WATCH: Timberwolves announcer falls for the greatest troll account in sports while on air

Ladies and gentlemen, we have yet another NBA Centel victim. And this time, it’s Minnesota Timberwolves play-by-play announcer Michael Grady.

During Monday’s game against the Indiana Pacers, Grady—just trying to keep the audience updated on NBA happenings—casually mentioned that Detroit Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff had been fined $100,000 for his postgame rant after a loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Only one problem: That “report” came straight from NBA Centel, the most elite troll account in all of sports. And just like that, Grady got got.

Timberwolves announcers the latest to fall victim to NBA Centel

Timberwolves commentator got CENTEL’D. 😭🔥

Credit @automaticnba https://t.co/4HK4cfb3lM pic.twitter.com/tw1FLMq1H4

— NBACentel (@TheNBACentel) March 18, 2025

For those who don’t know (seriously, where have you been?), NBA Centel is a parody account on X that thrives off of making up the most ridiculous fake reports and watching the sports world eat them up. It’s a beautiful thing, really.

The moment Grady’s comments hit the air, the clip went viral, and NBA Centel wasted no time taking credit for another successful operation. This wasn’t some random intern getting fooled on Twitter—this was a professional broadcaster reading their work live on television. You gotta respect the game.

To make matters worse for Grady, the Timberwolves went on to lose in overtime, 132-130, to a Pacers squad that was missing Tyrese Haliburton, Pascal Siakam, and Myles Turner. Rough night all around.

My message to the media victims: Adapt, or be left behind

Grady isn’t the first to fall, and he sure won’t be the last. Just last month, NBA Centel had FS1’s Colin Cowherd pushing their fake news like it was gospel. And every time, you get the same reaction: a bunch of old-school journalists clutching their pearls and crying about “misinformation” like this is some national security breach.

Let’s be real—the world of sports would be so much better if these media dinosaurs stopped taking themselves so seriously. The NBA is entertainment. It’s supposed to be fun. And if a troll account can consistently fool the biggest names in sports media, maybe—just maybe—those guys should learn to double-check their sources before running with a story like it’s straight from Woj or Shams.

So, What About Bickerstaff?

Oh yeah, about that whole Bickerstaff situation—he did go on an all-time rant after losing to the Thunder (video here, enjoy). And yeah, he’s probably getting fined for it. But historically, the NBA fines coaches around $25,000 for rants, and $50,000 if they throw in some theatrics. That supposed $100K fine? Straight out of NBA Centel’s imagination.

The NBA: The Greatest Reality Show on Earth

I must say, I don’t know if it’s because the NBA Playoffs are right around the corner, meaning the bad teams have checked out and the contenders are gearing up for a deep run, but the league has been absolute chaos lately. Every single night, there’s something—a hilarious blunder, off-court drama, or just complete and utter nonsense.

Case in point: the other night during the Knicks vs. Heat game, none other than Tracy Morgan was caught courtside vomiting. I mean, that’s peak NBA right there. Where else do you get this level of entertainment?

Tracy Morgan vomits courtside at awful Knicks vs. Heat game >>

I gotta be real with y’all—this is why we love this league. And if you’ve been following along, you know that’s not something I’ve been saying about the NBA much this season. The regular season product has been brutal at times. But let’s face it—football is over, baseball hasn’t fully ramped up yet, and right now, the NBA is the show in town. Maybe we’re all just locked in because there’s nothing else to watch? Either way, this chaos is hitting at the perfect time.

Because the NBA isn’t just about the games—it’s about the drama, the memes, the absolute ridiculousness. One night, it’s a broadcaster getting cooked by a parody account. The next, it’s Tracy Morgan vomiting courtside at a Knicks game. Like, where else does this happen?!

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