The Emmy Award-winning “Inside the NBA” crew on ESPN took its signature irreverence to a new level Sunday night, slipping New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel and former NFL reporter Dianna Russini into its traditional “Gone Fishing” graphic for the eliminated Boston Celtics.
The Celtics were bounced from the NBA playoffs in heartbreaking fashion Saturday night, blowing a 3-1 series lead with a Game 7 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. Hours later, the studio show — featuring Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, Kenny Smith and Ernie Johnson — unveiled its annual farewell to the season’s casualties: a photoshopped boat carrying Celtics stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown along with prominent Boston-area celebrities such as podcaster Bill Simmons, actors Mark Wahlberg, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck and John Krasinski.
At the bow of the boat, however, were Vrabel and Russini, posed in a clear nod to the famous “I’m flying” scene from the movie “Titanic,” with Vrabel holding Russini as her arms stretched wide. The crew made no direct mention of the pair on air.
Barkley reacted first, saying:
“You guys are …” before adding, “Stop it. Stop it.” Smith asked, “Who are the two people at the front?” and said, “I don’t know them.” Johnson listed the other figures on the boat and concluded, “That’s all I see on that boat. I don’t see anything else.”
The tongue-in-cheek inclusion referenced a scandal that erupted in April when photos surfaced of Vrabel and Russini together at a luxury resort in Sedona, Arizona. Both are married to other people. The images led to an ethics investigation at The Athletic, where Russini worked after leaving ESPN in 2023. She resigned from the publication shortly afterward amid the scrutiny.
'Inside the NBA' on ESPN includes Dianna Russini and Mike Vrabel on the "Gone Fishing" graphic for the Boston Celtics. pic.twitter.com/NxhFY302aq
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) May 4, 2026
“Inside the NBA” has long used the “Gone Fishing” segments to send eliminated teams off with humorous, often poorly photoshopped graphics. The show, which moved to ESPN this season after years on TNT, has built a reputation for crossing sports lines with timely, irreverent jabs.
Social media lit up immediately with praise for the producers’ bold, cross-league troll. Fans called it “peak television” and “diabolical,” noting how the crew’s feigned ignorance only amplified the joke.
Vrabel, the reigning AP NFL Coach of the Year, continues to lead the Patriots as they prepare for the upcoming NFL draft. Russini has not commented publicly on the latest jab.
Flip the pages for photos of Russini and Vrabel together.
