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It’s no secret that ESPN reporter Shams Charania is one of the hardest workers in all of sports media. But that took a bit of an ugly turn during Friday night’s NBA Celebrity All-Star Game.
Charania, 31, not only struggled mightily while he was on the court, going 0-for-4 with three turnovers. But he also embarrassed himself while on the bench, routinely checking his phone during the broadcast.
The obsession with his phone was so bad that future NBA Hall of Famer Kevin Durant had to stop and call Charania out for his nonsense.
Shams was still on his phone during the NBA Celebrity game… KD had enough 😭📲
He’s ALWAYS working 😅
(via @KDTrey5) pic.twitter.com/Kk4CIKbTcE
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) February 14, 2026
Shams Charania Doesn’t Think He Has A Problem
While some might consider that Charania has a genuine addiction to his cell phone – especially considering that there are no important NBA moves happening over All-Star weekend – Charania himself has no issue.
In fact, he wears his obsession with his phone as a badge of honor.
“I remember every story I’ve gotten, and I definitely remember every story I haven’t gotten,” Charania said previously in an interview.
His work is so important to him that he doesn’t foresee himself having a personal life anytime soon.
“Not right now,” he answers quickly. “I live such a crazy schedule. I’m 24/7/365. It would definitely take the right person. I have (former_ colleagues at The Athletic and Stadium who have spouses, and I don’t get how they do it. I look at myself now, and I can’t even imagine having a wife or child. I barely have time for myself! I’m sure, one day, my priorities might change, but right now it’s work, work, work, family, work, work. That’s what consumes my mind.”
Listen, if that’s the life Charania wants to live and it’s not harming anybody else, so be it. But it does look a bit ridiculous when you can’t even leave your phone alone for more than 30 minutes at a time.