ESPN’s Mike Greenberg ruffled some feathers when the Get Up host erroneously claimed that the UConn Huskies could compete for a playoff spot in the NBA’s Eastern Conference.
Mike Greenberg seems to think UConn could make the playoffs in the NBA's Eastern Conference pic.twitter.com/1baMm1LvQj
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) March 25, 2024
That saw almost immediate pushback, with Lou Williams and Chandler Parsons being among the first NBA players in the media to call out Greeny for what the latest episode in the “x college team could beat x pro team” narrative.
And Greenberg, for that matter — after receiving the backlash — said he was kidding. On his radio show, he claimed that the comment was said in jest and that UConn would go 0-82 in the NBA. But after watching the clip back a few times, he understood why it would be taken in that context. And let’s be honest, his co-workers Jay Williams and Seth Greenberg took it that way, and so did ESPN’s social media accounts. It’s also not far-fetched that Greeny would make such a claim.
Said claim also made its way to the Huskies, with head coach Dan Hurley commenting on it during his press conference on Wednesday ahead of the Sweet Sixteen.
Hurley is focused on getting his team ready for San Diego State, even though he’s already complained about the tip time. He isn’t worried about his Huskies competing against an NBA team. In fact, he thinks Greenberg’s claim—even if it’s one he now doesn’t own—is a bit ridiculous.
“I know somebody on ESPN said we could beat an NBA team or something bizarre,” he said via USA Today’s Paul Myerberg. “That’s crazy talk.”
If the guy with a portable washing machine is calling something you said “crazy talk,” or a bit “bizarre,” you likely messed up somewhere.
