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NBC announcer Cris Collinsworth has left NFL fans in shock after comparing New York Giants tight end Darren Waller to LeBron James.
The sportscaster made the remark during the Dallas Cowboys‘ 40-0 rout of the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium on Sunday Night Football.
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With the Giants down 26-0 in the second quarter, quarterback Daniel Jones tried to continue New York’s drive on a 4th and 5.
And the risky play paid off as he connected with Waller on a 22-yard reception to earn a fresh set of downs.
It also prompted Collinsworth to pay the 30-year-old tight end a major compliment while NBC showed a replay of his catch.
“When you have LeBron James, let him shoot the basketball,” the veteran announcer said.
“You have Darren Waller, and he can make catches like that and balls that aren’t perfectly thrown, let’s go!”
The comment caused a major stir on social media.
“AI Cris Collinsworth compared Darren Waller to LeBron. It’s taking over,” one wrote.
“Chris Collinsworth comparing Darren Waller to LeBron James when the Giants are trailing 26-0 to the Cowboys in the first half of SNF is one of the most outrageous things I’ve ever heard,” another added.
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“It’s like saying a Goldman Sachs associate who just got fired is a modern Michael Burry.”
And a third asked: “Would it be Week 1 without Collinsworth comparing Darren Waller to LeBron James?”
Waller was a huge offseason pick-up for the Giants, who traded a 2023 third-round pick to the Las Vegas Raiders in exchange for the tight end.
During his seven-year NFL career, the one-time Pro Bowler caught 298 passes for 3,572 yards and 19 touchdowns in 74 regular-season games.
But James is a four-time NBA champion, three-time MVP, and the league’s best-ever scorer, which is why SNF viewers scoffed at Collinsworth’s comparison.
It’s not the first time the NBC broadcaster’s remarks raised eyebrows in Week 1.
On Thursday, Collinsworth said America was about to find out how good Patrick Mahomes was as the quarterback was trying to prevent the Kansas City Chiefs from losing to the Detroit Lions with Travis Kelce sidelined by an injury.
