Jeff Van Gundy has had enough, apparently.
Well, not really. But he certainly couldn’t let broadcasting partner Mark Jackson get away with a reference to the famous/infamous “Who Shot JR?” cliffhanger plot on Dallas, which aired 43 years ago.
Jackson attempted to weave in a double-layer of puns here to make it about Knicks wing RJ Barrett, who put up 26 points in a New York win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Mark Jackson: *makes oblique "Who shot JR?" reference*
Jeff Van Gundy: "What's wrong with you?" pic.twitter.com/ogBYLjZszL
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) April 23, 2023
“Earlier in the series, the question was ‘Who shot RJ?’ Now it’s ‘What a shot, RJ.’ He’s flat-out getting it done for the Knicks. When all the pressure was on him, he’s responded.”
“What’s wrong with you?”
Not to be the joke police, but Van Gundy has a point! Honestly the dated nature of the pull isn’t the worst aspect; the eventual Dallas episode that saw the mystery revealed was one of the most-watched television broadcasts in American history.
But ignoring the decades-back reach or the fact that Jackson is flipping J.R. to RJ, we must note that “What a shot, RJ” isn’t a question at all.
It drew mixed reviews on Twitter:
Dallas puns are still in play.
— Bryan Curtis (@bryancurtis) April 23, 2023
https://twitter.com/jeffreya22/status/1650215774034841601
Mark Jackson getting creative with the "Who Shot RJ" — you have to 1) be aware of a "Dallas" cliffhanger from 40 years ago and 2) make the RJ to JR connection.
— Sports Media Watch (@paulsen_smw) April 23, 2023
Still, it’s a fun moment for a booth that never shies away from calling one another dumb. And asking someone what’s wrong with them is never the wrong answer when they willingly make a bad pun.
Which is most, if not all, puns.
About Jay Rigdon
Jay is a columnist at Awful Announcing. He is not a strong swimmer. He is probably talking to a dog in a silly voice at this very moment.