NBC Sports host Mike Tirico is a pro among pros, but that doesn’t mean he’s perfect.
The former ESPN star and current Sunday Night Football announcer mistook the flag of Martinique for that of Palestine after the men’s basketball final at the Paris Olympics on Saturday. He quickly corrected himself and avoided a potentially awkward situation amid ongoing military action in Gaza.
The incident occurred after France fell to LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Team USA. Tirico innocently identified Frenchman Mathias Lessort, a center born in Martinique who was draped in the French territory’s flag.
“You saw Lessort, one of the substitute centres, with the Palestinian flag on his shoulders,” Tirico mistakenly said on NBC. “We are certainly aware of any demonstrations related to the Middle East conflict by athletes participating in these games.”
The mistake is understandable. Both the flags of Palestine and Martinique have a red triangle flanked by black and green stripes, but the former also includes a white horizontal stripe in the centre.
NBC Sports host and former ESPN star Mike Tirico mistook the flag of Martinique for that of Palestine after the men’s basketball final at the Paris Olympics on Saturday.
Tirico identified Frenchman Mathias Lessort, a center born in Martinique who was wrapped in the flag of the French territory: “… the Palestinian flag on his shoulders”
Both the flags of Palestine and Martinique have a red triangle flanked by black and green stripes.
But Tirico, 57, wasn’t having it, so he quickly took to the Internet, where he corrected himself on social media.
‘I simply acknowledge, as soon as possible, my mistake for misidentifying the flag of Martinique as the flag of Palestine during today’s men’s basketball medal ceremony,’ Tirico wrote on X. ‘They are similar, but obviously very different, which is very important for everyone involved.
‘I apologize for the error and will correct it on air during our primetime show tonight.’
Instead of beating themselves up for the mistake, fans were relieved to see professional accountability.
“You’re a pro, Mike. All good,” one X user responded.
“Mistakes happen,” added another. “Let’s move on.”
‘By the way, you’ve done an exceptionally good job with the Olympic Games.’
Another added: “Acknowledge your mistake, correct it and move on. It’s a professional move.”
More than 40,000 Palestinians are reported to have been killed in the Gaza Strip since October 7, when Hamas-led militant groups attacked Israel.
