Stephen A. Smith and Kendrick Perkins join Shae Cornette on First Take live from Las Vegas ahead of WrestleMania 42 to discuss the 65-game rule and the New York Knicks.
0:00 Luka Doncic & Cade Cunningham granted, Anthony Edwards denied
2:59 Was Cade’s injury basketball-related?
5:22 Was process did Ant-Man go through?
6:37 Front office changes incoming for the Knicks?
9:41 Prepping for Giannis Antetokounmpo
12:15 Expectations for Karl-Anthony Towns
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@Robert-bx3xn
April 18, 2026 at 12:06 am
AS long as IT helps light skinned BROTHERS AND WHITE people…BUT NO…..NOT A BLACK MAN
@Robert-bx3xn
April 18, 2026 at 12:17 am
STEVEN A DON’T WANT A DARK SKINNED BLACK 🪙 MAN COACHING HIS FOREVER DOOMED KNICKS 🎉
@kinglanky93
April 18, 2026 at 1:22 am
Easy fix. If you don’t play you don’t get paid. That’ll fix it.
@RangerHK90
April 18, 2026 at 1:34 am
I’m not putting bad juju on my Knicks but if Hawks kick my but KAT BRIDGES AND BROWN out lol
@coryr6185
April 18, 2026 at 1:37 am
Stephen A blames bridges for the assets that were traded for him then 5 seconds later says it’s not the front office fault and they’ve done a hell of a job I’m done watching this clown
@charleyperez-m9x3v
April 18, 2026 at 4:07 am
get rid of the 65 game rule whoever putting b2a everytime that’s who got my vote
@JamesJohnson-lb2ok
April 18, 2026 at 9:05 am
It’s not that complicated. If your performance qualifies for consideration and you didn’t make the 65 game threshold, if you’ve still played at least 75% of the games, which is 62, so having missed no more than 20 games, and had extenuating circumstances that contributed to you having not made it to 65 games played, you may be granted an exception. If you apply that to all three of their situations, you get the result that we see. Basically, there’s an additional three game window for an exception to possibly be granted. You can still apply with less, if you want to apply.
@ONGEES
April 18, 2026 at 12:18 pm
Me personally if I didn’t play the full season, I wouldn’t want the award.
@Baconhammer54
April 18, 2026 at 2:32 pm
No
@18sevencl
April 18, 2026 at 3:50 pm
At least let the playoffs start first bruh😂😂😂
@Humble647
April 18, 2026 at 4:10 pm
Don’t get it why talking like the Knicks ain’t got a chance stop speaking ill of KAT he the truth
@willjoyce5013
April 18, 2026 at 5:19 pm
1 game away, 4 games away, 40 games away, same difference, it’s not the bar
@nicholsdeshan
April 18, 2026 at 6:20 pm
NBA is soft the NFL would never
@Geoffrey-r3d
April 18, 2026 at 8:25 pm
How low will this number get down in the future? You won’t go back in history but it would absolutely change a lot. Wemby is going to win I don’t know why you f with it.
@timcancel-k7l
April 18, 2026 at 9:03 pm
Nothing is ever guaranteed. Trip to finals is not guaranteed!
@Stoner_The_Loner
April 18, 2026 at 9:11 pm
I think they should just lower it to 60 games
@vernonjoseph4006
April 19, 2026 at 12:45 am
1973!!
@mikester-fi3wk
April 19, 2026 at 1:24 am
They need a rule on giving certain guys passes with something else included. This is the FIRST SEASON Ant has not made 70 games. He is not known to miss alot.
@josephsmithmeyer1195
April 19, 2026 at 4:28 am
I feel like they should have to play a minimum of 65 games unless they get a severe injury like they can even rest when they play 20 minutes why do they got rest a whole game and if they have to just play limit restrictions just play 20 minutes or something that’s what started the whole problem is people were load managing you shouldn’t be able able to the amount of money they get paid they should be out there every night they can play unless they are hurt and I can see Cade Cunningham literally got hurt on the basketball court and it was a pretty serious injury Luca has been just pulling and straining his hamstring which I’m not saying any painful but it’s reoccurring and as far as Lucca wanting to witness the birth of his kids he makes enough money he should have flew his wife out here and they should have had their kids out here I mean they make that amount of money for the sacrifices that our military and Hot shot Forest firefighters and regular firefighters that live in cities and put their lives on the line every day make far less than these fools
@josephsmithmeyer1195
April 19, 2026 at 4:33 am
Next never should have got rid of Tom thibodeau and I’ve never been a big fan of kat Anthony towns why do you think wake up Ant-Man and I think they should have kept Jimmy Butler and got rid of cat instead Tom thibodeau had him playing pretty good but he was never the answer
@TYClark96
April 19, 2026 at 5:50 am
Most successful Knicks FO I seen in my 30 years
@MUKSA_2002
April 20, 2026 at 10:38 am
Just imagine the Hawks eliminate the Knicks 👀 that whole city gon burn down that Arena for sho 🤣
@CalculatedKrazy
April 22, 2026 at 4:07 pm
I mean Ant was at 61 games Cade was at 64 .
@markgaiser8249
April 24, 2026 at 10:57 pm
So the next lose their second round of three games with Atlanta and I noticed the lineup the lineup the starting lineup is basically the same. Every time there are bench players that don’t get enough playing time for one Clark for another shatmet in others I looked at the back door and Josh Hart. He played 40 minutes didn’t score a single point. Why are you gonna leave a player in the game for 40 minutes if he’s not scoring why not take them out you got McBride on the bench he put in 15 points, but these are players that are that are decent and it should be playing more often. The fricking Coach Brown he’s he’s sticking with the core players and they’re becoming burned out is what’s happening Brunson especially he plays a lot of minutes every freaking game. If the next could buy Atlanta they’re gonna be lucky because they ain’t gonna go anywhere in the second round and the second round. I’ll be the last stop. Coach Brown needs to get these bench players more time on court 510 minutes ain’t gonna do it gotta give them more you gotta give him at least 15 to 20 minutes. 20 minutes would sound would be a good number especially if they’re hitting you know but staying with the players for a high amount of minutes is not a good idea. The last coach in New York had he done the same thing and it’s just created burnout so and as far as bridges goes in New York, they got they got taken on that trade cause bridges didn’t prove his worth with New York.
@markgaiser8249
April 24, 2026 at 11:00 pm
New York Knicks give up five first round picks for Michaela Bridges. You gotta be kidding. What the hell were they thinking five first round picks seriously well you see how that ended up right