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“So that’s another good one in terms of: when do you know? You could go viral every day if you wanted. You can report something every day if you want, but if it has long-term ramifications for your credibility, your responsibility, how you treat people, and your relationships, then obviously you have to make a decision. If something you report is going to be unfair or irresponsible, or you’re not giving it the proper time to really marinate and play out, then you’re putting yourself in a tough spot.” Shams Charania: “So yeah, the Giannis one, specifically, is certainly one where I think a million times I could have probably reported exactly what I reported the week before the deadline, which was that he was prepared and ready to move on and the team was listening to offers. They literally were listening to the New York Knicks making offers in October. “So they had listened to offers, but the slight difference was that it had reached such a fever pitch at that point, and they were talking to and listening to Minnesota, Golden State, and Miami. And I’m going on TV. I’m having to report on this. He’s one of the biggest names in the NBA, one of the best players in the NBA. “It’s irresponsible for me not to report, not to do my job. What I think about more than anything is that I’m a servant for the audience. The audience is going to be let down if I’m not reporting what’s actually going on behind the scenes—not what someone might be telling you, or something you want to hear, or something that might be easier on the ears. I’m always going to try to keep it real when I can.”
The Rockets were having fun. Durant was hyping up the crowd, and players were celebrating with each other. Team chemistry seemed to be restored, if it ever did fade away. And KD, obviously, kept his receipts. As soon as he walked into the press conference, Durant took a slight dig at Perkins and the media. “How was the body language tonight? Was it good? How were the vibes? Good vibes?” Kevin Durant asked reporters before they could get any questions off. The room erupted in laughter once the Slim Reaper smirked. They knew what the underlying intention was behind the statement.
Fred VanVleet: “But I ain’t gonna lie, though—that’s the other thing too. I didn’t always play, and when you don’t play, you’re in the locker room all day, right? My first preseason game, I was in the locker room for four and a half hours. We had 20 guys trying to make the team—20 guys total. So, the game was at 7:30, and I was at the gym at 3:00, 3:30, getting my shooting time in. So when the media come in and I don’t exist, okay, cool. Because I’m a human—I’ma speak to somebody. If it’s, ‘Hey, what’s up? What’s going on?’ even if I don’t know you, whatever—‘Hey, how you doing?’ I’m going to speak to you. So if you’re going to treat me like I don’t exist, and then you want to spin back around when you need something, I’m going to remember that.”
“How much, at this point, are you kind of like, ‘I actually really care who the seventh pick is,’ versus, ‘If I get it, I get it. If I don’t, either way we’re going to find out in 30 seconds anyway’?” Shams Charania: “The nature of who I am is that I care. I care beforehand, as much in advance as I can get it. Even last year, when we had the draft on ESPN, I was hearing the picks maybe one, two, or three minutes before they were made. Obviously, I’m a team player, so I thought it was best for the network to allow Adam Silver and all of us to break it down. “And I think the way I viewed my role was: how can I give the ‘why’? If there’s a big move, a big trade, if there’s a draft-pick trade, or anything like that, how can I explain it and give behind-the-scenes coverage on the overarching sentiments about the draft around the league? That’s really where I focus my attention.”
Scott Agness: Pacers’ final scheduled national TV appearance of the season has been dropped. NBC/Peacock will now air Hornets at Celtics on April 7 instead of Timberwolves-Pacers (which will now tip at 7 ET)
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ESPN: "I love you, you're awesome, so I had to come back and do this interview for you." @KingJames came back for the interview with @saltersl even though he needs to ice his elbow 😂👑
"I love you, you're awesome, so I had to come back and do this interview for you." @KingJames came back for the interview with @saltersl even though he needs to ice his elbow 😂👑 pic.twitter.com/pgoMr6RuWM
— ESPN (@espn) March 19, 2026
Oh No He Didn't: "This all started because they love each other, they love being there to support each other, to hype each other up and I just happen to be kind of the wallpaper there that they get to scribble on at the end of each game" - @NickAGallo on the infamous postgame interviews
"This all started because they love each other, they love being there to support each other, to hype each other up and I just happen to be kind of the wallpaper there that they get to scribble on at the end of each game" - @NickAGallo on the infamous postgame interviews pic.twitter.com/PYaBDklp9k
— Oh No He Didn't (@ohnohedidnt24) March 18, 2026
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John Wall has a memory and knowledge of current basketball players that appear to be unmatched on planet earth. The Amazon game was “Where’d He Go To School?” and challenged Wall to name the college program of many NBA players who aren’t household names. Incredibly, he got 16 out of 20 names right as his Prime Video colleagues marveled at his capabilities.
.@JohnWall showing elite college basketball knowledge 🧠 pic.twitter.com/fGajh4ypdQ
— NBA on Prime (@NBAonPrime) March 14, 2026
For many media members, it was an example of the same old Russ. Back in 2017, Howard Beck, The Ringer’s Senior NBA Writer and president of the Professional Basketball Writers Association, called Westbrook the toughest player to interview by a mile. "He just oozes contempt for the media, or at least for the interview process. His answers are often clipped and condescending, frequently defensive, and occasionally hostile," Beck said back then. Beck stood by those comments in a phone call five weeks prior to Westbrook’s Kings rant. "In the course of the time I’ve been covering the league, he’s at a particular end of the spectrum, among the more contemptuous of the media," Beck told The Sporting News. "I don’t think that’s hyperbolic. I don’t think that’s anything other than an objective assessment."
Many media members who have been around Westbrook enough have their own personal stories of difficult interactions with the future Hall-of-Famer. Getting ghosted by him is a rite of passage. I once spent seven hours in an NBA arena experiencing it myself. And true to form, Westbrook did not respond to an interview request for this story.
The Athletic’s Fred Katz, who covered Westbrook with both the Thunder and the Wizards, admitted he initially disliked the assignment because Westbrook frequently made the job more difficult. As Katz grew more seasoned though, his opinion completely changed. Katz and Westbrook still aren’t what anyone would call friendly. “I never thought he really liked me at all,” Katz admitted to me. But the reporter found that there was way more hidden underneath the surface of Westbrook’s gruff exterior. "I started to realize from a character perspective, this is one of the most interesting characters in the history of the NBA. He is a one-of-one human being. There’s a difference between what people say he’s like behind the scenes and what he’s like in front of the scenes," Katz said.
