24 hours ago, a Knicks icon was emotional about accomplishing a lifelong dream. But a couple of hours ago, he came an inch within a situation that could’ve ended extremely badly. The chaotic scene unfolded at Madison Square Garden following the New York Knicks’ Game 1 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers. The former Knicks star J.R. Smith found himself at the center of a dangerous mosh pit. While fans celebrated the hard-fought win, a fan-taken video captured the two-time NBA champion getting mobbed by reckless fans.

Initially in the video, he appears to lose his cool after being physically overwhelmed by the surging crowd. Smith was seen trying to fend off overeager fans, demanding space as he tried to go though.

However the situation intensified. At one point, a lady’s voice could be heard screaming, “Guys stop,” as Smith appeared to be trampled under the sheer weight of the mob. Some tried to help him up and other inconsiderate ones were canceling out the effort. Several others around him got mobbed too. Overall the sight was nerve-wracking.

It remains unclear exactly how Smith emerged from the situation or how it was eventually sorted. There has been no official word on his condition nor has he yet posted to social media following the incident.

At this moment there’s still anxiety about Swish’s wellbeing. There’s also rage. NBA fans are calling out the crowd for the near stampede and many Knicks fans denounced the ‘clout chasers’ for hurting the Knicks-tape star.

This is another, and so far the worst, incident that summarizes the emotions running high in New York as the Knicks are in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

J.R. Smith has to prepare for a graduation

This was not the kind of emotions JR Smith elicited a day ago. Last night we were celebrating his second act since retiring in 2020. He went back to school in 2021, joined the Aggies golf team, played college golf against kids who’ve only seen him hoop, and is graduating from North Carolina A&T this week. He was even posting pictures in his graduation robe.

His emotions from the unconventional path were palpable. “I say it with a lot of pride. Even just walking through the airports or seeing people who have kids here, cousins here, went here, family here. When I speak the name of A&T, it comes with such pride and joy to my heart because it… I wouldn’t… I don’t wanna sound cliche, but it saved me from a point to where I was gonna destruct from the inside out,” He told WFMY. 

His commencement ceremony is on May 9 and fans are hoping he’s going to be there to receive his diploma.

This is only a singular example of heightened tensions during the 76ers-Knicks series. After Joel Embiid made a direct plea to Philly fans to not sell their tickets, the Sixers even implemented a residency-based ticketing system. That’s also epically failed as data shows that Knicks fans are using New Jersey zip codes and other ways to get tickets to XFinity Mobile Arena. They’re even gloating how unstoppable they’re are online.

This defensive posturing follows a history of Knicks fans travelling in massive numbers and showing support to their team in hordes. It was clearly visible when these fans also got loud at a public watch party outside MSG during the Game 6 blowout win over the Hawks in Atlanta.

The same intensity seems to spill into the current second-round matchup. But fans on the outside are pleading to them to spare their own legends at least.