The 2025 NBA draft had some surprise reach picks, some disappointing slides and plenty of trades on the board. It also had an eagerly watched star at the top of the draft, Cooper Flagg, and a long list of intriguing prospects behind him.
It was the perfect opportunity, with not only a slew of players coming into the NBA, but with free-agency beginning in just five days, to give a thoughtful accounting of teams across the league and where they are heading next.
That's the role that relatively new ESPN personality Bob Myers was hired to play. With his lengthy experience in the NBA as a talent evaluator both on the team side as the GM of the Warriors and on the player side as a powerful NBA agent, Myers was in good position to offer insight.
Oct 23, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Bob Myers on the ESPN NBA Countdown live set at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Bob Myers on the ESPN NBA Countdown live set at Intuit Dome.
Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
As so often happens, though, Myers' measured tone just could not compete with ESPN's penchant for sports shouters. And on draft night, Myers' fellow analyst was Stephen A. Smith, perhaps the throatiest of all sports shouters in modern broadcasting.
For many, watching the NBA draft on Wednesday was an exercise as much in watching the many faces of Myers as it was seeing where the new talent of the league landed.
Kyle Pagan of the popular Crossing Broad blog wrote during a Smith rant on the Sixers, "The Sixers need to save Bob Myers from Stephen A."
Sloan Piva of Sporting News highlighted the same instance, writing, "The many faces of Bob Myers during Screamin’ A. Smiths rant about the 76ers. You can almost see his thoughts. ‘What am I doing—I was the GM of an NBA dynasty!’ ‘We’re only on pick 3 and he’s already doing the yelling schtick!’"
The photos spoke volumes.
Another user added, "Stephen A Smith has been a disaster on this draft coverage. He won’t let the actual basketball expert speak!! Bob Myers has to be getting so annoyed man!!"
And another pointed out that Myers did, at times, attempt to hit back at Smith: "If you enjoy hearing Stephen A Smith and Bob Myers yell at each other all night, ABC draft coverage is right for you.
And one was rather enjoying the pairing's awkward fit and frequent yelling: "Stephen A has Bob Myers in hell and it’s must watch tv."
It was must-watch, at times. Just as often, it was exhausting.