Some sections of fans were upset with TNT for not covering the NBA Finals. Meanwhile, ESPN bagged the opportunity to cover the big series and found themselves amidst an array of criticism. Firstly, many criticized the broadcast for bombarding it with ads and ‘lack of analysis’ during the halftime show. Now, things seemed to have gone out of hand, as fans rallied behind Charles Barkley‘s furious take on Stephen A. Smith & Co.’s coverage.

While the Finals already have drama between Dallas and Boston, the Chuckster accused the coverage of deviating from the topic. In an interaction with Outkick, Chuck called ESPN‘s coverage “stupid” focusing at least an hour on the latest Dan Hurley update for the Lakers’ coaching job. He further added, “Y’all got the Stanley Cup Finals and the NBA Finals, and y’all talking about a team that’s irrelevant.” And he went on to slander the showrunners, saying, “stupidest, most boneheaded people in the world.”

Cut to Game 2, infuriated fans joined the bandwagon, this time targeting JJ Redick, who has been calling the game. Notably, Redick was on the hunt to nab the Lakers’ coaching job. However, amidst all the chaos, enraged fans felt that the 39-year-old former star had forcefully used technical terms to prove his basketball prowess instead of keeping it normal. A fan, reacting to the commentary, wrote, “jj reddick is so bad that the people are nostalgic for marc jackson now wow.” 

JJ was the favorite to take over the Lakers. A report even stated that they won’t take any step until the NBA Finals, as Redick had committed to call the game. However, it all came crashing down when UConn’s Dan Hurley came into the picture.

Fans rip apart ESPN coverage amid JJ Redick’s misery

Fans found Redick’s commentary so bad that they started feeling “nostalgic” about Mark Jackson’s commentary! The former Dubs coach picked up the mic after his dismissal from the Warriors and developed a bad reputation for his commentating ability. Fans often considered his opinions poor and accused him of fake machismo. However, two games into the Finals series, fans want him back.

While a large section of fans had issues with the topic covered in the telecast, a fan had an entirely different issue. They wrote, “Hey @hulu or @ESPNNBA the sound on the Finals iis absolutely terrible and distorted! Do better!” Adding to the ‘lack of analysis’ criticism, ESPN also received a technical complaint. 

Another fan didn’t hesitate to point out the NBA commissioner, Adam Silver, for committing this blunder to sign up Stephen A. Smith & Co. for the finals coverage. Amid the meltdown surrounding Inside Guys’ final season, fans have come up with various reasons to keep the show alive. And, the continuous criticism of ESPN’s coverage seemed to be helping their cause. A netizen wrote, “Lmfao I noticed the commentary slowly shifting to them tactical terms and analysis and nobody wanna hear that shit”.

Stephen A. Smith and his crew have no option other than upping their game for the rest of the series to avoid the increasing fan hate.

Stay tuned for more such updates, and to follow in what Shaq’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato had to say about WNBA sensation Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, this video