The internet sports controversy of the week is here, courtesy of former NBA player Austin Rivers.
The son of Milwaukee Bucks coach Doc Rivers, Austin Rivers appeared on ESPN’s The Pat McAfee Show on Tuesday and brought up a very outlandish idea that got everyone talking.
During the interview, Austin Rivers, who is now doing NBA analysis for ESPN, told McAfee that NBA players the best athletes in the world and that, in his words, “I can take 30 players right now in the NBA and throw them in the NFL. You cannot take 30 NFL players and put them in the NBA.”
His comments earned an instant pushback from McAfee, a former NFL punter, and his fellow broadcasters, as the battle lines are drawn between the professional athletes in the respective leagues.
“All you’ve got to do is catch the ball and run north or south,” Rivers quipped after getting some flak from the McAfee crew.
Of course, a comment like this is going to get people in a tizzy, as Austin Rivers’ bold claim about the differences of athletic ability in the sport drew immediate rebuttals, like this sharp response from former NFL defensive end J.J. Watt.