During the playoffs, small-market teams can become a subject of greater media interest, and that means more out-of-market reporters in town to cover a team that they may not have followed closely to that point. Now, that’s rarely a problem, because these reporters are professionals, but there’s going to be the occasional slip-up that leaves a reporter open to public humiliation.
See: Khris Middleton and Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks, sharing a laugh at the expense of a reporter who confused Middleton with his teammate Jabari Parker on a separate occasion. And look, the official Bucks Twitter account got in on the action too!
- Reporter: Khris, before this game, you talked about guys stepping up and that was certainly the case tonight, especially Jabari Parker, who clocked in 30 minutes. Are you surprised he didn’t play more minutes in Game 2 earlier in the series?
- Middleton: Were you the guy that called me Jabari earlier today? You sure about that?
- Antetokounmpo: Haha, he is the guy! Yeah, he’s the guy.
- Middleton: He is the guy. He is the guy.
- Reporter: That’s my fault.
- Middleton: It’s all good.
Middleton didn’t make much of an issue about it, but Giannis butting in with so much glee in his voice might as well be a poster dunk.
The funniest thing, though, is that the reporter apparently asked Middleton about Parker’s minutes before the game, when he thought Middleton was Parker, and then asked him about Parker’s minutes again after the game when he addressed him by his proper name. So he must’ve really thought that he’d spoken to the actual Jabari Parker all the way until Middleton pointed it out, right?
Let’s leave no doubt about it: Khris Middleton and Jabari Parker are different people and not the same. They don’t even look similar! Here’s a photo of the two standing together, with Middleton on the left (click to expand):
Not the same.
