Earlier in the month, TNT Sports analyst and Hall of Fame forward Charles Barkley talked about how Kendrick Perkins and presumably ESPN were covering the Los Angeles Lakers as the team was experiencing immense success with the new star duo of LeBron James and Luka Dončić. A few weeks later, Barkley’s colleague and Hall of Fame center Shaquille O’Neal referenced the wrong head coach of the Detroit Pistons and revealed that he does not watch the team. Dan Le Batard mentioned these instances during a discussion about basketball coverage, during which he remarked how the media seems to hang onto things that have been discussed for decades, such as the rivalry between LeBron James and Stephen Curry.
Le Batard spoke about how Michelle Beadle recently divulged that they were fools at ESPN for talking about James all of the time rather than celebrating the new generation of players in the league. As it pertained to Barkley’s remarks, Perkins responded on the same night via social media in which he called Barkley a “senior citizen” and told him to keep the same energy when he sees people in person. Barkley is expected to star on Inside the NBA next season as ESPN airs the studio program produced by TNT Sports as part of a sublicensing deal between the two companies.
“I understand what is happening in the entirety of the content space, not just sports, but documentaries and people’s lack of use for independent freedom, not former player,” Le Batard said. “The idea that Charles Barkley is critical of you and your coverage and that the response is, ‘Make sure that when you’re in front of each other, you might be ready to fight,’ that’s a new thing. That’s not how we’ve done that before when the media is talking about the games and the criticism is going back and forth between two entities.”
Mike Ryan, a producer of The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz, averred that Barkley and Perkins will not likely have to interface with one another because of the arrangement in which Inside the NBA is airing on ESPN platforms. On top of that, he articulated that the ESPN NBA team will likely change again, referring to the network as being “transient” and that it would be wise to have an anchor in TNT coverage if possible.
“I also wouldn’t assume genuine anger on either side,” Greg Cote added. “I think when these guys see each other, they’re going to shake hands, they’re going to have a little giggle. ‘Hey, this was all a bit. You’re a good guy,’ clap each other on the back and move on.”
Le Batard emphasized how his show was distinctive in that it was embracing bits rather than serious discussions, and he questioned if everyone was suddenly good with doing bits. Upon giving Ryan a five-minute penalty for ruining comedy after revealing that he was actively doing the bit, Le Batard spoke about how he enjoyed ESPN giving journalists strength.
At the same time, he also wants the athletes assimilating into the content space to make it a democracy, but he conveyed that when this takes place, documentaries air that do not necessarily tell the genuine truth. When Le Batard posited if the media is doing sport the right service by focusing discussions on the same person for two decades, Cote explained how it is necessary to do both.
“We have to acknowledge the new wave, and the NBA has a great young wave of stars right now, but people still want to talk about LeBron James,” Cote said. “He’s a unicorn, he’s a one-of-a-kind [player], and we’ve done that across time with extraordinary athletes.”
Tony Calatayud, a producer for the show, explained that First Take created an issue when it had Stephen A. Smith and Skip Bayless talk about James and foster a putative debate culture. More than a decade later, he continues to observe the paradigm of discussing James continuing within the media landscape.
“Jayson Tatum is listening and watching the coverage of him, a champion,” Le Batard said. “He’s done whatever it is he was supposed to do with his talents – he has achieved now – we cannot diminish him in much of any way. He’s saying, ‘I don’t get my proper respect.’ Part of that is because we’re always talking about the other people.”
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