For NBA fans, insiders are the closest thing to a direct line into the league. Every offseason, their updates fuel hope, rumors, and endless debates. But meeting one in person does not always match the excitement. At the 2026 Summer League in Las Vegas, one fan’s encounter with Shams Charania took an unexpected turn, leaving behind a story that caught everyone’s attention.

Brian Salmons, who goes by the X username @Brysons_worldXD, shared a series of photos from his son’s interaction with the Los Angeles Lakers stars at the Summer League. The young boy clicked pictures with Austin Reaves, Bronny James, and Walker Kessler. The caption read:

“My son having the time of his life meeting all his NBA favorites players and coaches all so very nice the only person that wasn’t nice was @ShamsCharania he was a jerk and just not a good person.”

For a while now, the audience hasn’t been particularly fond of the ESPN Insider due to various reasons. Like every year, Charania has seemingly taken up the responsibility of naming the MVP before the day of announcement. Fans have often argued that the 32-year-old hypes his reports far more than the actual developments deserve.

In fact, even NBA stars like Kevin Durant and Giannis Antetokounmpo have called out Shams Charania through playful jabs online. Meanwhile, the fan’s experience in Las Vegas has sent everyone on the internet into a frenzy. The NBA community didn’t waste much time in sharing their opinions about the incident.

Shams Charania faces backlash over fan’s interaction

“Sounds about right, Shams is a douche bag,” someone commented on X. It is safe to say that the NBA community isn’t happy with how the young fan’s Summer League experience turned bitter because of the seasoned insider.

Well, earlier this year, during the Celebrity All-Star games, cameras caught Shams Charania on the sidelines checking his phone. Kevin Durant took the opportunity to share images on social media, captioning them: “Have some respect.” Even then, fans didn’t like that, despite being in the Celebrity Games, the 32-year-old was on his phone.

Now, coming back to Monday’s incident.

Someone commented, “Shams is prob most busy staying updated during FA summer, but should be kinder to fans. Not an athlete, but he lives of fans and viewers too.” Indeed, the offseason has turned out to be quite interesting this time, and the free agency market is heating up. This is where Charania thrives, but giving a young fan a bad time just doesn’t sit right for many.

Keeping up with the sentiments, another one said, “very cool and very cruel, haha.”

Meanwhile, a fan shared their experience. They commented, “That bozo thinks he’s bigger than he is. Complete douchebag to my nephew who saw him at a sporting event.” Well, it doesn’t look like it is just one fan interaction!

Lastly, someone added, “Trying to talk to Shams during NBA free agency? 😂 cmon bro, not the right time, that’s on you.”

The NBA offseason is an interesting time. This is the peak period for insiders like Shams Charania to monitor the league. And it looks like the young fan at the Summer League was stuck in a moment where the ESPN insider was busy. However, others on the internet aren’t happy with how things turned out.