ESPN analyst Chris Carlin doesn’t like the Los Angeles Lakers.
The 51-year-old sportscaster replaced Stephen A. Smith on Friday’s edition of First Take.
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Carlin has been on the sports debate show all week with Smith on vacation.
A regular on ESPN radio, the analyst impressed fans with his takes throughout his four-day stint on the show.
As talk turned to the NBA on Friday, Carlin was asked by substitute host Christine Williamson if we were “exaggerating how bad the Lakers are?”
“I don’t think so,” Carlin responded, addressing co-stars Monica McNutt and Courtney Cronin.
“They’re much more likely to miss the Play-In than they are to make the playoffs.”
The Lakers drafted LeBron James’ son Bronny in last week’s NBA Draft along with first-round pick Dalton Knecht.
While former First Take analyst JJ Redick was named his new coach.
“When I look at this group, I see a group that is no better than last year,” Carlin continued.
“They have a rookie coach, who everyone believes is in LeBron’s pocket.
“I think this is a little problematic. LeBron played 71 games last year – the last five years before that, he averaged 55. Is this happening again?”
Carlin stated that LeBron was “not a good GM,” before again stating that the team could “miss the Play-In.”
“Wait, this guy is cooking,” one X fan responded to the exchange.
“All these LeBron narratives are hilarious,” said another.
“He’s spitting out facts,” added a third.
“They said that last year,” countered a fourth.
First look at the numbers
First Take has grown from strength to strength under the guidance of Stephen A. Smith and Molly Qerim over the past year.
ESPN’s weekday debate show averaged 496,000 viewers in 2023 – making it the most-watched year in the program’s history.
Its December average of 611,000 represented a 24% annual increase compared to 2022.
The show has also recorded more than 250 million views on YouTube.
First Take was helped by the addition of Shannon Sharpe alongside Smith and Qerim after he left Fox Sports’ Undisputed.
The Lakers reached the postseason in 2023-24, but lost in the first round to the Denver Nuggets.
Starman LeBron, 39, signed a $104 million contract earlier this week, signing on for two more years.
Meanwhile, Stephen A.’s future at First Take remains uncertain as he continues to negotiate a new deal with ESPN.
Smith’s current contract expires at the end of 2025.
He is reportedly seeking an annual salary of $25 million, per Puck.news.
The contract would make him the highest-paid analyst on the network.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
