Stephen A. left stunned as baffled ESPN star reacts to shock Knicks draft pick

ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith couldn’t hide his surprise after the New York Knicks selected Pacome Dadiet in the NBA Draft.

The First Take star was at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn to watch his beloved Knicks select with the 25th overall pick.

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New York traded for Mikal Bridges prior to the draft as they made their title intentions known for next season.

Stephen A. was in a buoyant mood following the trade and the Knicks’ strong run to the postseason in 2023.

“I feel ecstatic,” he told co-analyst Bob Myers in anticipation of the Knicks going on the board.

“I couldn’t wait for this segment right here.

“I stayed here for this segment. This is what it’s all about baby!”

Smith went on to claim the organization needed to replace Isaiah Hartenstein, who is currently locked in a contract dispute.

But the Knicks were clearly not listening to Smith’s advice, going in a completely different direction.

New York traded away their No. 24 pick before selecting French forward Dadiet.

ESPN cameras panned back to Stephen A., who was sitting motionless with an apparent look of horror.

“Wait, I’m going to change that face,” Myers could be heard saying off camera, to laughs from the panel.

Blinking furiously, Smith regained his composure to complete the segment.

“I’m good, I’m good,” he told Myers, after hearing some stats to support the Knicks’ trust in Dadiet.

“I have some length, I have a shooter.

“I like that, but not the kind of length I was talking about to replace Hartenstein. But I’m alright with that.”

“The same face I made. They had [Kyle Filipowski] right there and didn’t take him. Craziness,” responded one Knicks fan on X.

‘Who talks more about the WNBA?’

Stephen A. Smith had a run in with Monica McNutt on First Take about women’s basketball this week.

Smith said that he didn’t like how he needed to “watch every syllable” when talking about the WNBA, but McNutt wasn’t happy with his statement.

“Welcome to the world of being a woman, Stephen A,” she said.

“How you have to dance about your word choice and how you have to please everybody and anybody as you navigate your being.”

 Stephen A. gave a comment that really fired McNutt up.

“Who talks more about the WNBA, who talks about women’s sports more than First Take?” Stephen A. said.

McNutt clearly was irked by his question and set the record straight on live TV.

“Stephen A., respectfully, with your platform, you could have been doing this three years ago if you wanted to,” McNutt said.

Molly Qerim and Shannon Sharpe both looked stunned, and Qerim tried to get the show to a commercial break, but the awkward moment continued.

After Stephen A. muttered “wow,” McNutt gave him a reassurance that she thinks he could have done more.

“You’re my guy,” McNutt said.

“But I’m talking to you.”

“You’re my girl,” Smith replied.

“But you’ve missed a lot of episodes of First Take.”

“SAS clearly not understanding what the Knicks were trying to do,” said another.

Dadiet, a 6-foot-8 forward from France, played professionally in Germany last season.

The 18-year-old was delighted to join up with the Knicks after climbing mock drafts in recent weeks.

“The workout went well,” Dadiet told reporters.

“So I knew [the Knicks] were interested. But until the last minute, I didn’t know where I was going.

“I’m very excited to start working. I can’t wait.”