Not sure if you ever noticed this, but ESPN tends to overhype things. Deserved or not, if a sporting event is on the network, it gets pumped. Lots of cross promotion.
ESPN was showing the Orlando against San Antonio game Wednesday night, so along those lines on a morning show I usually mute they asked the question who would you want right now: Dwight Howard or Tim Duncan? Talking head Skip Bayless said Tim Duncan, because he shows up in the playoffs. Apparently Skip didn’t watch last year’s playoffs, but whatever.
Howard went out and shut down Duncan, holding him to a career worst 1 for 10 on the night.
Afterward, Howard smacked Bayless back a little bit to the Orlando Sentinel.
“I think everybody has a problem with anything I do on the floor. We got to the Finals last year with the same way I played this year. I’m not going to change who I am, I’m not going to change my personality. I’m not going to change anything about me. I’ve been playing basketball since I was three years old. I never changed one part of myself in this game. I’ve gotten a lot better since I’ve been playing basketball, but one thing that has always been consistent is I’m going to have fun out there. Basketball brings me joy. I don’t care what people say about me smiling too much or having too much fun. Hey, I’m doing something I love. I’m going to be thankful and have fun doing it. ...
“I don’t know what he could possibly say. Scottie Pippen said things, also Skip (Bayless). I know in order to win you gotta work hard and that’s one thing that I do. I work extremely hard on both ends. I might have nights where I might not shoot the ball as well but I’m still going to work hard, I’m still going to play defense and do all the small things. Numbers don’t lie...
Only people that we have to listen to are our coaches. Those are the guys that get paid to make us better players. Skip, he’s called everybody out. He’s called LeBron “Prince James.” LeBron’s one of the best players in the world, and he doesn’t think LeBron is good. It’s somebody just talking.”
Skip Bayless’ job is not to make sports comments -- it’s to draw viewers. (Goal is the same here, we just try to do it differently.) Saying controversial things can help do that. But in the end it’s somebody just talking. Take it all with a grain of salt.