ESPN gave Bill Simmons a shot at calling a real, live NBA game and the Sports Guy didn't disappoint. Standing-in as the third announcer during Friday night's Miami Heat road game against the Golden State Warriors, Simmons seemed at ease, but took plenty of subtle digs while discussing various topics throughout the broadcast.
Bill Simmons Makes Announcing Debut, Takes A Shot At LeBron James During Heat-Warriors Game
The biggest shots fired moment? Simmons aimed his cannons at none other than LeBron James, with a backhanded stab at his own employer, ESPN.
While discussing the recent story centering on certain Heat players expressing discontent with coach Erik Spolstera, Simmons suggested the story, reported by ESPN’s Chris Broussard, was planted by LeBron James’ camp. The story triggered a firestorm of reaction and created speculation the Heat could be on the verge of removing Spoelstra as the head coach. Miami has righted the ship since, winning its last seven consecutive games.
Simmons said what was on everyone’s mind in reference to the reported feud between LeBron and Spoelstra. Looking at the story from afar, it seemed the public opinion about its origins fall in-line with the theory Simmons floated. Simmons appeal for many has been his everyman characteristic that relates well to most sports fans. In this case, he simply said what was on the publics mind, using his podium on a national broadcast to, more or less, call out LeBron’s camp.
Overall, outside of his high-pitched voice that was unappealing in large quantities, Simmons handled himself well. He was witty and honest, as expected, without taking-over the broadcast. Though he can be polarizing, the one-time experiment seemed to be a success for those that stayed-up to watch the West Coast game. Taking a shot at ESPN and the inner-circle of the NBA’s biggest superstar was just the icing on the cake.
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