Overview
- On his podcast, Wright praised Inside the NBA as perhaps the greatest sports TV show ever while saying it too often sounds like it doesn’t enjoy the sport it covers.
- He highlighted a recent Lakers–Nuggets broadcast, noting Charles Barkley said he hoped the Lakers would lose and that Shaquille O’Neal later remarked that good teams don’t need a buzzer-beater after a Luka Dončić game-winner.
- Wright contrasted the program’s posture with more celebratory coverage such as the World Baseball Classic broadcast and FOX NFL Sunday led by Terry Bradshaw.
- Awful Announcing tied Wright’s point to a broader NBA media negativity problem, arguing Inside the NBA’s influence has helped normalize a dismissive tone.
- The critique arrives as the show completes its first full season on ESPN following a licensing deal, with coverage noting ESPN has largely left the format untouched and no public response from the Inside the NBA crew was cited.