Knowing someone who knows someone is a great path to the fast track in sports media, especially if that someone is Kris Jenner.
The latest episode of The Kardashians on Hulu disclosed some inside ESPN buzz, breaking a sports media story that not even Andrew Marchand was able to get first. Kris Jenner landed Tristan Thompson an opportunity at ESPN.
Earlier this year, Thompson joined ESPN, making appearances on NBA Today and First Take before leaving to join the Los Angeles Lakers for their playoff run. Thompson played a surprisingly large role at times for the Lakers in the playoffs, which earned himself another opportunity with the Cleveland Cavaliers this season, subsequently putting any media ventures on hold. But Thompson still has Jenner to thank for the ESPN reel he has.
Kris Jenner really hooked up Tristan Thompson with a job at ESPN after making a call 😭
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.#explorelage✨ #viral #trending pic.twitter.com/D2vr1EW5Br— PullUpMEDIA (@PillarsPullup) October 12, 2023
“I appreciate you helping make this all happen,” Thompson told Jenner during the latest episode of The Kardashians.
“It’s a dream,” Jenner said. “I mean, the fact that we could have that call on Friday and they said can you start Monday? That never happens to anyone.”
It wasn’t a total shocker that Thompson landed at ESPN. He holds name recognition in pop culture thanks to his on and off relationship with Khloé Kardashian, and Thompson played four seasons with one of ESPNs favorite topics, LeBron James. James was chasing the NBA’s scoring record at the time Thompson was hired by ESPN.
Conversely, Thompson was never much of a media darling, he didn’t have a prominent podcast or broadcast experience, making him a somewhat unlikely candidate to land at ESPN. But no one accounted for the wild card, a phone call from Kris Jenner.
“I was able to reach out to ABC/Disney and really express how talented I thought Tristan was,” Jenner said in a testimonial video on the show. “And how they would really benefit from him being a part of the ESPN team.”
With the episode of The Kardashians moving back to the conversation between Thompson and Jenner, the NBA player was seen saying, “It’s about the art of negotiating. And I think that’s what you’ve mastered.”
The 32-year-old Thompson signed a one-year deal with the Cavaliers for the upcoming NBA season and hopes to reprise his young media career when he’s done playing. Thompson’s agent Rich Paul could help land his next media gig, or he may be better off asking Jenner to pick up the phone.
