Mike Tirico apologizes for saying French player wore Palestinian flag

NBC sportscaster Mike Tirico apologized Saturday after mistakenly saying that French basketball player Mathias Lessort had wrapped himself in the Palestinian flag during the medal ceremony after his country’s loss to the United States. Lessort had actually carried the flag of Martinique, the French territory where he was born.

“You saw Lessort, one of the central defenders, with the Palestinian flag draped over his shoulders,” Tirico said on air. “We are certainly aware of any protests regarding the conflict in the Middle East by athletes involved in these Games.”

Although both flags have similar colors, their design is different. Before joining his current team, Panathinaikos BC, Lessort played for Israeli team Maccabi Tel Aviv.

Social media reactions to Tirico’s mistake were swift. Sports anchor Jon Root wrote: “NBC #Olympics anchor Mike Tirico said it was a Palestinian flag being flown by French Olympic basketball player Mathias Lessort, but it was actually the flag of Martinique, a French territory.”

“The Dozen Trivia” host Jeff D. Lowe wrote on X: “I’m a little shocked that no one from the NBC truck talked to Mike Tirico and told him that was NOT the Palestinian flag that was there during the medal ceremony. It was the Martinique flag.”

X user @kiaradidwhat expressed a similar reaction, writing: “Oh my god, Mathias Lessort is wearing a Martinique flag (the French territory where he was born) but Mike Tirico thinks it’s a Palestinian flag.”

Lessort and Panathinaikos won the Euroleague title earlier this year. The league is generally described as the second most important after the NBA. Before that win, Lessort trained in Paris with NBA School of Portugal technical director Tremaine Dalton.