Mike Tirico spun around Tuesday night and interviewed a screaming fan sitting directly behind him.
The moment came with 10 minutes left in a tight 77-75 Celtics-76ers game. Sixers guard Quentin Grimes had just been whistled for a foul on Anfernee Simons during a transition play. Grimes impeded Simons’ path through the lane as he drew contact, which, for better or worse, is the kind of call that gets made every time in today’s NBA, regardless of whether Simons initiated it by driving straight at the defender.
Grimes didn’t dispute the foul. He pointed to the floor, signaling it should be a non-shooting foul rather than the two free throws Simons was about to shoot.
A fan behind Tirico and Reggie Miller began yelling at the officials, loud enough that Tirico chuckled.
“That’s not the Philly bench,” Tirico said. “That’s just a fan behind us.”
“Who knows the rules,” Miller added. “He knows the gather.”
Tirico turned around and asked the fan his name — Mike from Ocean City, New Jersey.
“In the business, you like to have natural sounds,” Tirico said. “In Philly, it’s almost a little dangerous.”
“When they boo Santa, you know you’re in trouble,” Miller said.
Mike Tirico turns around and interviews a 76ers fan who was yelling at the refs 🤣 pic.twitter.com/aycF0l1fsX
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) November 12, 2025
Most broadcasters would’ve ignored the fan or played it safe. But Tirico, who turned around and put the fan on anyway, isn’t most broadcasters. It’s part of how NBC has separated its NBA coverage from ESPN’s, as the network has allowed organic moments to breathe rather than smoothing over anything that doesn’t fit the corporate presentation.
Mike from Ocean City didn’t expect to become part of the broadcast Tuesday night. But Tirico brought him into the conversation anyway.