Stephen A. Smith always stays in the news.
The ESPN commentator and avid New York Knicks supporter expressed great joy for his team’s recent trade move—a sentiment that starkly contrasts his views from 2016.
This week, the Knicks struck a deal with the Brooklyn Nets, acquiring Mikal Bridges in exchange for Bojan Bogdanovic along with several first-round draft picks.
This trade not only brought another player from the mid-2010s Villanova Wildcats to the Knicks but also reunified Bridges with his former teammates and fellow NCAA champions Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, and Donte DiVincenzo.
Smith’s reaction to the trade was jubilant, quickly taking to the social media platform X to share a video where he celebrated the acquisition, lauding the strategic move by the Knicks in securing another key player from Villanova’s successful college team.
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However, a video from 2016 surfaced on social media shortly after the announcement of the Knicks-Nets trade, showing a starkly different take from Smith.
In this earlier clip, Smith skeptically dismissed Villanova’s potential, criticizing the team just before their NCAA title game against North Carolina by stating, “Villanova doesn’t have a real NBA prospect on this squad.”
This statement has since been proven dramatically incorrect as not only did Villanova win that championship game, but several players from that roster have successfully transitioned to notable NBA careers.
In fact, the 2016 Villanova squad has produced six NBA players.
Beyond the Knicks’ current Villanova quartet, Ryan Arcidiacono has established a seven-year NBA career and was part of the Knicks’ roster last season before Jalen Brunson’s arrival. Daniel Ochefu, the starting center from the 2016 Wildcats, also made it to the NBA, spending time with the Washington Wizards during the 2016-17 season.
The irony of Smith’s initial skepticism juxtaposed with his current celebration highlights the unpredictability of sports and player development.
It underscores how players from that 2016 Villanova team not only reached the NBA but have now become significant contributors to one of the franchises Smith passionately supports.
This transformation from collegiate champions to professional assets reflects a remarkable journey, one that Stephen A. Smith, along with many others, perhaps did not foresee.
