WATCH: 'Jeopardy!' Contestants Prove They Don't Watch Basketball By Failing Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Layup
An all-time-bad look for 'Jeopardy!' contestants. And perhaps even the NBA's notoriety.
It’s a "Jeopardy!" tradition as old as time…
Geniuses who can identify the most obscure 14th-century poets but stare into the abyss the second a sports question hits the screen.
Monday night provided another all-time classic fail when the smartest people in the room proved they don't spend much time watching the NBA.
Not many of us do these days, but here we are.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder. (Photo by Joshua Gateley/Getty Images)
For 800 bucks, "Jeopardy!" host Ken Jennings tossed up a photo of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander that should’ve been an absolute layup for anyone who has turned on a television in the last two years.
The clue practically did the work for them, providing his initials and mentioning his 2024-2025 MVP award, his scoring title, and the minor detail that he just led the Oklahoma City Thunder to an NBA championship.
The trio stood there like statues while the timer beeped away into the void.
Jennings eventually had to break the awkward silence to reveal the identity of the Thunder superstar himself.
WATCH:
These individuals can likely identify a 15th-century monk by his calligraphy but cannot recognize a reigning world champion who is currently the face of the sport.
While the casual fan usually expects "Jeopardy!" players to whiff on obscure baseball stats, this was the equivalent of missing a question about LeBron James.
READ: 'Jeopardy!' Contestants Left Puzzled By Easy Sports Question
The miss is especially brutal considering Shai is a global icon, being Canadian and all.
Even as he deals with an abdominal strain and sits out a Tuesday game against the Toronto Raptors, SGA remains the center of the basketball universe.
This was a wide-open shot for anyone with a pulse and a cable subscription.
Instead, it became another viral reminder of the massive gap between academic knowledge and actual sports literacy. Tough scene.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander reacts after scoring during the fourth quarter of a game against the Denver Nuggets. (Photo by Joshua Gateley/Getty Images)
Send us your thoughts: alejandro.avila@outkick.com / Follow along on X: @alejandroaveela