ESPN’s NBA coverage hasn’t exactly been batting .1000. And when the Morris twins are getting regular airtime, it’s fair to question what exactly the network is trying to do.
That’s what makes Iman Shumpert such a refreshing change. He actually wants to be there. He actually has something to say. And across these Finals, he was quietly excellent.
He was a revelation during the NBA Finals alongside Brian Windhorst on The Hoop Collective, and not in the “wow, this guy is entertaining” way that often gets confused with substance.
No, Shumpert has been legitimately insightful, someone who actually enjoys talking about the game and, more importantly, knows how to talk about it well. That might sound like a low bar, but when you scroll through the usual suspects, it starts to feel like the bar’s buried six feet under.
Shumpert’s breakdowns aren’t just better; they’re more thoughtful, more specific, and more in tune with the actual basketball being played. After Game 5 of the Finals, he talked about how seven different Thunder players had a deflection, and you could just see how much he appreciated the detail of it, not the flashy steal, not the chase-down block for the highlight reel, just the simple act of messing up a dribble or disrupting a rhythm. That’s the kind of micro-analysis you get from someone who actually watches the game with a purpose and not just someone waiting to drop a recycled talking point or yell over a co-host.
Compare that to the parade of ex-players currently burning credibility at a shocking rate. So much of what we get is a performative version of basketball insight. Whether it’s buzzwords over nuance or cliches over context, Iman Shumpert is the opposite. He’s not talking down to you, but he’s also not afraid to get in the weeds. He speaks with clarity, passion, and — imagine this — respect for the actual Xs and Os.
When Shumpert popped up on SportsCenter before Game 7, it just confirmed what’s been obvious all Finals: he gets it. He talks about the game in a way that actually makes sense, not just filling time or tossing out recycled takes. You learn something. You stay locked in. It’s not that complicated.
Iman Shumpert isn’t some media darling being propped up by charisma alone. He’s smart. He’s prepared. He cares. There’s a point to everything he says. Whether it’s a breakdown of Indiana’s backcourt or an emotional reflection on the 2016 Cavaliers’ title run, he gives you something real. And perhaps, more importantly, something you didn’t already know.
At a time when we don’t have many former players on air who sound like they know what they’re talking about and genuinely enjoy doing it. Iman Shumpert does both, and has been doing it all Finals. Not in a “look at me, I’m going viral” kind of way. Just clean, thoughtful basketball talk.
So here’s the ask: ESPN, give this man a max deal. Not literally, but you get the idea. Get him on NBA Today. Put him in the studio during big playoff games. Make him a staple of your coverage. If you’re serious about improving your basketball analysis and not just filling time between commercial breaks, this is your guy.
You don’t need to overthink it. Sometimes, the most important analysis is that he did a good job. That’s it. If nothing else, we deserve more of him and way less of the guys who seem determined to make NBA talk feel like a punishment.
It’s really that simple. Iman Shumpert is good at this.
That’s the whole point. Not good for a former player, not good for a podcast guy, just good. Thoughtful. Engaged. Actually seems to care about what’s happening on the court, which puts him ahead of half the rotation right now.