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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is listed as questionable on the official injury report for the Oklahoma City Thunder’s game on Wednesday, January 7.
ESPN analyst Doris Burke made a critical comment about Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and how officials referees favor him during a game between two other teams. The Denver Nuggets hosted the Minnesota Timberwolves, but Burke went out of her way to reference Gilgeous-Alexander during a foul call. Oklahoma City Thunder fans were not too pleased about their superstar getting caught with a stray insult.
Burke said the following after Anthony Edwards got called for an offensive foul by extending his arm get space for taking a shot:
“I’m gonna be honest with you. Oklahoma City fans are going to start hating on me right now. Feel free. How many times does Shai Gilgeous-Alexander get away with that exact kind of play?”
The topic of Gilgeous-Alexander getting preferential treatment from officials has taken off over the past two seasons. Burke felt that Edwards got called for a foul that SGA would always get away with.
Defenses struggle to defend Gilgeous-Alexander since he gets to the free throw line at will by drawing contact. However, referees ignore when SGA gets more physical offensively and extends his arm to get space from his defender. Burke decided to call out Gilgeous-Alexander, despite not being involved in this game.
Doris Burke Has Become Polarizing Commentator
Various teams have accused Burke of being biased against their teams in past games. ESPN has employed Burke for many years to contribute to live game broadcasts in various roles. Previous success as a sideline reporter led to Burke moving to the commentary table and calling some of the most important games each season.
ESPN removed Burke from the A-team covering the NBA Finals, but she remains a major part of the network’s coverage for other games. Thunder fans join the Boston Celtics as another fan base who often complain about Burke’s commentary during their ESPN games.
Burke is not shy about sharing her thoughts and even said that she expected Thunder fans to hate on her for calling out Gilgeous-Alexander. ESPN likes if their commentators show personality, so Burke is likely encouraged to speak her mind. However, it did feel a bit strange hearing it about a player not on the court in the game she called today.
Thunder Fans Were Livid At Burke
Social media showed just how much Thunder fans felt upset by Burke throwing shade at Gilgeous-Alexander out of the blue. Multiple OKC fans chimed in with comments feeling it was out of line.
Podcast host Brendan Abban said the following on Twitter:
“Doris Burke should do better than this. She’s just playing the hate throb half of NBA Twitter has for the OKC Thunder and SGA. Anthony Edwards does a full-on arm extension. This does not mimic what SGA does.”
Others claimed that Burke always goes out of her way to criticize Gilgeous-Alexander. However, plenty of NBA fans did agree with Doris to see the quote take off on social media. Many fans around the league hate how the officials favor Gilgeous-Alexander and felt it was refreshing to see a broadcaster call it out, even if it was during a non-Thunder game.
Joey Haverford Joey Haverford is a seasoned sports content writer with over 12 years of experience. He has covered the NBA, WNBA, MLB, NFL, and professional wrestling in the sports industry. More about Joey Haverford
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