
'It looks like a god*amn AAU tournament'- Bomani Jones slams NBA over Finals' coverage
'It looks like a god*amn AAU tournament'- Bomani Jones slams NBA over Finals' coverage (Image Source: Getty)
While the heated basketball Finals has started and fans have their eyes glued to the TV screens, checking scores of their favorite team and players, Bomani Jones, a popular sports TV commentator believes it hasn't been interesting enough.
He said he has been frustrated with the NBA and its Finals broadcast this year.
Bomani Jones criticizes NBA's Finals coverage
Speaking on his The Right Time with Bomani Jones podcast, Jones felt the NBA hasn't made the Finals the special event it is, yet. He said,
'One of my chief criticisms of ESPN's coverage of the NBA is that they treat the NBA like the NFL. You can't cover it the same way. People don't want the breakdowns of strategic minutia in basketball the way that they want them in football, right? Basketball's a little more loosey-goosey,'
'It's a little bit more free.
That's how people are more likely to want to talk about it. You can't do quick bullet-point discussions in the way that ESPN does. So when you come out here and you don't have any signage on the court to indicate that it's the NBA Finals, it already looks like a g*ddamn AAU tournament with the coaches wearing quarter-zips, and anybody wearing any old jersey that was clean.'
What the NBA is getting WRONG with the Finals | Bomani Jones
He added, 'You can't tell who the home team was just by looking on the floor.
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You gotta make this feel like something.'
'Sports are entertaining, not entertainment. Because the problem is if you treat sports like entertainment, then sports gets treated like the rest of entertainment right now, which is something that is not intended to be momentous, something that is not intended to be monumental, but simply something intended to occupy your time and attention, You don't want sports to be that, You don't want to be so cynical to strip away all the larger things and act like it doesn't matter,' Jones said, in his podcast.
Also Read:
'Protecting Our Home Court'- Myles Turner Promises Fans That Indiana Pacers Will Bounce Back For NBA Finals Game 3
Now that a tough game between Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder is over during Game 2, it'll be interesting to see how Game 3 turns between the two teams, as they are not backing down.

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Hindustan Times
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($4,560,000), Toni Kukoc ($4,560,000) 1999: David Robinson ($14,841,000), Larry Johnson ($10,186,000), Latrell Sprewell ($8,300,000), Allan Houston ($7,000,000), Sean Elliott ($5,333,000) 2000: Shaquille O'Neal ($17,142,858), Rik Smits ($12,250,000), Reggie Miller ($9,031,850), Kobe Bryant ($9,000,000), Glen Rice ($7,000,000) 2001: Shaquille O'Neal ($19,285,715), Dikembe Mutombo ($14,400,000), Allen Iverson ($10,130,000), Kobe Bryant ($10,130,000), Matt Geiger ($7,515,840) 2002: Shaquille O'Neal ($21,428,572), Kobe Bryant ($11,250,000), Mitch Richmond ($11,000,000), Keith Van Horn ($10,865,250), Jason Kidd ($8,447,500) 2003: Dikembe Mutombo ($16,105,264), Tim Duncan ($12,072,500), David Robinson ($10,500,000), Steve Smith ($9,900,000), Jason Kidd ($9,265,000) 2004: Shaquille O'Neal ($24,749,999), Rasheed Wallace ($17,000,000), Kobe Bryant ($13,500,000), Richard Hamilton ($6,500,000), Ben Wallace ($5,500,000) 2005: Tim Duncan ($14,260,641), Glenn Robinson ($12,071,250), Rasheed