ESPN’s vocal analyst Stephen A. Smith is famous amongst the NBA followers, thanks to his bold predictions. His insights have often received criticism, sparking debate amongst the viewers. But his predications have not been accurate in many cases.
In the current era of internet, this has made him a subject of troll amongst the NBA followers. His bold forecasts have at times gone horribly wrong, with the internet reminding him later in its own form of mockery. Here are five of his NBA predications that ended up backfiring, as he got mocked on social media.
When Stephen A. Smith Got Mocked on Social Media
1. How Timberwolves would become NBA Champions (2024)
The list had to start with the one where the man himself ended up accepting the prediction as the “worst of his career.” The Denver Nuggets faced the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2024 Western Conference semifinals. The Wolves started the game series on a promising note, take a 2-0 lead by the end of Game 2. With five more games to go, Smith already made the call. After Game 2, he predicted that the Timberwolves will cruise past the Nuggets easily, and even end up becoming NBA champions.
But this instantly started backfiring. The Nuggets brought their A-game on the court and clinched three consecutive wins to flip the series and take a 3-2 lead. The Timberwolves would later end up winning the series in a decisive Game 7. But they lost the Conference Finals to the Dallas Mavericks, thus ending their NBA Finals aspirations. Realising himself being in a false position, Smith later admitted on ESPN’s First Take
2. The Brooklyn Nets heading to the Finals (2022–23)
Ahead of the 2022–23 season, Smith predicted that the Brooklyn Nets with Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and Ben Simmons in the roster are NBA Finals contenders. He also predicted that Irving would be an MVP candidate with Simmons getting back his All-Star form.
Contrary to these expectations, the Nets’ season unfolded (unlike Smith’s prediction). For starters, Durant was traded to the Phoenix Suns, and Irving was traded to the Dallas Mavericks. Simmons got injured. However, the Nets made it to the playoffs as the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference. But their campaign was brought to an early end by the Philadelphia 76ers.
First Take avid watchers were quick to remind Smith’s optimistic predictions. It was widely circulated, where the contrast between his forecasts and the team’s actual performance were poles apart.
3. Lakers’ Late-Season Streak (2025)
In March 2025, when the Los Angeles Lakers held a 44-29 record, Smith went on to predict that they would lose five of their next six games. One of the reasons behind this prediction of his was the challenging schedule the Lakers had. But it would later seem as if the Lakers took the Stephen A. Smith personally.
They started an eight-game winning streak, with victories coming against teams like the Houston Rockets and Memphis Grizzlies. LeBron James reminded why he is regarded as the GOAT with his standout performances, played a crucial role in this streak. This would propel the team to a 46-29 record, confirming their place in the playoffs. Smith’s prediction backfired yet again, and unsurprisingly, became a matter of trolling amongst the viewers and fans alike.
4. Knicks’ 2023 Playoff Exit
Smith is a die-hard New York Knicks fan. Maybe the fandom emotion got the better of him, when he confidently predicted in 2023 that the Knicks would advance to the NBA Finals. But things took different turns.
For starters, the Knicks could not even make it to the Eastern Conference finals. They lost to the Miami Heat, where the game was concluded 4-2 by the end of Game 6. However, the Knicks were eliminated in the Eastern Conference Semifinals by the Miami Heat in six games. Following their exit, social media came back for Stephen A. Smith with fans going bonkers on trolling Smith’s optimism.
5. Making Six Consecutive NBA Finals Wrong Predictions (2011–2016)
This list cannot be concluded without discussing the infamous streak of Stephen A. Smith predicting the NBA Finals champions incorrectly for six consecutive seasons. Between 2011 and 2016, Smith made his NBA Finals predictions that went otherwise.
- 2011: Picked the Miami Heat; the Dallas Mavericks won.
- 2012: Picked the Oklahoma City Thunder; the Miami Heat won.
- 2013: Picked the San Antonio Spurs; the Miami Heat won.
- 2014: Picked the Miami Heat; the San Antonio Spurs won.
- 2015: Picked the Cleveland Cavaliers; the Golden State Warriors won.
- 2016: Picked the Golden State Warriors; the Cleveland Cavaliers won.
Unsurprisingly, fans kept a tab of these predictions, with a streak of wrong predictions that went on for six years. It gets even better, when a post by Yale Sports Analytics showcased that the probability of Stephen A. Smith making wrong odds on the NBA Champions consecutively for six years is 3.46%. This streak of six incorrect Finals predictions became a running joke among fans, with many questioning Stephen’s ability to be a pundit in First Take on ESPN.
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