Emeka Okafor joins ESPN as college basketball color commentator

[HooperScooper]

He's well spoken so it makes sense.

According to an ESPN announcement Monday, Okafor is one of five new voices that will join the broadcast network as commentators for the 2025-26 college basketball season, teaming up with Connecticut resident and fellow UConn alum Rebecca Lobo.

Okafor's broadcast debut will come at a familiar location for the two-time Big East Defensive Player of the Year, as he'll provide color commentary for a Syracuse home game Nov. 18 against Monmouth at 9 p.m.

UConn men's basketball great Emeka Okafor joins ESPN as college basketball color commentator

Emeka Okafor led the UConn men's basketball team to the 2004 NCAA championship.

sports.yahoo.com

 

[Vancat]

sweet

 

[alexd]

Huh.... Cuse still has a hoops team??

 

[Nameless]

Wish he could've done our game last night. We still have one game on ESPN+ this year, right? Hope he can provide commentary for that one

 

[HooperScooper]

Wish he could've done our game last night. We still have one game on ESPN+ this year, right? Hope he can provide commentary for that one

Done with ESPN+ for the season. But the Florida game is on regular ESPN.

 

[Nameless]

Done with ESPN+ for the season. But the Florida game is on regular ESPN.

Thanks. Not sure why I thought we had another cupcake game on there this year.

Pretty sure Okafor lives in New York, and that Florida game is being played at MSG...

Coincidence? I think not! Lol

 

[HW611]

I know you don’t mean it this way Hooper, but we have to be mindful of how we use the term “well spoken”.

I don’t think we called Karaban or Cam Spencer well-spoken.

Again, don’t think it’s intentional but moreso something people can do without even thinking about it.

 

[HW611]

Can’t wait to hear his analysis of the game and stories of when he played. He’s going to be so much fun to listen too.

 

[OkaForPrez]

I know you don’t mean it this way Hooper, but we have to be mindful of how we use the term “well spoken”.

I don’t think we called Karaban or Cam Spencer well-spoken.

Again, don’t think it’s intentional but moreso something people can do without even thinking about it.

Neither Alex or Cam are particularly well spoken. Emeka is.

 

[HW611]

Neither Alex or Cam are particularly well spoken. Emeka is.

I don’t pay attention to those kind of things unless it’s super bad and noticeable so I don’t care one way or another on the judgement for them.

If they were I don’t think there’d be a point to say that they were though.

 

[OkaForPrez]

I don’t pay attention to those kind of things unless it’s super bad and noticeable so I don’t care one way or another on the judgement for them.

If they were I don’t think there’d be a point to say that they were though.

In the context of evaluating whether Okafor should be an on air commentator it’s absolutely relevant.

You’re over-policing here. Even if “well spoken” is a potential unconscious bias dog whistle when you’re discussing someone’s fit for talking for a living it’s relevant. Overreach.

 

[HW611]

In the context of evaluating whether Okafor should be an on air commentator it’s absolutely relevant.

You’re over-policing here. Even if “well spoken” is a potential unconscious bias dog whistle when you’re discussing someone’s fit for talking for a living it’s relevant. Overreach.

I don’t think people called JJ Reddick or Dan Orlovsky well-spoken when they first got into the field. But you got it.

 

[LIUCHusky]

I don’t think people called JJ Reddick or Dan Orlovsky well-spoken when they first got into the field. But you got it.

They were hired because they are WELL SPOKEN, just as Emeka has been hired because he is WELL SPOKEN.

 

[gsmooth]

He's well spoken so it makes sense.

According to an ESPN announcement Monday, Okafor is one of five new voices that will join the broadcast network as commentators for the 2025-26 college basketball season, teaming up with Connecticut resident and fellow UConn alum Rebecca Lobo.

Okafor's broadcast debut will come at a familiar location for the two-time Big East Defensive Player of the Year, as he'll provide color commentary for a Syracuse home game Nov. 18 against Monmouth at 9 p.m.

UConn men's basketball great Emeka Okafor joins ESPN as college basketball color commentator

Emeka Okafor led the UConn men's basketball team to the 2004 NCAA championship.

sports.yahoo.com

Thanks for the update. I will tune in for a few minutes for that Syracuse-Monmouth game. Those are words I never thought I would say or type... ever, but for a UConn legend and former NBA rookie of the year, I will do it.

