Ian Eagle on Reaction to the Wild Timberwolves Celebration | SI Media Podcast

Was “Inside the NBA” crew right to mock the Timberwolves’ extensive play-in game celebration?

Nick Wosika/USA TODAY Sports

Episode 384 of the Sports Illustrated Media Podcast hosted by Jimmy Traina features a conversation with Ian Eagle from Turner Sports and CBS. Eagle weighs in on the Inside the NBA crew mocking the Timberwolves' celebration after winning their play-in game

The following transcript is an excerpt from The SI Media Podcast. Listen to the full episode on podcast players everywhere or on SI.com.

Jimmy Traina: One of the other things that came out of the play-in games between the Timberwolves and the Clippers, the Timberwolves won and celebrated like they had won the NBA Finals and the TNT studio crew of Ernie Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal, Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith had some fun with it. And what I wrote in my column today, which I found fascinating, is Shaq and Kenny and Chuck will make fun of anybody at any time, but even Ernie Johnson, who’s thought of as like the nicest man in broadcasting, was mocking them. Now they’ve gotten some flack from people saying, let Timberwolves celebrate for playoffs. Where do you stand on it?

Ian Eagle: Well, first and foremost, the fact that they can do as they please is what makes the show so great. And you know, that’s something that might be said in a green room. But others on other shows wouldn’t actually say it on the air, they wouldn’t be ready for the brush back. They’re ready because they have the equity and because they don’t care. Which is a great place to be in, not just in this business, but in life. I tend to follow along with that theory and if something strikes you say it. And of course, it’s got to be done with a certain level of etiquette and being able to massage your way through it. For them, they just say what comes to mind.

Jimmy Traina: There's not much massaging.

Ian Eagle: There’s not much massaging, there’s no filter. And that’s what makes their show so fantastic. My reaction as someone watching it, I liked it. It meant a lot to them, it meant a lot to the community, it meant a lot to the team and it’s what you look for in sports. Now, those guys are highly accomplished athletes and I get it! In the moment, and you know, Ernie is the best, literally the best at what he does in television. And he knows how to bring it home. And that was the right take and tact in that moment for the host.

Jimmy Traina: Yeah, I think he said something about how festive it was. This is what I wrote, we’re in this day and age where you have to have a side where there has to be right and wrong. Let the Timberwolves go crazy, celebrate, rip your shirts off, kiss the babies and do all that. And those guys are also allowed to make fun of it, and you can laugh at that. Like both things can happen. How about that?

Ian Eagle: Yes, 100%. We should recognize that all of that’s O.K. There was laughter and there was fun. Were they mocking? Was it that serious? No, they were having fun at their expense. And by the way, I’m sure there’s a day where the Timberwolves might playback the tape and say, wow, maybe we went a little overboard a little bit. The reality is in the moment it worked and I think it was authentic. 

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