ESPN’s presentation of the NBA Finals has taken a lot of heat.
Awful Announcing’s Matt Yoder called Game 1’s presentation “the most auraless in sports.” Then the league — and the Worldwide Leader — responded by superimposing the Larry O’Brien Trophy onto the court. It was a gesture, sure, but not one that resonated with the masses. It felt like just another graphic in a broadcast that still feels flat.
The halftime show was no better.
Say what you want about Malika Andrews, Stephen A. Smith, Bob Myers, and Kendrick Perkins. Love them or not, they’re not the issue. The real issue is that ESPN kept Inside the NBA alive because it had no other option. That’s the harsh reality. And now, every halftime show is getting judged against TNT’s gold standard.
ESPN plans to rely on Inside the NBA for pregame, halftime, and extended postgame coverage, particularly during major events such as the Christmas showcase and the Finals. If the Christmas game(s) made one thing clear, it’s how desperately ESPN needed this move. Game 2’s halftime showed why it can’t come soon enough.
Sunday’s halftime show was a mess.
Between Bob Myers, Stephen A. Smith, and Kendrick Perkins, it was a cacophony of competing voices yelling to be heard. They barely got two and a half minutes of actual talking in before commercials took over for almost 11 minutes.
Halftime is usually a natural pause for viewers — a chance to grab a snack, hit the bathroom, or flip channels. It’s never been the main event. But when Inside the NBA is on, you stay. Because you know it’ll be worth it.
ESPN’s not there yet. Instead, we got three guys tentatively dissecting Tyrese Haliburton’s first half, all while the Pacers trailed by 18, and they talked over one another like it was bad sports radio.
And, not for nothing, many voices in the industry took notice.
When people talk over each other on TV, it’s impossible to tell who’s talking or what they’re even saying. And if the viewers can’t follow, the whole point falls apart.
That’s exactly what happened with ESPN’s halftime panel on Sunday. Everyone’s talking at once, nobody finishes a thought, and it just sounds like noise. It’s frustrating to watch, and worse, it doesn’t help anyone understand the game better.
Good panelists know how to take turns, listen effectively, and build a conversation. Inside the NBA gets that. ESPN’s halftime? It feels like a shouting match. And shouting matches don’t make good TV.