The NBA Draft is supposed to be all about the players – their dreams coming true, their families celebrating, their futures being written. But sometimes, the broadcast crew steals the show for all the wrong reasons. Last night’s draft coverage gave us one of those unforgettable “did she really just say that?” moments that instantly go viral. And the woman at the center of it all—Mallika Andrews—handled it like the absolute pro she is.

Malika Andrews has become the face of ESPN’s NBA coverage for good reason. Her ability to balance hard-hitting journalism with genuine emotional connection makes her one of the most respected voices in sports media. But even the best have their off moments, and Andrews’ accidental renaming of draftee became instant comedy gold. The best part? She owned it with grace and kept the focus where it belonged – on the players.

“So the Portland Trail Blazers select Colin Cowherd here.” Silence and smirk dominated the environment. Reason? Colin Cowherd is 61YO! That slip-up, by the way, was comedy gold. When Andrews announced “Colin Cowherd” as Portland’s pick instead of Cedric Coward, the internet predictably lost its mind. “Colin Cowherd in the draft? Wait, what?” was the emotion all over. Even Cowherd himself got in on the fun, tweeting a photoshopped image of himself in a Blazers jersey. But amidst all the laughs, Andrews kept her composure and quickly got back to celebrating the actual draftees, especially No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg, whom she’d interviewed earlier about his emotional journey to this moment.

Speaking of Flagg, the Duke phenom’s selection by Dallas was the real story of the night. The 18-year-old sensation averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 4.2 assists while leading Duke to the Final Four, becoming just the fifth Blue Devil ever taken first overall in 3 decades. His humble reaction – calling it “a dream come true” while surrounded by his family – showed exactly why Andrews and so many others are so high on him both as a player and person. Her excitement for the draft began after the final buzzer of the Finals. Immediately flying out and then posting with Cooper Flagg in frame:

“On to the 2025 NBA Draft! It’s one of my favorite assignments of the year—watching young men step into their futures, surrounded by the families and communities who helped carry them here. Hard to believe this is year four hosting and six on the broadcast. Time flies! Good luck to all the draft hopefuls!” And this wasn’t a wrap. The real magic of draft night that Andrews’ latest Instagram post captured as well, after this post, is not the occasional blooper, but the raw emotion of dreams becoming reality.

For journalists, slip-ups are a part of daily life, and that doesn’t stop anyone. Andrews then took to Instagram after the draft with a classy post that reminded everyone what this night was really about. Alongside photos with her colleagues, she wrote: “First night of the 2025 NBA Draft in the books. Congratulations to all of these amazing young men and their families! Honored to be in the arena and at the desk with our wonderful friends and colleagues on such a special night ✨” The message perfectly captured her genuine enthusiasm for these young players’ life-changing moments, proving that one slip-up doesn’t define a broadcaster’s entire night.

ESPN’s Polarizing Impact on NBA Coverage, credits: Stephen A. Smith

While Mallika Andrews handled her viral moment with grace, another ESPN personality has been generating very different conversations about the network’s NBA coverage. Stephen A. Smith’s bombastic style during the Finals drew criticism for overshadowing basketball with theatrics. As media critic Richard Deitsch put it: “So much of [the coverage] is just always with a negative tint. There’s no celebration of the NBA.”

The contrast between Smith’s approach and Andrews’ more measured, player-focused style couldn’t be clearer. Where Smith turns every segment into a shouting match, Andrews builds connections. “I think it hurts Malika Andrews and Kendrick Perkins and others on that set because the whole set becomes, in my opinion, a big audition for Stephen A. Smith’s platforms,” Deitsch added, drawing a connection that Smith looks for controversy, and Andrews finds human stories. For the broadcaster to look after? But not everyone is a fan, it seems!

And as ESPN reportedly considers changes to its NBA coverage, that difference might be what determines who becomes the true face of the network’s basketball coverage moving forward. One thing’s for sure – after last night’s draft, Malika Andrews proved once again why she’s become indispensable.