ESPN reporter Mark Schwarz, who has been commissioned by the network to cover the Cleveland Cavaliers-Chicago Bulls Eastern Conference Semifinals matchup, found himself feeling a little sassy after the Bulls nail-biting 99-96 Game 3 win at the United Center last night.
First, with LeBron James and Kyrie Irving sitting side by side at the podium for their post game interviews, Schwarz felt it was a good time to bring up Irving's goose egg in the assist column and reference a game back in November of 2014, against the Utah Jazz, in which James chided Irving for not totaling a single assist.
The question is fair and pertinent, but Schwarz addressed it to LeBron, and spoke as if Irving wasn't even in the same room, much less sitting six inches away from James.
"LeBron, early in November, it was a game in Utah, tight game, Kyrie had 34 points but he had no assists, and you let him know that's just not acceptable. Tonight again, he had no assists. Does he get a pass, though, for tonight, because of the circumstances?"
You can see Irving's expression change towards the end of Schwarz's proposition, a look that says "is this dude f***ing serious? I'm literally right here." To LeBron's credit, he answered it diplomatically, stating that no one on the team should get a pass and if he wants to put the loss on anyone, to put it on himself. But it was such an odd and awkward way to phrase the question. "Does he get a pass?" It was like Schwarz was speaking to LeBron as if he was Irving's father at a parent-teacher conference in middle school.
Schwarz wasn't done there. He appeared again during Derrick Rose's press conference, and asked the point guard, without a hint of humor in his voice, if he called "bank" on his game-winning 3-pointer that hit the backboard before going in. Rose gives him a chuckle that is both dismissive and incredulous at the same time. Yes, Mark. Rose remembered to call bank before he hoisted a miracle 3-pointer just before the shot clock hit zero on a broken play.
Perhaps after all these years of covering the NBA, Schwarz has just completely stopped giving a damn. Either way, he was in full "I'll ask whatever I want" mode last night in Chicago.
Send all complaints, compliments, and tips to sportstips@complex.com
[Via YouTube/The Cauldron]