Wallace ($9,720,000), Richard Hamilton ($7,812,500), Ben Wallace ($7,000,000) 2006: Shaquille O'Neal ($20,000,000), Keith Van Horn ($15,694,250), Dirk Nowitzki ($13,843,156), Shandon Anderson ($8,935,000), Erick Dampier ($8,662,500) 2007: Michael Finley ($19,030,999), Tim Duncan ($17,429,672), Larry Hughes ($13,363,012), Tony Parker ($9,450,000), Zydrunas Ilgauskas ($9,442,697) 2008: Kevin Garnett ($23,750,000), Kobe Bryant ($19,490,625), Paul Pierce ($16,360,094), Ray Allen ($16,000,000), Pau Gasol ($13,735,000) 2009: Kobe Bryant ($21,262,500), Rashard Lewis ($16,447,871), Pau Gasol ($15,106,000), Lamar Odom ($14,148,596), Dwight Howard ($13,758,000) 2010: Kobe Bryant ($23,034,375), Paul Pierce ($19,795,712), Ray Allen ($18,776,860), Pau Gasol ($16,452,000), Kevin Garnett ($16,400,000) 2011: Dirk Nowitzki ($17,278,618), Predrag Stojakovic ($15,532,320), Chris Bosh ($14,500,000), LeBron James ($14,500,000), Dwyane Wade ($14,200,000) 2012: Chris Bosh ($16,022,500), LeBron James ($16,022,500), Dwyane Wade ($15,691,000), Kevin Durant ($15,506,632), Kendrick Perkins ($7,123,626) 2013: Chris Bosh ($17,545,000), LeBron James ($17,545,000), Dwyane Wade ($17,024,000), Rashard Lewis ($15,052,181), Manu Ginobili ($14,107,492) 2014: Chris Bosh ($19,067,500), LeBron James ($19,067,500), Dwyane Wade ($18,536,000), Tony Parker ($12,500,000), Tim Duncan ($10,361,446) 2015: LeBron James ($20,644,400), David Lee ($15,012,000), Andrew Bogut ($12,972,973), Andre Iguodala ($12,289,544), Stephen Curry ($10,629,213) 2016: LeBron James ($22,970,500), Kevin Love ($19,689,000), Kyrie Irving ($16,407,500), Klay Thompson ($15,501,000), Draymond Green ($14,260,870) 2017: LeBron James ($30,963,450), Kevin Durant ($26,540,100), Kevin Love ($21,165,675), Kyrie Irving ($17,638,063), Klay Thompson ($16,663,575) 2018: Stephen Curry ($34,682,550), LeBron James ($33,285,709), Kevin Durant ($25,000,000), Kevin Love ($22,642,350), George Hill ($20,000,000) 2019: Stephen Curry ($37,457,154), Kyle Lowry ($32,700,000), Kevin Durant ($30,000,000), Marc Gasol ($24,119,025), Kawhi Leonard ($23,114,066) 2020: LeBron James ($37,436,858), Jimmy Butler ($32,742,000), Anthony Davis ($27,093,019), Goran Dragic ($19,217,900), Andre Iguodala ($17,185,185) 2021: Chris Paul ($41,358,814), Khris Middleton ($33,051,724), Devin Booker ($29,467,800), Giannis Antetokounmpo ($27,528,088), Jrue Holiday ($27,026,011). 2022: Stephen Curry ($45,780,966), Klay Thompson ($37,980,720), Andrew Wiggins ($31,579,390), Jayson Tatum ($28,103,500), Al Horford ($27,000,000) 2023: Jimmy Butler ($37,653,300), Nikola Jokic ($33,047,803), Jamal Murray ($31,650,600), Michael Porter ($30,913,750), Kevin Love ($30,556,968) 2024: Luka Doncic ($40,064,220), Kyrie Irving ($38,037,037), Jrue Holiday ($36,861,707), Kristaps Porzingis ($36,016,200), Jayson Tatum ($32,600,060) 2025: Tyrese Haliburton ($42,176,400), Pascal Siakam ($42,176,400), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ($35,859,950), Isaiah Hartenstein ($30,000,000), Myles Turner ($19,928,500) The Pacers have a slim lead so far and are up 2-1 in three matches. The Pacers scored 116 to Oklahoma's 106. Game 4 takes place on June 13 at 8:30 PM ET at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. The fifth fixture will be held on June 16. The Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder are in the fray. The Pacers are up 2-1 against Oklahoma City Thunder. Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam are the top earners this season, earning $42,176,400 each.


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