Arcade Fire singer Win Butler was crowned the most valuable player after Friday night’s NBA Celebrity All-Star game. With 15 points and 14 rebounds he was seen as instrumental in helping the Drake-coached Team Canada win the match 74-63. After the game, Butler accepted the MVP award, and things quickly got awkward during the center-court interview as soon as the frontman tried to get political.
“Thank you, I just want to say that as an election year in the U.S. …” those words appeared to be a cue in the control room because music immediately started playing over Butler’s words as if he had taken too long to get off the stage at the Oscars. Butler kept talking anyway: “The U.S. has a lot they can learn from Canada: healthcare, taking care of people …” That’s when ESPN’s Sage Steele had heard enough: “So we’re talking about celebrity stuff, not politics. Congratulations on your MVP!”
“Thank God,” writes the Guardian’s Dave Schilling. “The last thing I want from my novelty basketball game is anything that actually matters to the fate of the planet. Hopefully Sage gets a raise for her quick thinking.”
