Inside the NBA Takes a Dig at Mike Vrabel Scandal With On-Air Graphic Featuring Boston Celtics

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Inside the NBA on Sunday night poked fun at Dianna Russini and New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel with a graphic showing the pair embracing, Titanic-style.

The day before, the Boston Celtics lost to the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 7 of their first-round playoff series. The 76ers pulled off a historic series comeback after trailing 3-1, and will face the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

When a team’s season comes to a close in the playoffs, Inside the NBA honors the occasion with a “gone fishing” graphic. The image typically features the players on a fishing boat and other visuals relevant to the team or city. For the Celtics image, Vrabel and Russini were pictured on the bow of the ship doing the iconic Titanic pose.

“You guys are…” Charles Barkley said as he noticed the two at the end of the ship.

Kenny Smith asked who the two people were and said he didn’t know them. Barkley wasn’t amused by the question and told Smith to “stop it.”

“I don’t!” Smith responded.

Shaquille O’Neal said, “You did that on purpose, Underdog,” referring to Inside the NBA producer Joe Underhill.

Host Ernie Johnson, however, had no interest in getting involved in the mess. He identified everyone else on the boat aside from Russini and Vrabel.

“That’s all I see on that boat,” Johnson said. “I don’t see anything else.”

Weeks earlier, Vrabel and Russini — at the time a reporter for The Athletic — found themselves at the center of controversy when photos emerged showing them spending time with one another at a luxury resort in Arizona.

Both initially denied speculation that they were having an affair. Days later, The Athletic opened an investigation into the matter. Russini resigned shortly after, but maintained that nothing had gone on between them.

An additional batch of photos showed them getting intimate at a bar in New York years earlier.

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