Throughout the NBA season, plenty of hot takes are shared by analysts. Sometimes those hot takes are inaccurate and they are called out for it. Upon being called out, they issue an apology and everyone moves on. But, that isn’t the case with TNT’s Candace Parker.
Earlier this season, Parker made some comments about New York Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson that didn’t sit well with people. Parker was commenting on the team’s playoff run last season, stating that Brunson was good in Round 1 against the Cleveland Cavaliers but fell off in the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Miami Heat.
A quick search of how those series went and it is clear Parker is factually wrong. Brunson’s production increased against the Heat as he tried to carry his Knicks into the Eastern Conference Finals. Even Brunson’s teammates came to his defense, as Josh Hart questioned whether Parker even watched the games she was commenting on.
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Instead of admitting she was wrong and accepting responsibility for what she said, Parker issued a bizarre statement comparing Knicks fans to her fandom of being a Chicago Bears fan. It made no sense at the time and still doesn’t to this point.
Being critical and offering an opinion is part of Parker’s job as an NBA analyst with TNT. But, sharing factually incorrect information will turn into some backlash, which she received; you have to have to face the consequences of your actions.
Instead of putting this all behind her and moving on, Parker has doubled down on her criticism of Brunson and his performance in the 2023 NBA Postseason. She recently made more comments ahead of the NBA All-Star Game, standing by her original opinion.
“Well, I feel like, first of all, I love Knicks fans … and I get it,” Parker said Tuesday on a Zoom call for TNT ahead of this weekend’s All-Star Game. “What I was alluding to was the fact that in the first round of the playoffs, he was the best player on the court against Donovan Mitchell. He was the best player on the court.
“And the second round, especially on the defensive end, Miami picked on him a great deal. And Jimmy Butler was, in fact, the best player on the court. And my thing was basically it was no slight on Jalen Brunson. I think he makes everybody better around him. I think he makes winning plays.”
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Parker complimented Brunson at the end, but is going to still draw the ire of many Knicks fans for her inaccurate analysis of the series. All it takes is a quick search of some stats to see the Heat found limited success in attacking Brunson defensively.
As shared by KnicksMuse on X, Miami shot only 39 percent from the field on 104 attempts with Brunson as the primary defender. In Games 1 and 2, the Heat took advantage of Brunson, shooting 15-of-30. But, for the rest of the series, they had mild success. Brunson held his matchup to 37 percent shooting or lower in three straight games. In Game 7, the Heat shot 44 percent against him as the primary defender.
NBA analysts are expected to give opinions, and sometimes they will be outlandish and incorrect. But doubling down on a factually inaccurate opinion and sharing inaccurate information again will lead to fans dismissing your takes over time.
For whatever reason, Parker didn’t just take accountability for a mistake made. She dug the hole deeper, irking one of the most passionate fan bases in the NBA in the process. You can be sure these aren’t comments she is going to live down any time soon.
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