Mark Jackson joined Bill Walton and Dave Pasch to call Thursday night’s Colorado-Oregon game as part of ESPN’s “crossover” week (mixing NBA and college basketball announcing crews). And in the first half, Jackson decided to embrace the trip — and it’s indeed a trip — into Walton’s World.
Walton said “Get me some grass!” heading into a commercial break. When the game returned from break (this was actually when the game had just started being shown on ESPN, due to Cincinnati-Memphis going into overtime), Jackson asked Walton, “What kind of grass do you want?”
Mark Jackson: "You said 'Get me some grass.' What kind of grass do you want?"
Bill Walton: "I want Oregon grass! In Oregon, when you live here… what you do all the time is you cut firewood & you cut the grass. And then you gotta get rid of both of those, so you use them all." pic.twitter.com/F4CI4oLuDR
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) February 14, 2020
“I want Oregon grass! In Oregon, when you live here as I did for five years… what do you all the time… is you cut firewood and you cut the grass. And then you gotta get rid of both of those, so you use them all.”
Walton brought up the topic of “grass” again on the first possession of the second half: “Great offensive rebounding here by the Buffaloes! Looks like they had some good grass at halftime.”
Bill Walton: "Great offensive rebounding here by the Buffaloes! Looks like they had some good grass at halftime."
Followed by Dave Pasch smoothly moving along. pic.twitter.com/kSAPwF11rQ
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) February 14, 2020
And with just over five minutes remaining, Walton decided to pretend this game between two top-20 college basketball teams was actually a game featuring the 1999-2000 Indiana Pacers (Jackson was the Pacers’ point guard). Naturally.
Down the stretch in this Colorado-Oregon game (both top-20 teams), and Bill Walton has decided to pretend he's calling a 2000 Indiana Pacers game. pic.twitter.com/DN7De8b3dO
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) February 14, 2020
“Now this is where a champion shines! This is Mark Jackson bringing the ball up the court. He’s got Chris Mullin on one side. He’s got Reggie Miller on the other. He’s got Rik Smits down low. He’s got Dale Davis at the weakside high post. Can they score? Slick Bobby Leonard, the Hall of Famer, with the call. Here it is, the play, the shot clock running down. Everybody’s running away from it, please! Can the Pacers get to the NBA Finals?!”
Unlike any other broadcast in the universe, but just another day in Walton’s World.
[Photo Credit: Ethan Wyss]
About Matt Clapp
Matt is an editor/writer at The Comeback and Awful Announcing.
He can be reached by email at mclapp@thecomeback.com.