All those words out of Allen Iverson’s mouth quoted by Jim Gray?
Fake.
Just now, on ESPN, Jim Gray revealed that he was duped by an impostor today, and that none of the words he was quoting (including a sentiment that A.I. was hoping and happy to go to Minnesota) came from Iverson.
Apparently, Gray called a cell phone number that he believed to be Iverson’s, and reported the words of the man on the other line as if they had come from the embattled Sixers’ guard.
This is an embarrassment unlike anything I’ve seen in a while. It goes beyond Dan Patrick being duped by a Howard Stern fan on SportsCenter–at least that wasn’t an active story (it was the aftermath of the Bartman incident in 2003). Jim Gray’s lack of professionalism in reporting a story that he could have checked to make sure was accurate affected a live, breaking story. Jim Gray has done a lot of controversial things in the past, badgering Pete Rose, driving Dennis Rodman to tears, being anywhere near Mike Tyson and crying at the Pacers/Pistons brawl, but this takes the cake.
Reporting the words of an impostor? Once again, Jim Gray outdoes himself.
Is this a career killer? Considering Gray’s track record, maybe not. He does have a star on the Hollywood Hall of Fame, which alone is insane, ridiculous and inexplicable. And while he’s made countless mistakes, he did break the Shaq-Kobe feud story in ’03 (mainly because his lips are firmly attached to Kobe Bryant’s rear end) and he once got Steve Francis to curse on live television.
Gray has multitudes of detractors, including Dallas Mavericks’ owner Mark Cuban, who once asked for his suspension from ABC. On many occasions, Gray has seemed to try creating trouble where there is none or ask questions that seem inappropriate or insensitive at best. The Pete Rose interview is the best example of Gray’s insensitive questioning, though Rose certainly isn’t a sympathetic figure in any way. Add to that the shameless gravitation to celebrity (the best example is the ’03 NBA Playoffs; while the Lakers were being eliminated by the Spurs, Gray fawningly interviewed Jack Nicholson) and the shaky, nasally voice, and Gray might be the least likable sideline reporter in history.
