Danhausen is back in the sports world spotlight, this time upping the stakes in his ongoing “curse” storyline involving the New York Knicks and ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith as the NBA Finals get underway.
With the Knicks set to face the San Antonio Spurs in Game 1 of the NBA Finals tonight, Danhausen made a notable appearance on ESPN First Take earlier today (see video below), directly addressing Stephen A. Smith about what it will take to keep the supposed curse off the Knicks moving forward.
Along with previously requesting courtside seats, Danhausen raised the bar during the segment, making it clear he wants more if the good fortune is going to continue for New York.
“Stephen A. Smith, your checks have cleared so far,” Danhausen said. “However, if you want to keep this un-cursing going, perhaps Danhausen is gonna need his own TV show or more monies or perhaps those courtside seats.”
He didn’t stop there, setting a firm deadline tied directly to the start of the Finals.
“No big deal,” he continued. “You have until tip-off time to decide what happens with the curse.“
Smith didn’t take the comments lightly, firing back on-air and stating that Danhausen was “damaging his reputation by engaging in blackmail.“
The storyline traces back to April 28, when Danhausen claimed to have lifted the Knicks’ curse. Since then, New York has rattled off a strong playoff run, sweeping both the Philadelphia 76ers and Cleveland Cavaliers on their way to the Finals against San Antonio.
.@DanhausenAD has a price to keep the Knicks uncursed 😭💰 pic.twitter.com/cbtcylgD4g
— First Take (@FirstTake) June 3, 2026