 

[nomar]

Neither Alex or Cam are particularly well spoken. Emeka is.

Alex actually is, I think.

Love the guy, but the way Cam pronounces S's is probably gonna keep him out of the TV booth.

I think Emeka will be good at this! It would be great if the most famous UConn-alum TV personality wasn't the 0-16 guy.

 

[MJ1]

I know you don’t mean it this way Hooper, but we have to be mindful of how we use the term “well spoken”.

I don’t think we called Karaban or Cam Spencer well-spoken.

Again, don’t think it’s intentional but moreso something people can do without even thinking about it.

Agreed

 

[HooperScooper]

I know you don’t mean it this way Hooper, but we have to be mindful of how we use the term “well spoken”.

I don’t think we called Karaban or Cam Spencer well-spoken.

Again, don’t think it’s intentional but moreso something people can do without even thinking about it.

Agreed

The 2 of you have to explain to this simpleton what you're alluding to. Because I seriously have no idea.

Karaban and Spencer are in their early 20s. I would grade on a different well-spoken scale between someone in his early 40s and someone in his early 20s. I can picture Okafor doing color commentating now. I can't do that with Karaban and Spencer right now.

 

[7774]

The 2 of you have to explain to this simpleton what you're alluding to. Because I seriously have no idea.

Karaban and Spencer are in their early 20s. I would grade on a different well-spoken scale between someone in his early 40s and someone in his early 20s. I can picture Okafor doing color commentating now. I can't do that with Karaban and Spencer right now.

They’re saying it’s a racial stereotype. It really doesn’t apply here, just HuskyWarrior existing in the bottom .1% of human intellect as always. Here’s Chris Rock to explain.

 

[MuchoDogYears]

Agreed

Hahahahaha!!! Wow.

 

[MJ1]

Well spoken when speaking of a person of color is a poor stereotype and falls in the same category as a person of color is athletic or a white guy is smart and crafty and so on. It’s 2025 and some people still like to push the envelope, ignorance about how people may be sensitive to the way people use their words seems to be a poor excuse at this point.

 

[HooperScooper]

Well spoken when speaking of a person of color is a poor stereotype and falls in the same category as a person of color is athletic or a white guy is smart and crafty and so on. It’s 2025 and some people still like to push the envelope, ignorance about how people may be sensitive to the way people use their words seems to be a poor excuse at this point.

Thanks for the explanation. Sorry if I offended anyone but I assure you that definitely wasn't what I was thinking about when I said that. So you don't think Okafor is well spoken for a human being?

 

[Flipside]

Thanks for the explanation. Sorry if I offended anyone but I assure you that definitely wasn't what I was thinking about when I said that. So you don't think Okafor is well spoken for a human being?

Sometimes comedy can be the best medicine, and education ...

HooperScooper, search YouTube "Chris Rock Well Spoken" - 1min clip from 15+ years ago

(I won't post it here)

 

[superjohn]

I know you don’t mean it this way Hooper, but we have to be mindful of how we use the term “well spoken”.

I don’t think we called Karaban or Cam Spencer well-spoken.

Again, don’t think it’s intentional but moreso something people can do without even thinking about it.

People talk about Cam having a speech impediment, it would absolutely be an issue that's brought up if he was signed in as a color commentator.

I would say Emeka is decently well spoken but he used to have a bit of a stutter, would get hung up on words a bit. I still noticed it in more recent interviews.

I would never call Jim Calhoun well spoken. He mumbles, has a thick accent, and gets hung up on words. I can always undertand him but I know other people who have trouble understanding him.

It has nothing to do with intelligence. All three of them are intelligent and Emeka is one of our most accomplished student men's basketball players to come through UConn.

 

[HW611]

Thanks for the explanation. Sorry if I offended anyone but I assure you that definitely wasn't what I was thinking about when I said that. So you don't think Okafor is well spoken for a human being?

I know. It’s why I prefaced my post with knowing it’s not your intention.

It’s less about if someone is actually well spoken or not. More about the need to point it out with people of color when there’s usually no need to point it out for people who aren’t POC.

I’ve never heard JJ Reddick be called well spoken.

 

[StllH8L8ner]