Preseason basketball is a necessary evil but, for the most part, the quality of play on the floor is not of the highest quality. Yes, it can be insightful when discussing specific players, new systems or a blend of both but much of the exhibition slate is about navigating full basketball games without meaningful injuries and simply getting to the regular season opener.
That can also apply to announcing teams across the NBA and a potential example of that appeared on Monday evening. In short, longtime Celtics analyst (and Hall of Famer) Tommy Heinsohn had a rough moment and it involved newly acquired center Aron Baynes… and a shower.
https://twitter.com/Kroeger/status/915014182097039360
In case you didn’t catch the quote in audio form, it reads as poorly as it sounds.
Tommy Heinson: "I took a look at Baynes in the shower… he looks like ALL of Australia. He is really put together"
— John Karalis 🇬🇷🇺🇦 (@John_Karalis) October 3, 2017
It is entirely possible, or even likely, that Heinsohn meant his comments with the purest of intent but hearing about a professional athlete in the shower with words like “put together” and some real emphasis isn’t ideal. Baynes is, it should be noted, a large individual that is tall enough to play center on a full-time basis in the NBA but there was probably a better way to illustrate that than what Heinsohn executed here.
Please hurry, regular season.
