NBC Sports anchor Mike Tirico is a consummate pro, 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, avoiding a potentially awkward situation amid the ongoing military action in Gaza.
The incident occurred after France lost to LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Team USA. Tirico innocently identified Frenchman Mathias Lessort, a Martinique-born center who was draped in the flag of the French territory.
“You saw Lessort, one of the reserve centers, had the Palestinian flag over his shoulder,” Tirico said, incorrectly, on NBC. “We are certainly aware of any statements about the Middle East conflict that athletes involved in these games may make.”
The error is understandable. Both the flags of Palestine and Martinique have a red triangle flanked by black and green stripes, only the former also has a white horizontal stripe across the middle.
NBC Sports commentator 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 Martinique-born midfielder who carried the flag of the French territory: ‘… the Palestinian flag was hanging over his shoulders’
Both the flags of Palestine and Martinique feature a red triangle flanked by black and green stripes
But 57-year-old Tirico didn’t leave it at that and quickly went online, where he corrected himself on social media.
“I acknowledge as soon as possible that I made a mistake in misidentifying the flag of Martinique as the flag of Palestine during today’s medal ceremony for the men’s basketball team,” Tirico wrote on X. “They look similar but are clearly different, which is very important to everyone involved.
“I apologize for the error. I will correct it during our primetime broadcast tonight.”
Fans were not criticized for the mistake, but were instead relieved that accountability was being provided in a professional manner.
“You’re a professional, Mike. That’s fine,” an X user replied.
“Mistakes happen,” another added. “Let’s move on.”
‘You have done an exceptional job with the Olympic Games [by the way].
Another added: ‘Admit you made a mistake, correct it and move on. Good move.’
Since October 7, when Hamas-led militant groups attacked Israel, more than 40,000 Palestinians have reportedly been killed in the Gaza Strip.