When the New York Knicks drafted Kristaps Porzingis with the 4th overall pick, ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith loudly criticized the decision.

Smith claimed the Knicks were being “hoodwinked” and “bamboozled” by drafting the relatively unknown European player over more NBA-ready prospects like Willie Cauley-Stein and Justise Winslow.

However, Smith’s take has not aged well. Porzingis went on to have a successful NBA career, making the All-Rookie team in 2015-16 and even playing in the NBA Finals for the Boston Celtics in 2024.

The players Smith touted as better options have largely fizzled out of the league.

When a video of Smith’s rant resurfaced after Porzingis’ strong Game 1 Finals performance, NBA fans roasted the analyst mercilessly on social media.

They mocked his over-the-top criticism and his inability to even get the name of one of the players he preferred (Stanley Johnson instead of Stanley Roberts) correct.

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The episode serves as an example of how even high-profile pundits can make poor draft evaluations, and how time can prove their hot takes very wrong.

Porzingis’ career trajectory has made a mockery of Smith’s vehement opposition to the Knicks selecting him back in 2015.