ESPN Deciding To Finally Talk About Actual Basketball Is The Best Thing To Happen To Their NBA Coverage In Years
NurPhoto. Getty Images.It's not exactly a secret that over the last handful of years it comes to NBA coverage on ESPN, let's just say…..it's been rough. How many times can we have the LeBron vs Jordan debate? How many times can we listen to the fabricated narrative that Giannis wants out of Milwaukee? Anyone who watches their games knows the pregame/halftime shows are mostly a disaster, and for fans who grew up at a time when ESPN actually talked about sports in intricate detail and it wasn't just show after show after show of spewing hot takes to go viral and shitting on players/the game etc, the programming almost became unrecognizable from what ESPN was putting out in their heyday.
Well, now that Amazon and NBC have entered the chat and look to be approaching their NBA coverage in a MUCH more serious manner, some may say ESPN is finally feeling the heat when it comes to getting their shit together. I know it sounds crazy, but basketball fans actually like talking/consuming content around basketball! I get the hot take model has worked pretty well for ESPN, but it always felt like they flew too close to the sun with that. Between now having more competition in the space and the public bullying from fans, it finally, FINALLY seems like ESPN has decided to get back to their roots
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To those who say fans don't care about Xs and Os and all that other stupid bullshit, that video clip has 1.3M views and counting. Every single reaction to that video is fans screaming at the top of their lungs that, finally, ESPN is talking about actual basketball when it comes to the NBA. This is all we as fans have ever wanted! I'm good with Stephen A yelling at me while talking shit on LeBron, I'm good with Perk saying insane shit just to go viral. Stuff like this instantly took me back to the golden era of ESPN, and why many of us fell in love with it in the first place. I don't really care what it took to finally get back to this place, I'm just happy we're here.
And frankly, it's about time ESPN let Tim Legler fully cook. He's by far their best basketball mind/analyst, and what I love about him is that there's no bullshit. No hot takes, no contrived outrage in an effort to get views, he's a basketball junkie who not only has walked the walk, but he knows how to talk through what he sees and explain it to the average fan in a way they can digest and comprehend. My god, that entire clip was refreshing as hell. It's similar to how I felt when JJ Redick worked there before getting the Lakers gig. He actually talked basketball! He actually had informed opinions based in fact, and not bullshit! So if ESPN is now telling us that Legler is going to be bringing this stuff to our TV screens this season on a consistent basis, I find that to be excellent news.
It also doesn't hurt that Doc is also a media pro, so he was a great choice for this segment. As a fan, when I watch these types of shows, I want to be taught something I don't know. I want to be exposed to not just what I think I see, but how people in the actual business actually see things as they unfold on the court. What was the intention of a certain play? What were you looking for? For the longest time, that type of stuff was what separated ESPN from the rest of the sports media world, until they sort of lost their way. NBA coaches are so fucking smart and there are so many little intricacies that go on during every single NBA possession that the outside world has no idea about, I love the fact that Legler and whichever coach he brings on throughout the season will open that up to the public. That rules, and it's what the worldwide leader should have always been doing.
Will the hot take bullshit ever go away? Of course not. Views are money, and that type of stuff gets eyeballs. But I think fans can put up with all that if we are also going to be getting actual basketball coverage from some of the best basketball minds in media. At the end of the day, I don't care if it was the new competition, pressure from viewers etc. I'm just happy it looks like ESPN is taking a step in a direction that brings us back to when it was a channel worth watching, and their content actually taught you something about the sport/game you love.
It feels great to be back.