Longtime NFL reporter Albert Breer has his hands full with training camp in full swing, but he came across some NBA news on Tuesday that he simply could not ignore. The problem is that it was not real news.
Breer was fooled by a post from a parody X account that claimed the NBA is doing away with the Slam Dunk Contest next year in favor of a 1-on-1 tournament with star players. The account is called “Scams Charnia” and closely resembles the official X account of ESPN’s Shams Charania, which is by design.
Breer shared the post about the Dunk Contest and called the change “a pretty crazy move.”
Oh no. They got Breer. 😭 pic.twitter.com/JRrLm0WUOG
— Savage (@SavageSports_) August 5, 2025
Breer quickly realized he had been duped.
“… I got Scammed. Ouch. Didn’t know what that was til a minute ago. So I guess the dunk contest is still on,” he wrote in a follow-up post.
… I got Scammed. Ouch. Didn't know what that was til a minute ago.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) August 5, 2025
So I guess the dunk contest is still on.
Unfortunately, accounts like the parody Charania account have become popular through the years. The same account recently fooled several ESPN reporters into thinking one of their legendary colleagues had decided to retire.
Breer covers the NFL for Sports Illustrated. It makes sense that he was not familiar with the NBA troll account, but he will probably be a lot more vigilant going forward.
