Knicks HC Rumors: Kenny Smith in 'Courting Stages,' Battling 7 Candidates

Kenny Smith told TMZ Sports on Friday that he's in the "courting stages" with the New York Knicks after interviewing for their vacant head coaching position. 

"We're in the courting stages," Smith said. "I know they're courting other people as well."

Specifically, Smith is vying for the job along with David Fizdale, Mike Woodson, Mark Jackson, David Blatt, Mike Budenholzer and Jerry Stackhouse, among others. 

Smith, who is a panelist on TNT's Inside the NBA, said he believes he's the man for the job because of the breadth and depth of knowledge he's acquired working on television. 

"It does give you a broad spectrum about the whole league in its entirety," he said. "It's a lot going on; I love where I'm at now, but that's definitely something I'm interested in." 

The comments echo ones Smith made on SiriusXM NBA earlier this week regarding his candidacy, per the New York Daily News' Stefan Bondy:

"The 18 years that I've been on TNT has prepared me for a lot of things and coaching being one of them. The preparation and the reservoir of information, relationships to players to everything. Players to coaches to assistant coaches—everything. From being in college basketball to the Final 4, AAU teams. Every element I've covered has kind of prepared me for more direction."

Smith, who turned 53 last month, has never coached professionally. 

However, he did have a fruitful 10-year NBA career that included a pair of titles with the Houston Rockets. 

Over the course of his decade in the Association, Smith averaged 12.8 points, 5.5 assists and 1.0 steals per game while shooting 48.0 percent from the field and 39.9 percent from three-point range.