Did Stan Van Gundy find a creative way to pass the buck on a potential announcer jinx?
In the closing seconds of Thursday’s game between the Miami Heat and Milwaukee Bucks — a game called by Van Gundy and his broadcast partner, play-by-play man Brian Anderson, Milwaukee’s Damian Lillard was fouled while shooting a three-pointer in the final seconds of the first half. As Lillard prepared to shoot the first of three free throws, Anderson let the audience know what was going on at the announcer booth.
“Stan just slipped me a note, by the way, that Damian Lillard has made 26 consecutive free throws,” Anderson said.
“I actually didn’t know that,” Van Gundy replied, drawing a laugh from Anderson. “So it definitely was not coming from me. That must have been from Thom Barberi or yourself.”
“Just to properly assign the announcer jinx in case he misses,” added Anderson.
It nearly was an announcer jinx situation. Lillard’s first free throw rattled around the rim momentarily before dropping in.
“I was so nervous,” Anderson joked. Lillard made both of the next two free throws in far less dramatic fashion.
“Stan just slipped me a note, by the way, that Damian Lillard has made 26 consecutive free throws…just to properly assign the announcer jinx in case he misses.”
Damian Lillard made Brian Anderson and Stan Van Gundy sweat on the first one, but no announcer jinx. pic.twitter.com/MoAmLgF36e
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) January 24, 2025
Things quickly got even better for the Bucks.
Miami couldn’t get the ball inbounded after Lillard’s free throws, throwing it away. The poor inbounds pass prompted Van Gundy to say, “You can’t play the last 10 seconds of a quarter any worse than Miami has,” which became even more relevant seconds later.
Milwaukee’s Taurean Prince inbounded the ball to Lillard, who nailed a corner three-pointer as time expired, giving the Bucks an even greater halftime lead.
“You can’t play the last 10 seconds of a quarter any worse than Miami has.”
Stan Van Gundy. https://t.co/qYh3cElsNK
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) January 24, 2025
If anything, it turned into a reverse jinx for Anderson and Van Gundy — at least as far as the Bucks were concerned.
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