NBA All-Star Player Draft On TNT Hailed For Fun Broadcast

The NBA's All-Star player draft was televised last night on TNT, with LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo selecting their teams. Perhaps the "best moment of the broadcast" was an exchange between TNT's Shaquille O'Neal and Antetokounmpo, as O'Neal "can't pronounce" Antetokounmpo's last name. Antetokounmpo said, "Just call me Superman" (JSONLINE.com, 2/7). The draft was "filmed Thursday morning." After the criticism of not being televised last year, part of the "fun was just getting the chance to scrutinize" (THERINGER.com, 2/7). 

James selected Pelicans C Anthony Davis, who has been the subject of trade talks with the Lakers, and TNT's Ernie Johnson asked, "You sure you want him to be your teammate?" The "best part" of the broadcast was Antetokounmpo "calling for tampering." When picking reserves, Antetokounmpo "took LeBron buddy (they share an agent) Ben Simmons, which prompted LeBron to cuss on air" (NBCSPORTS.com, 2/7).