ESPN's Stephen A. Smith Burned For Old Take On Knicks' Villanova Players
One of Stephen A. Smith's basketball hot takes returned to bite him years later during a moment of celebration for the New York Knicks.
The ESPN commentator celebrated Tuesday after the Knicks pulled off a major trade to acquire Mikal Bridges from the Brooklyn Nets.
Stephen A. was still jumping for joy on Wednesday's "First Take," feeling his Knicks inched closer to being a top contender in the Eastern Conference.
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NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 14: Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks reacts during Game Five of the Eastern Conference Second Round Playoffs against the Indiana Pacers at Madison Square Garden on May 14, 2024 in New York City. The Knicks won 121-91. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
Smith has plenty of reason to be excited about this acquisition.
Mikal Bridges averaged 19.6 points for Brooklyn last season. More importantly, Bridges reunites with former Villanova teammates Jalen Brunson, Donte DiVincenzo, and Josh Hart on the Knicks.
The Nova Four are famous for leading the Wildcats to a national championship in 2016. The players, minus Hart, also returned for a second title win in 2018.
On Tuesday, amid the celebrating, an old video resurfaced of SAS, with a hot take that now looks frozen cold.
MIAMI, FLORIDA - MAY 25: Commentator Stephen A. Smith looks on prior to Game Five between the Boston Celtics and the Miami Heat in the 2022 NBA Playoffs Eastern Conference Finals at FTX Arena on May 25, 2022 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Eric Espada/Getty Images)
In 2016, Stephen A. Smith was highly critical of the Villanova team heading into their first joint title game, downplaying their chances against the Tar Heels for lacking "NBA prospects" on their roster.
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"Villanova doesn’t have a real NBA prospect on this squad," Smith infamously said in the 2016 clip from "First Take."
Fast-forward eight years and Smith is watching those same Nova players spearhead his Knicks.
To the pundit's defense, all four players seemingly usurped their NBA projections.
Brunson is now a fringe MVP contender heading into 2024; Bridges is an exceptional scorer at 6-foot-6 with an elite defensive skill set; DiVincenzo and Hart are exceptionally reliable role players.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 08: Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks reacts during the fourth quarter against the Indiana Pacers in Game Two of the Eastern Conference Second Round Playoffs at Madison Square Garden on May 08, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
Four special NBA talents are still far from Stephen A.'s assertion that none were bound for the pros.
Six players total from that 2016 Villanova squad made it to the NBA, actually.
So count this as another hot take by SAS worth tossing in the trash bin.
And don't expect him to own up to this flop.
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