When ESPN/ABC Sports caught the flash-hyped Twitter fever during today’s Suns-Mavericks anti-climatic finale to Phoenix’s playoff chances, any viewer with the slightest amount of tech savvy cringed when Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson rambled about Twitter in the same way they did when their parents first asked about “the Google”.

(Bless Erin Andrews, but this person just became our must-see sideline reporter)

However, sideline reporter Lisa Salters took the opportunity seriously to expand her game day role from occasional on-screen commenter to full-time backstage pass for hungry NBA fans. She provided wit, sass, and nuance to her usual league knowledge and carved out a new niche for sideline reporters everywhere. Try this on for size:

grant hill told me before the game that the suns WOULD show up today — he just looked over at me from the huddle and mouthed ‘i was wrong’

Imagine what might happen if ESPN/ABC Sports takes this new medium seriously.

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