual headline-making shouts. And in classic Stephen A. fashion, it wasn’t about something expected. It was about one of the unlikeliest topics in NBA discourse: the possibility of Dawn Staley becoming a head coach in the league. And Smith made his stance quite clear…

Smith, never one to beat around the bush, talked about the rumors of Dawn Staley coaching the Knicks. And while some would’ve scoffed or tossed it into the “fun offseason rumor” pile, Smith doubled down… not just on her, but on a fundamental imbalance in the league. Speaking on the July 1 episode of The Stephen A. Smith Show, he said, “I don’t mind the idea of Dawn Staley being a coach in the NBA, just like I didn’t mind the thought of Becky Hammon,” he said. And then came the punch: “I don’t believe that men should be coaching in the WNBA as head coaches. Why? ‘Cause where’s the women coaching in the NBA?” And well, for once, we can bet on it that he’s not wrong.

All across NBA benches, one would see former players, assistants, analytics gurus, and motivational minds. What’s missing is a single woman calling the shots. Meanwhile, in the WNBA, men often step into those positions—sometimes without the kind of résumé that legends like Hammon or Staley bring. So Smith, in one of his more lucid moments, flipped the table.

“Maybe it’s time that we see a female as a head coach in the NBA,” he said. “And if there’s a female that can coach in the NBA, there is no question in my mind that Becky Hammon and Dawn Staley should be your top two choices.” He didn’t stop there. Nancy Lieberman’s name came up, too, as a basketball savant and beloved figure across generations. But the central idea was unmissable: if men are allowed to take over coaching jobs in a women’s league, then a woman being seriously considered for an NBA job should not feel revolutionary. It should be overdue. So to say, if the idea of a woman leading an NBA team still raises eyebrows, then perhaps the conversation is simply long overdue.

In the current NBA climate, where identity, influence, and representation are colliding in the mainstream conversations, Smith’s words felt less like a hot take and more like a challenge. A not-so-gentle nudge that maybe the league has a long way to go. And what better city to start rewriting the script than in New York?

Where fictional characters from Carrie Bradshaw to real-life female basketball legends like Lynn Chiavaro walked, only for future generations to thrive at best! Though Smith’s comments couldn’t have come at a more curious time for the Knicks, as they’ve already reached out to Staley for the job. Because we do love it when we find a potential full-circle moment in the NBA! But there’s more.

Smith says what others won’t, yet again

Just as the team edges closer to deciding on Tom Thibodeau’s replacement, Sacramento Kings’ ex-head coach Mike Brown has emerged as the first candidate to receive a second interview, per the New York Post. Brown, who was let go despite a winning record, isn’t tied down to any team, unlike Jason Kidd, another hot name who’s still entangled in Dallas drama. This is where Smith’s stance adds intrigue.

As the Knicks cast their net wider—reportedly reaching out to current NBA head coaches like Chris Finch, Ime Udoka, Billy Donovan, and Quin Snyder, only to be turned down across the board like damaged goods — the openness to explore less traditional names becomes not only practical but necessary. The fact that Staley is being floated as a possibility, even hypothetically, lands differently in this context.

A three-time Olympic gold medalist as a player, a championship-winning coach with South Carolina, and a former six-time WNBA All-Star, she knows pressure and performance on every level of the game. Under her leadership, South Carolina transformed into a powerhouse, marked by discipline, defense, and culture—three pillars the Knicks themselves value deeply.

She’s coached elite talent, handled massive expectations, and built systems that maximize players without sacrificing standards. In short: she’s been doing, for years, what NBA coaches are expected to do. Just not the NBA logo stamped on it. Funny how that one detail still matters more than the résumé, huh? And well, the Knicks are a win-now team.

With Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, and a battle-tested supporting cast, they’re poised for a serious push in a suddenly wide-open East. But to do that, they need a leader who commands respect, understands player dynamics, and can navigate postseason wars. That’s not fantasy. That’s a job description, one that someone like Dawn Staley, with her Olympic pedigree, collegiate success, and cultural clout, actually… fits. Smith’s impassioned endorsement isn’t just about fairness. It’s about timing. And the Knicks, as improbable as it sounds, might just be the first team willing to listen, as they should, by the way.