LZ Granderson insists that Chris Palmer made up quotes. It just wasn’t the Chris Palmer he publicly accused of doing so.
Taking to X on Monday morning, Granderson issued an apology to the NBA writer, who he accused of fabricating quotes amid a social media feud regarding Vice President Kamala Harris. In a lengthy note, Granderson stated that it was a different person named Chris Palmer who had fabricated quotes and that he had mistaken the two Chris Palmers for each other in the heat of the argument.
“I owe Chris Palmer an apology. The story I shared is true. However the person I dealt with shares the exact same name and had done work at the same company,” Granderson wrote. “Wrong identity. Terrible mistake. I’m sorry for misleading those of you who shared it. Those that know me, know my integrity is the currency I value most in life. And mine dipped a little in value when I made that mistake. I’m a journalist. I should know better.”
Granderson, who currently works as an ABC contributor and columnist at the Los Angeles Times, however, insisted that he stood by his criticism of Palmer regarding Harris, who the New York Times best-selling author referred to as “the least qualified person in history to do anything” after President Joe Biden announced he is dropping out of the 2024 presidential election.
“But the energy behind my response to his tweet remains,” Granderson wrote. “What he’s said about Vice President Harris was ignorant and I don’t apologize for challenging that ignorance. I am apologizing for being careless in the manner in which I did it. I will be better.”
Granderson had originally claimed that he worked as Palmer’s editor when the alleged fabrication occurred. It’s unclear who the other “Chris Palmer” Granderson says he worked with actually is.
Granderson’s apology came hours after Palmer had repeatedly denied the accusation on social media, threatening legal action against the Life Out Loud podcast host. Palmer, for his part, has accepted the apology, stating that he spoke to Granderson personally and chalked the entire situation up to being a “misunderstanding.”
I talked to LZ. He deleted the post. It was just a misunderstanding. No big deal. He’s a really good dude. https://t.co/ZPBJLi1eFL
— Chris Palmer (@ChrisPalmerNBA) July 22, 2024
It goes without saying that Granderson’s error was an egregious one. Even if you’re as passionate as he appears to be about defending Harris, you better make sure you have your facts in order if you’re going to accuse a colleague of something as serious as fabricating quotes.
After realizing the error that he made, Granderson did his best to take public accountability for it, which appears to be enough for Palmer to move past the issue.
Now, about that other Chris Palmer…
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.