Knicks Choose Euro Player with First Pick — Stephen A Erupts

As the dust was settling after the 2015 NBA Draft, ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, who made it clear that he was coming off vacation, called in to “SportsCenter” to vent his frustration with New York Knicks president Phil Jackson for promising to win early, but picking Kristaps Porzingis, a 19-year-old seven-feet-one-inch player from Latvia.

Porzingis, who is considered a project player with much upside rather than someone who is NBA ready immediately, has been compared to star Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki because both possess the same skills as a guard.

Smith was so angry when he saw the Knicks take Porzingis over the likes of Emmanuel Mudiay, Justise Winslow, Stanley Roberts and Willie Cauley-Stein that he had to call in to voice his complaints about Jackson and the Knicks newest draft pick.

“If I seem a bit agitated, yes it would happen to be because I’m on vacation and I came off vacation just to talk about this subject because as a native New Yorker I am completely disgusted,” he began. “Why did you do this? You did this because of some dude who may or may not be ready in two years, a year after you paid Carmelo Anthony $124 million, told the city of New York you were going to be respectable and contend for a playoff spot within the Eastern Conference then has the temerity, unmitigated gall; the disgusting proclamation that you did a great job because you cleaned up the house by tanking the season?”