The NBA Today team at ESPN was on air for longer than anyone should be on Thursday for the NBA trade deadline. And analyst Richard Jefferson decided to spruce up the action with no fewer than four outfit changes.
During the telecast, which went from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. ET, Jefferson brought the heat with several unique fits, leading him to proclaim himself “the sexiest man at ESPN.”
“There was a lot of conversation about who was the best dressed, who was the sexiest man at ESPN,” Jefferson said. “Hey, Stephen A., step up your game. RC (Ryan Clark), step up your game. Shay Shay (Shannon Sharpe), step up your game. That’s all I’m saying.”
"Sexiest man at ESPN" ?
Richard Jefferson brought his A+ fashion game to ESPN's NBA trade deadline special pic.twitter.com/aydLRQPjCU
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) February 8, 2024
Jefferson clearly has no shortage of confidence, but even cohost Kendrick Perkins proclaimed “You did your thing,” to the longtime NBA forward. The two were teammates in Cleveland, where Perkins surely got a close look at Jefferson’s style — and his cockiness.
Considering the deadline was relatively quiet this year, the rest of the NBA Today crew should probably be thanking Jefferson for spicing up the studio with his drip. And since he was the only one of the crew to broadcast a game the previous night (Jefferson called Clippers-Pelicans at Crypto.com Arena on Wednesday), he deserved to have some fun.
As for his challenge to Smith, Clark and Sharpe, at least one of the three is sure to have a response. If you had Richard Jefferson turning the NBA trade deadline into a fashion contest among the men of ESPN on your bingo card, you win.
About Brendon Kleen
Brendon is a Media Commentary staff writer at Awful Announcing. He has also covered basketball and sports business at Front Office Sports, SB Nation, Uproxx and more.