One of the keys to Brian Windhorst’s success at ESPN is his adaptability. Few can transition between breaking news, in-depth reporting, and offering hot takes on morning debate shows as fluidly as the senior NBA writer. However, occasionally he finds himself in segments that make him reflect on his choices, as he did on Tuesday while joining First Take to discuss the Los Angeles Lakers’ frontcourt issues with Stephen A. Smith and Shannon Sharpe.
Smith proposed an eyebrow-raising solution for the Lakers’ challenges: “I’m finding it hard to believe — all you need is somebody to defend and rebound — why not look at a Dwight Howard? He’s always in shape, never looks out of shape. I understand we haven’t seen him in a while, but what are we talking about here?” Windhorst, visibly frustrated, rubbed his forehead and replied, “DeMarcus Cousins is playing in Mongolia, why don’t you call him? Dwight Howard’s going into the Hall of Fame because he’s been retired for so long. His last game was in Taiwan. Are you being serious right now?”
Smith maintained his position, suggesting the Lakers merely need “a big body who can rebound and play defense,” which allowed Windhorst another chance to jab back humorously, stating, “Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s a free agent.” “Really? That’s what we’re doing?” Smith retorted. In Smith’s modest defense, the idea to consider Howard initially came from Sharpe, who supported Smith during the debate. Yet, the list of current free-agent centers, such as Mo Bamba and Alex Len, hardly inspires confidence.
Ultimately, proposing the 39-year-old Howard, who hasn’t played an NBA game in nearly three years, is absurd, and Windhorst’s dismissive reaction is no surprise. While disagreeing with Smith is one thing, openly mocking his suggestion is part of what makes Windhorst such a prominent figure at ESPN.
