NBA players have never been shy about taking shots at the media. Kevin Durant has previously feuded with reporters on social media, and Charles Barkley built a second career out of roasting everyone in sight.
Usually, the jabs land as playful trash talk. But when Blake Griffin tried it with ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, the internet decided the joke went too far.
The NBA World Is Not Happy With Blake Griffin’s Latest Joke
The controversy began witha promotional trailer for Griffin’s upcoming late-night sports talk show, “The Stepback with Blake Griffin.”
In the clip, Griffin looks directly into the camera and jokes, “Can I just say something? Not all podcasts have to be video,” while a still image of Windhorst appears on the screen.
Although Griffin never directly mentions Windhorst’s weight, many viewers interpreted the joke as a dig at the ESPN insider’s appearance. The video soon went viral on social media, and reactions from the NBA community quickly followed.
Fans noticed that the photo of Windhorst used in the trailer made him look heavier than usual. Many read the joke as an implication that Windhorst’s physique makes him better suited to audio-only formats. They were quick to point out that a professional athlete should never make fun of someone’s appearance.
“Tbh, not really funny at all if this is as it seems to be on this tweet and not taken out of context. Punching down as a pro athlete making fun of Windy’s physical appearance is loser behavior; can’t help but hope his show flops if this is actually the case,” one fan said, whereas another wrote, “[Expletive] not funny.”
The trailer also drew attention for its style. It mirrors the classic format of comedy programs like “The Daily Show” and “Last Week Tonight.” In the video, the former Los Angeles Clippers forward sits behind a desk in front of a live studio audience and delivers satirical commentary on sports topics.
One fan took a direct shot at Griffin’s new venture,writing, “Not every wanna be comedian needs a show.”
Another X user sarcastically wrote, “Someone tell Blake you need to make a faceless NBA Twitter account before fat-shaming Windy.”
The comment turned Griffin’s own joke against him. Just as the former NBA star suggested that Windhorst should stay away from video content, the user jokingly advised Griffin to hide behind an anonymous X account before making such remarks.
Griffin also cracked jokes about LeBron James and TJ McConnell. Many social media users simply called out how lame and unfunny the jokes were.
“Lame to do this,” one user said, whereas another wrote, “Yeah, I ain’t watching this.”
Griffin’s new late-night sports talk show is set to premiere on Oct. 20 for the start of the NBA season, with new episodes airing every Tuesday on YouTube and Prime Video.
With the promotional trailer already drawing criticism, it remains to be seen how the NBA community reacts when the show finally airs.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.