A number of fans and even some media members were critical of ESPN’s Shams Charania for spoiling the outcome of the NBA MVP vote on Sunday, and now he is defending himself.
In an appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show,” Charania admitted he was somewhat bewildered that his MVP spoiler was even a source of controversy. He essentially said his job is to report the news, and the MVP winner is major news.
“Part of me is like, ‘What are we talking about here?'” Charania said. “When I get news and get information, if I’ve vetted it like I did late Saturday night, early Sunday morning, when I have news 100 percent, no matter how big, no matter how small, and in this case, a very big accomplishment, … He’s in rarefied air. This is a massive story. When I get it, I vet it, and then my job is to report the news. That’s all I focus on. That’s what I wake up thinking about. That’s what I go to sleep thinking about.
“This isn’t the first time, necessarily, but it’s not going to be the last time that I’m just trying to do my job to the best of my ability.”
Shams explains himself:
— Oh No He Didn't (@ohnohedidnt24) May 18, 2026
"When I get it I vet it and then my job is to report the news. It's not gonna be the last time where I'm just gonna try to do my job to the best of my ability" https://t.co/iPvcEtGOGO pic.twitter.com/b9su9BwtI6
Charania essentially equates the MVP outcome to news of a major trade or free agent signing that he is obligated to report. They are not the same, however. It’s not as if the NBA pre-schedules announcement shows to reveal who is getting traded. There is an element of suspense and argument to awards outcomes that people just enjoy engaging in.
There is the additional angle that Prime was meant to exclusively announce the MVP winner on Sunday night, and did not seem happy that Charania stole their thunder. The NBA probably doesn’t love the fact that one of its broadcast partners was undermined by this.
As Charania says, though, he has no plans to stop doing things like this, for better or worse. The element of suspense isn’t his concern. It’s his job to report news no matter what.
