PORTLAND, OREGON – JANUARY 11: Pascal Siakam #43 of the Toronto Raptors reacts in the fourth quarter against the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center on January 11, 2021 in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)
Shaq made an embarrassing revelation while discussing Pascal Siakam on TNT.
Shaq has had quite a season so far as a TNT analyst. His biggest controversy was calling out Donovan Mitchell for no good reason and creating a problem that didn’t need to exist at all.
Now Pascal Siakam is the latest to get some disrespect from Shaq. It turns out the legendary big man didn’t even know Siakam’s first name. See the awkward moment for yourself.
Shaq just learned about Siakam’s name
This does not have to be made into a huge deal. But it is still a bit odd that a national NBA analyst doesn’t know the name of an All-Star player. It’s not like Siakam is a rookie new to the league.
There is a bit of a disconnect between some NBA analysts and the modern game. A lot of times you will hear open complaints about how the game is played when the goal should be to build up the players carrying the league in the present. No one wants to watch a game and hear the announcer or analyst complain the whole time. Jeff Van Gundy is a top example of this problem.
It is also just an act of laziness to get paid millions to talk about the game and not know everyone’s name who is on a current NBA roster. This is not a 53-man NFL roster.
Siakam was an NBA champion with the Toronto Raptors and continues to average over 20 points per game. He is one of the faces of the franchise and the list goes on of why Shaq should have known his name.
The Toronto big man should not care too much about this slight. He earned himself a max contract due to his hard work and if Shaq continues to be lazy in his coverage, that is on him. Him not knowing Siakam’s name puts him in the minority of anyone who has even followed the NBA for a short amount of time.
There needs to be a point in time where mistakes like these are corrected and not just taken as jokes. That is not to say Shaq needs to be ridiculed for everything he does that is incorrect. However, there is the risk of turning off younger fans who will go out and seek different coverage than what is being offered on national networks.
That is already happening and fans who love the game just aren’t going to connect with those giving any sort of disrespect to the young stars.