(Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
Back in the day, it wasn’t that usual to see former athletes pursue a career outside of the NBA or the NFL.
A few transitioned into coaching, and even fewer made a living as analysts or commentators, but that has become more common by the day now.
With that in mind, NBA legend Magic Johnson gave ESPN a piece of advice, encouraging them to keep adding NBA alumni to their payroll.
The legendary point guard praised Udonis Haslem for the job he’s done as an analyst during the Conference Finals.
He claimed that ESPN has already found plenty of success with former players like Kendrick Perkins, Jay Williams, JJ Redick, and Timothy Legler, so they now must double down and also hire the Heat legend.
ESPN – You definitely have an excellent team of ex-players already with Kendrick Perkins, Jay Williams, Tim Legler, and JJ Reddick…but you should hire Udonis Haslem permanently! He’s been spectacular breaking down the NBA playoffs – from the players’ game and mentality, to the…
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) May 29, 2024
Truth be told, it’s always nice to get a player’s insight and input.
On top of their inside-out knowledge of the game from a tactical standpoint, they can also speak from a player’s perspective, which is something that often gets lost in the media.
Everybody should be entitled to talk about sports, even if they don’t play it; sports are for everyone.
Nonetheless, the media has a tendency to be biased at times, and people often forget that athletes are also human beings first and foremost, which is why keeping some of them out there helps provide some much-needed balance and objectivity.
So, who knows? If Redick becomes the Los Angeles Lakers’ coach, perhaps Haslem or some other former player could take his spot.
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