Dan Patrick was not a fan of how LeBron James and ESPN handled the news that James would not be retiring from the NBA.
At the ESPY Awards on Wednesday night, James broke the news that he would be returning for his 21st NBA season.
“I don’t care how many more points I score, or what I can or cannot do on the floor,” James said at the awards show. “The real question for me is: Can I play without cheating this game? The day I can’t give everything on the floor is the day I’ll be done.
“Lucky for you guys, that day is not today.”
Patrick — a former “SportsCenter” anchor and current Fox Sports Radio host — didn’t think this “revelation” deserved the breaking news treatment.
“I wasn’t waiting for an announcement,” Patrick said Thursday. “I got one. And then ESPN is treating it like it’s breaking news. And I went, ‘You know what’s breaking news? If he retired. Not that he’s coming back. Who thought that he might retire?
“It just … it just is needy, and you don’t need it,” the former ESPN anchor continued.
Another host who wasn’t enamored with the way the announcement was presented was Colin Cowherd.
“How about we make something cool in 2024 and beyond — occasional moment of humility by a pro athlete,” Cowherd said.
He continued, “I like LeBron. I’m pro-LeBron. [But] … ‘How lucky are we?’ A little cringey.”
Last season, James played in 55 regular season games for the Lakers, averaging 28.9 points, 8.3 rebounds and 6.8 assists per game.
The Lakers made it past the Grizzlies and Warriors in the first two rounds of the NBA playoffs before getting swept by the Nuggets in the Western Conference finals.