Thursday night, ESPN will bring viewers comprehensive coverage of the 2023 NBA Draft with broadcasts on its linear, digital and audio platforms, as well as on ABC. Victor Wembayanama is expected to be selected by the San Antonio Spurs with the No. 1 overall pick.
Despite being the second most popular draft on television, a listener told the 92.3 The Fan morning program, The Ken Carman Show, he did not know the NBA Draft was coming until comments made by Brandon Miller. During NBA Draft media coverage, Miller, who is expected to be a top lottery selection, said he believed Los Angeles Clippers guard Paul George was the greatest basketball player of all time, instead of LeBron James, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar or Michael Jordan.
“[I] didn’t even know it was Brandon Miller who said that Paul George was the greatest ever,” Ken Carman said. “That’s why they have to have Adrian Wojnarowski – he’s the only recognizable name they have up there to cover the NBA Draft.”
Carman and his co-host Anthony Lima reminisced on the days when ESPN had other people on the air and asserted how they feel coverage of the NFL Draft is more compelling and entertaining.
“I said I don’t think Mel Kiper [Jr.] should be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and I’m going to stand by that, but damn is he outstanding,” Carman said. “Because you’d get the six-round and you’d have Mel Kiper Jr. going, ‘Let me tell you something about this fella,’ and he would just rifle it right off and it would be great and his hair was perfectly quaffed…. Now you’ve got them all doing it and they’re there for the NFL, and the NBA’s like, ‘Whatever.’”
Both morning show hosts found the lack of quality coverage as surprising because of the storylines associated with the NBA. ESPN’s First Take is constantly debating the ‘greatness’ of NBA players, and a preponderance of radio shows talk about the league on a near-daily basis. These factors make it somewhat perplexing that NBA Draft coverage is not up to par with the National Football League.
“That’s what makes it confounding that they can’t put together a good broadcast,” co-host Anthony Lima said. “….We can sit here and debate Colin Sexton until we’re blue in the face and he’s played five years in the NBA. Imagine somebody in college who you have a big opinion on and yet they can’t turn it into anything.”
ESPN’s coverage of the 2023 NBA Draft will begin tonight at 8 p.m. EST and feature NBA insiders, commentators and reporters breaking down the action as it occurs. Brian Windhorst and The Hoop Collective will broadcast a live version of their podcast from Barclays Center available to watch on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter and on-demand for audio consumers. ESPN Radio will also have coverage of the event featuring P.J. Carlesimo and Cory Alexander, along with the duo of Kevin Negandhi and Stephen A. Smith on ABC.
