Magic Johnson and Will Forte join the TBS crew to form a loaded desk as part of a Capital One spot during the Final Four. Credit: TBS; TNT Sports Credit: TBS; TNT Sports
By Matt Clapp on

In between Saturday’s two Final Four games, TBS filled roughly seven minutes of time with a Capital One ad spot that featured Magic Johnson and “Dr. James Naismith” (Will Forte) joining the desk at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. That’s while Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith, Clark Kellogg, and Bruce Pearl were already at the desk, making it seven people.

It turned into an awkward seven minutes of television with Forte playing the inventor of basketball and leading a “Naismith or Nosmith” quiz game as part of a loaded desk. While Forte is one of the very best when it comes to such comedic bits, this one was beyond saving.

Here’s a sample of how the segment looked:

TBS had an absolutely packed desk as Magic Johnson and Dr. James Naismith (Will Forte) joined the Final Four crew in what was basically a seven-minute Capital One ad. #MarchMadness

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— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing.bsky.social) April 4, 2026 at 6:30 PM

And here’s a look at how TBS viewers and college basketball fans reacted to the scene:

And this was all followed by a concert from The Chainsmokers ahead of the Michigan-Arizona game.

About Matt Clapp

Matt is an editor/writer at The Comeback and Awful Announcing.

He can be reached by email at mclapp@thecomeback.com.

View all posts by Matt Clapp