The NBA’s In-Season Tournament was designed as a way to promote the league during a regular season that fans can normally skate over.
So bringing up the allegations against Thunder guard Josh Giddey, who is under investigation over allegedly spending the night with a 16-year-old girl in 2021, probably was not on tap for the broadcast of the tournament final between the Lakers and Pacers.
Nobody shared the plan with 76ers guard Patrick Beverley.
“I got a daughter and I like to call myself a girl dad,” Beverley said on ESPN2’s alternate broadcast of the game, which the Lakers won 123-109.
He then asked Kevin Hart, who was hosting the “Unplugged” broadcast, “What do you think about the Josh Giddey situation?”
That led to an awkward exchange wherein Hart tried as best as he could to get out of the situation.
After Will Horton of the Plastic Cup Boyz — who were also on the watchalong telecast — recapped the allegations without giving his opinion, Beverley pressed the issue.
“I read that too,” he said. “I said what do y’all think about that?”
“Pat, I heard your question, but I’m gonna tell you what I do real well,” Hart said. “I deflect. I’m a brand, Pat, and being a brand, I’ll text you and give you my real thoughts.”
Hart then tried to move the topic to the color of the courts during the In-Season Tournament, to which Beverley responded by saying, “I like the color of the courts. Not jail courts, though, but basketball courts.”
NBA commissioner Adam Silver has said he won’t suspend Giddey based solely on an allegation, which is keeping with the league’s precedent.
Giddey is under investigation by the Newport Beach Police Department in addition to the NBA. The girl in question and her family have hired Gloria Allred to represent them, and have not spoken to media.
Giddey and the Thunder have not commented on the situation.
As for the broadcast, Beverley did not stick around too long. Hart joked he was kicking the Sixers guard off after an exchange in which Beverley mentioned fans in Oklahoma City “booed the s–t out of me.”
“After that question, Pat, I can kind of see why,” Hart said.
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