FX and Hulu debuted their new series, Clipped, on the Los Angeles Clippers during the Donald Sterling scandal recently, and basketball fans have had a very difficult time taking it seriously due to the casting of the Clippers (and the rest of the NBA).
Casting a show about famous people is always difficult, because everyone knows what they look like, but it’s even harder to cast a show about professional basketball because there just aren’t a lot of people that have the height, size, and look of an NBA player. That’s what made HBO’s Winning Time so incredible, as they did about as well as you can in casting an NBA team with guys of the proper height and build — with the hair and makeup department doing their best to get the details dialed on their facial look.
Clipped did not fare nearly as well and no matter how good the writing or performances are, people are having a really hard time getting past the looks of the players (and Laurence Fishburne as Doc Rivers).
If there is anyone built to critique the casting, it’s Austin Rivers, who played for the Clippers not too long after this series is set and is, of course, Doc’s son. Rivers went through the casting on his podcast and had a number of laugh out loud moments when he was shown the cast — particularly those playing the stars of the Golden State Warriors.
Austin Rivers clowning the casting choices on “Clipped” is some of the funniest shit I done seen in a minute.
— Aaron Larsuel (@AaronLarsuel) June 9, 2024
Rivers starts by pointing out that Fishburne’s build isn’t doing his dad a lot of favors, but it’s when he hits the players that the fun really starts. “Stephen Santiago” is incredible, noting he looks more like a third baseman than the best shooter in NBA history, and by the time he hits Blake Griffin he’s just in complete disgust. Again, it’s very hard to cast a show about the NBA, but some of the choices in Clipped are hysterical and I’m glad its not just fans that can’t get over it and players like Austin also find it hysterical.