Awful Announcing Podcast: Brian Windhorst on LeBron James, The Decision, Skip Bayless, and more

On this episode of the Awful Announcing Podcast, host Brandon Contes interviews Brian Windhorst, ESPN senior NBA writer and host of “Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective.” Contes and Windhorst discuss a wide range of topics including NBA Finals coverage, covering The Decision, becoming a meme, and more.

Here’s the full breakdown.

• :42: NBA Finals talk
• 1:19: Covering the Denver Nuggets for ESPN
• 1:57: Seeing new teams in the NBA Finals
• 3:58: National media/ESPN criticism for covering LeBron James so much
• 7:45: Criticism from ESPN people about their lack of Nikola Jokić coverage
• 10:02: ESPN’s basketball coverage
• 12:37: Thoughts on aggregate media
• 17:50: The Rudy Gobert trade and becoming a meme
• 22:56: The Paris interview with Victor Wembanyama on Draft Lottery night
• 29:17: Doing TV as a reporter
• 33:54: Covering LeBron and being linked with him through high school, the Cavs, and the Heat
• 36:21: Going to Miami and facing animosity
• 40:13: Cleveland’s reaction toward Brian when he left to cover LeBron in Miami
• 43:10: Covering The Decision
• 48:04: Is LeBron really contemplating retirement?
• 50:15: How and when to decide to report on transaction rumors
• 54:10: Difficulties of being on First Take as a reporter and not saying too much
• 56:29: Working with Stephen A. Smith
• 59:03: Working with Skip Bayless
• 1:01:45: Current NBA player who could be a media star

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