Kevin Hart’s NBA alt-broadcast on ESPN takes awkward turn with Patrick Beverley’s Josh Giddey question

The NBA’s In-Season Tournament was designed as a way to promote the league during a regular season that fans can normally skate over.

So bringing up the allegations against Thunder guard Josh Giddey, who is under investigation over allegedly spending the night with a 16-year-old girl in 2021, probably was not on tap for the broadcast of the tournament final between the Lakers and Pacers.

Nobody shared the plan with 76ers guard Patrick Beverley.

“I got a daughter and I like to call myself a girl dad,” Beverley said on ESPN2’s alternate broadcast of the game, which the Lakers won 123-109.

He then asked Kevin Hart, who was hosting the “Unplugged” broadcast, “What do you think about the Josh Giddey situation?”

That led to an awkward exchange wherein Hart tried as best as he could to get out of the situation.

After Will Horton of the Plastic Cup Boyz — who were also on the watchalong telecast — recapped the allegations without giving his opinion, Beverley pressed the issue.

“I read that too,” he said. “I said what do y’all think about that?”

“Pat, I heard your question, but I’m gonna tell you what I do real well,” Hart said. “I deflect. I’m a brand, Pat, and being a brand, I’ll text you and give you my real thoughts.”

Hart then tried to move the topic to the color of the courts during the In-Season Tournament, to which Beverley responded by saying, “I like the color of the courts. Not jail courts, though, but basketball courts.”