Spike Lee Consoles Stephen A. Smith In Viral NBA Draft Moment

The movie director and the ESPN star commiserated over the Knicks' chaotic draft night.
LOADINGERROR LOADING

Director Spike Lee consoled ESPN star and fellow Knicks fan Stephen A. Smith on Thursday in a viral moment at the NBA Draft in Brooklyn. (Watch the videos below.)

Smith was undone by the New York team’s flurry of moves. The Knicks briefly acquired a player Smith liked ― only to deal him away as well.

The “Do The Right Thing” filmmaker did the right thing by patting the inconsolable “First Take” host on the back as he buried his face in his hand.

It made for good theater.

In another video, Smith expressed pre-draft skepticism and bemoaned the Knicks’ sorry history.

“I’m trying to be hopeful. I’m trying to be nice. I’m trying to be in high spirits, thinking that it’s going to finally work out for me for me with these damn Knicks who haven’t given me a damn championship since 1973,” Smith grumbled.

The Oscar winner and the sports network commentator even prayed together.

Their prayers were not answered.

Smith railed against past draft night disappointments ― and this one. “It happened again!” he wrote in a Tweet with three mad-face emojis.

“Somebody help us!” Lee shouted in the clip.

The Knicks traded their 11th pick, Ousmane Dieng of France, to the Oklahoma City Thunder for three future first-rounders. New York then gave one of those first-round choices, plus four second-round choices, to the Charlotte Hornets for the rights to Jalen Duren, the Smith-approved player. But the Knicks traded Duren and Kemba Walker to Detroit.

The Knicks also earned poor marks for their machinations in some publications.

Popular in the Community

Close

What's Hot