SiriusXM Front Row Brings Spike Lee and Walt ‘Clyde’ Frazier to Madison Square Garden for Stephen A. Smith Pregame Show Ahead of NBA Finals Game 3

The New York Knicks return to Madison Square Garden with a 2-0 lead in the 2026 NBA Finals, and SiriusXM is setting the stage with an exclusive live SiriusXM Front Row broadcast. Stephen A. Smith hosts a conversation with filmmaker and lifelong Knicks superfan Spike Lee alongside franchise icon Walt “Clyde” Frazier. The show airs at 7 p.m. ET Monday, June 8 — one hour before tip-off of Game 3 against the San Antonio Spurs.

Knicks fans who packed the building for the first time in this series will get a taste of the pregame energy through their radios and phones. Smith, Lee, and Frazier will break down what this moment means for a franchise that last reached the Finals in 1999 and for a city that has waited even longer for a title.

Why This Trio Hits Different at the Garden

Stephen A. Smith knows how to command a room. Pair him with Spike Lee, whose passion for the Knicks has played out on screen and from his usual courtside seat, and you have instant chemistry. Add Walt “Clyde” Frazier, the Hall of Famer whose smooth style defined two championship teams in the early 1970s and whose voice has narrated Knicks games for decades, and the conversation carries real weight.

These three represent different eras of New York basketball. Frazier lived the glory years. Lee has turned the franchise’s ups and downs into art and cultural commentary. Smith brings the daily fire that millions hear on ESPN and now on SiriusXM. When they sit together inside the arena, the stories flow naturally from X’s and O’s to what it feels like to wear the orange and blue when the stakes reach this high.

The Road to Game 3: Knicks Carry Momentum Home

New York took both games in San Antonio. Game 2 came down to the final seconds — Jalen Brunson’s go-ahead free throw with under 10 seconds left and a missed jumper by Victor Wembanyama at the buzzer gave the Knicks a 105-104 win and a commanding series lead.

Karl-Anthony Towns posted double-doubles in both victories while Mikal Bridges and Brunson kept the offense rolling. The Spurs stayed dangerous behind Wembanyama’s scoring and playmaking, but the Knicks’ experience and poise in close moments have shown up when it mattered most.

Now the series shifts to Manhattan. The Garden figures to shake from the opening tip. Security lines already stretched longer than usual on recent playoff nights. Fans in blue and orange jerseys swapped stories outside the building hours before tip-off, the kind of nervous excitement that only comes when your team plays for a championship on home floor.

How to Catch the SiriusXM Front Row Broadcast

7 p.m. ET Monday, June 8 — Live from Madison Square Garden
Mad Dog Sports Radio (Ch. 82)
SiriusXM NBA Radio (Ch. 86)
SiriusXM app — anywhere you listen

SiriusXM will also carry live play-by-play of every NBA Finals game, including the national broadcast and both team feeds. Once the ball goes up at 8:30 p.m. ET on ABC, fans can stay locked in on the radio call while the Garden crowd provides the soundtrack.

What Fans Can Expect from the Conversation

Expect Lee to speak with the same intensity he brings to his films — direct, personal, and tied to the city’s identity. Frazier will likely drop a few of his trademark phrases while breaking down matchups and offering historical context that only a two-time champion can provide. Smith will push the discussion, ask the tough questions, and keep the energy high.

The setting adds another layer. They will broadcast from inside “The World’s Most Famous Arena” with the court already prepped and the building filling up. That atmosphere leaks into every word. You can almost hear the distant sound of warm-ups and the growing murmur of the crowd in the background.

For longtime Knicks supporters, this pregame show feels like a family gathering before the big event. Younger fans get to hear directly from voices who have lived every chapter of the franchise’s modern story. The combination lands differently than a standard studio hit.

Knicks Aim to Push Spurs to the Brink

A win Monday night puts New York one victory from a championship. The Spurs, down 0-2, must find answers quickly. Wembanyama has carried San Antonio this far, but the Knicks’ physical defense and timely shooting have limited the rookie phenom’s impact in stretches.

Home-court advantage at the Garden has already proven decisive in the postseason. The crowd noise, the familiarity, and the emotional lift for players who grew up dreaming of these moments all factor in. The Knicks know the building. They know what a Game 3 win would mean.

Still, nothing is settled. The Spurs reached the Finals by beating the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder in seven games. They have shown they can win on the road and they have the length and athleticism to make any night difficult.

Tune In Before the Ball Goes Up

The real action starts at 7 p.m. ET when Stephen A. Smith welcomes Spike Lee and Walt “Clyde” Frazier to the SiriusXM Front Row microphone live from Madison Square Garden. The conversation will set the tone for what promises to be another electric night in New York.

Whether you stream through the app on your way to the arena or listen from home before switching over to the game broadcast, this is the kind of pregame programming that respects the moment and the audience. Knicks fans have waited a long time for nights like this. SiriusXM is making sure they don’t miss a word of the buildup.