ESPN aired a fake Instagram screenshot purporting to show LeBron James commenting to fellow National Basketball Association star Anthony Davis. The fake comment had James saying,”SHEESH that sweater is [three fire emojis] !!! UR killin it bro anyway [muscle emoji] cya laker oops that was a typo I meant cya LAter [wink emoji] #striveforgreatness”
“The problem, of course, is that the screenshot appears to have come from a two-part Twitter mini-thread by user @sreekyshooter, showing cleverly made but fairly obviously faked screenshots of LeBron courting Davis across social media. The screenshot in question is a joke,” Deadspin explained.
SportsCenter aired the fake screenshot, with host Neil Everett commenting:
“Look what we found on Insta-face: LeBron James giving thumps up to Anthony Davis’s wardrobe, and at the same time James basically giving the middle finger to the NBA. Sheesh!”
iMediaEthics contacted ESPN to ask about any corrective action; a spokesperson told iMediaEthics by e-mail,“It was a mistake that was corrected within the same show.”
Hat Tip: Steve Bien-Aime
