ESPN suffered some hilarious mistakes during the first round of the NBA Draft on Wednesday.
Problems began immediately when the broadcast misidentified some draft members during introductions.
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Former Tennessee Volunteers player Dalton Knecht was one of the players who had his name called and his accomplishments listed to the crowd.
However, it was not Knecht who appeared on fans’ TV screens.
Instead, ESPN showed French player Tidjane Salaun, who was clearly laughing at the mistake.
“He looks very different,” said one fan.
Read more about the NBA Draft
Knecht wasn’t the only player who had his introduction botched by the camera crew.
Pittsburgh Panthers guard Bub Carrington had his name called, but ESPN showed Miami Hurricanes forward Kyshawn George.
“This is NOT Bub Carrington,” laughed one fan.
The mistakes didn’t end when the clocks started and the draft began.
ESPN made another mistake after Reed Sheppard was selected with the third pick of the night.
A chart was shown that included his father, Jeff, but they referred to him as John.
It was a huge mistake for ESPN, not only because Reed was a high-profile prospect, but because his father also played in the NBA.
Fans were quick to call out the network for its mistakes as the draft continued into the night.
“This ESPN call was a comedy of errors,” said one fan.
“ESPN is an absolute mess these days,” said another fan.
“How could they let this happen???” a third fan said.
What does the new TV deal mean for the NBA?
By US Sun Assistant Sports Editor Damian Burchardt.
The new television rights deal promises to be a big win for NBA players.
The league is expected to more than double revenue from its media partners, pocketing around $6.9 billion per year, which will inevitably lead to a huge salary cap increase in 2025-26.
This will cause the value of players’ contracts to skyrocket.
Projected numbers suggest we could see the first $100 million per year deal being signed soon.
Boston Celtics All-Star Jaylen Brown is currently set to earn the highest single-season salary in NBA history, bringing in $65.1 million in 2028-29.
It seems like basketball fans would be on the losing side of the fight if the NBA and TNT actually split.
Inside the NBA is a unique sports entertainment program, as evidenced by ESPN’s continued failure to create its own version of the show in recent years.
The NBA won’t be the same without Kenny and Ernie trying to make sense of Shaq and Chuck’s endless fights every Tuesday night.
“ESPN is down so far,” said a fourth fan.
“Between the Stanley Cup trophy debacle and this, ESPN’s top cameramen have had a rough week,” said a fifth fan.
ESPN was under some pressure during the Stanley Cup and also missed some important moments from the celebration.
The broadcast missed the first time Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov lifted the trophy for his team.
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This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
