‘Nakers’ star LeBron? MSNBC botches Kobe Bryant’s team name, BBC shows footage of another NBA legend in rush to report his death
MSNBC and the BBC are getting heavy criticism after the former found an anchor accused of dropping the N-word when she “stuttered” covering Bryant’s death, and the latter was busted showing footage of the wrong player.
While reporting on the Sunday morning helicopter crash in southern California that led to the death of 41-year-old Bryant, MSNBC anchor Allison Morris stumbled over her words when mistaking the basketball team for which he played over the course of 20 years until his retirement in 2016.
Also on rt.com NBA legend Kobe Bryant dies in helicopter crash aged 41Many accused the anchor of saying the N-word instead of "Lakers," but she insists she did not. Video of the gaffe got people not only mocking Morris, but calling for her to be fired.
For all of those defending this anchor, would you feel the same way if it was a Fox anchor who made this egregious mistake??
— Turnmytwittahon (@turnmytwittahon) January 26, 2020
Morris took to Twitter to defend herself by saying she got the basketball teams the Knicks and Lakers mixed up in her head and she “stuttered.”
Also on rt.com 'Please God no, it can't be true': Sports world in shock after death of 'global icon' Kobe Bryant“Earlier today, while reporting on the tragic news of Kobe Bryant’s passing, I unfortunately stuttered on air, combining the names of the Knicks and the Lakers to say ‘Nakers.’ Please know I did not & would NEVER use a racist term. I apologize for the confusion this caused,” she tweeted.
Nah you said the whole thing, own up to it. pic.twitter.com/8AyGvmeFvZ
— ĸɇmP (@ESPNKemp) January 26, 2020
Replies to Morris’ tweet included many saying that she was simply making an excuse. Bryant played for the Los Angeles Lakers for his entire 20-year career.
https://t.co/5HOEj3g8DsYou DID NOT say nakers!! 😂
— Clay Jones (@calebjo44165988) January 26, 2020
In another media gaffe that was highlighted by social media, the BBC ran footage of LeBron James while talking about Bryant.
I genuinely cannot believe that the actual BBC News at 10 just did this pic.twitter.com/n6csMV9OOG
— Matthew Champion (@matthewchampion) January 26, 2020
James, 35, currently plays for the Los Angeles Lakers and is six years younger than Bryant, who retired from basketball in 2016.
“Dear BBC News, you appear to have inserted clips of LeBron James into your tribute package for Kobe Bryant for no apparent reason,” reporter Sachini Nakrani tweeted in reaction to the footage.
The BBC have issued an apology (this one is for all of you tweeting me with ‘its because LeBron broke his record’)https://t.co/IapQvTm7Op
— Samira Sawlani (@samirasawlani) January 26, 2020
“Cannot believe the BBC – reporting on Kobe Bryant’s death but showing video footage of LeBron James. If you know you know,” added journalist Samiri Sawlani.
... MSNBC broke the news uttering a racial epithet and the BBC using footage of Lebron James in their tribute to Kobe. Tell me some more about how journalism isn't broken.
— Richard Lewis (@RLewisReports) January 26, 2020
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