Skip Bayless apologizes to Stephen A. Smith after 76ers hot streak

Skip Bayless sent a message to Stephen A. Smith on Thursday that reads like an apology — but isn't.

Bayless posted on X: "Sorry, Stephen A: Last year was last year. The East now belongs to the Sixers."

The post came after the Philadelphia 76ers improved to 8-1 with a 112-106 win over the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night.

That record puts the 76ers comfortably atop the Eastern Conference, two wins ahead of the 6-2 Pistons in second place.

Smith is a well-known New York Knicks fan, both on his ESPN platforms and in his personal fandom.

The Knicks won their first championship in 53 years earlier in 2026, beating the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals.

But the defending champions have stumbled out of the gate this season, sitting eighth in the East with a 4-4 record.

Bayless's tweet is a direct jab at that title hangover.

He is essentially telling Smith that the Knicks' championship window — which finally opened after more than half a century — may already be closing.

The 76ers, meanwhile, are rolling.

Philadelphia added LeBron James in the offseason, pairing him with Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey to form one of the most star-studded lineups in the league.

The 8-1 start is the best nine-game stretch for the franchise in recent memory.

Bayless and Smith have a long history of on-air sparring from their days together at ESPN's "First Take."

Bayless left ESPN in 2024 to join FS1's "Undisputed," but the rivalry has never cooled.

Smith has often dismissed Bayless's hot takes as contrarian, while Bayless has portrayed Smith as a homer for New York teams.

This latest exchange fits that pattern perfectly.

Bayless is not actually apologizing — he is weaponizing the word "sorry" to twist the knife.

Smith has not publicly responded to Bayless's post as of this writing.

The Knicks' slow start is not unusual for defending champions.

No NBA team has gone back-to-back since the Golden State Warriors won titles in 2017 and 2018.

The league's salary cap and player movement make sustained dominance extremely difficult.

New York lost several role players from its championship roster in free agency, and the chemistry has not clicked yet.

Philadelphia, by contrast, has looked dominant on both ends of the floor.

Embiid is averaging 30 points per game, Maxey has taken a leap as a playmaker, and LeBron is still performing at an elite level at age 41.

The 76ers also have one of the deepest benches in the East.

Bayless's tweet is likely the first of many shots he will fire if the 76ers keep winning.

Smith, known for his fiery on-air defenses of the Knicks, will eventually have to address the 76ers' surge.

That moment could come on ESPN's "First Take" or on Smith's own podcast.

For now, Bayless has the upper hand in their ongoing feud.

The 76ers face the Knicks twice in the next three weeks — games that will carry extra weight because of this exchange.

The first matchup is scheduled for November 18 at Madison Square Garden.

If Philadelphia wins that game, Bayless will almost certainly post again.

If New York wins, Smith will have ammunition to fire back.

Either way, the drama between these two media figures is far from over.

The 76ers' 8-1 start is the best in the Eastern Conference, and the team looks like a legitimate title contender.

The Knicks have time to turn things around, but the margin for error is thin in a conference that also includes the Boston Celtics, Milwaukee Bucks and Miami Heat.

Bayless's message is a reminder that in the NBA, history is written every season — and last year's champions get no grace period.

Smith knows that better than anyone.