Rex Chapman has a simple answer for his apparent mistake in "reporting" that Kentucky coach John Calipari's departure to become coach of the Los Angeles Lakers was a "done deal."
Which is a curious statement considering that Chapman served as an analyst for the NCAA Tournament during the first two rounds for CBS and Turner Sports, and that he is the television analyst for Grand Canyon University basketball games.
Dan Patrick asked Chapman about his tweet on the Dan Patrick Show on Tuesday and got this response, courtesy CBSSports.com:
" 'I treat Twitter like I'm talking to my friends,' he told the Dan Patrick Show, as if that was an acceptable answer for starting the rumor of all rumors. 'I'm not a journalist. Never pretend to be. I interact with people. I'm not gonna, not gonna refrain from giving information that I hear just because it might upset some people.'
" 'I said the word is that it was a done deal. That's exactly what I said.' "
If Chapman truly believes that, then as analyst for Grand Canyon basketball, he has a rude awakening ahead of him on Twitter.
Chapman told Patrick his information came from two "very good sources." Both Calipari and the Lakers were quick to deny the rumors after Monday night's NCAA Championship game.
When asked whether he believed his own tweet that the word was that Calipari's exit to L.A. was a done deal, Chapman responded, "I believe John is very savvy when it comes to these things, and I would hope he's not going to leave. But come on, he deals with these things every year."
Especially when non-journalist basketball analysts tweet that they've heard that it's a sure thing Calipari is going to accept another job.
But Chapman did stick to his guns about the information he received.
"We'll see; we'll see what happens," he told Patrick. "Whether it's for him to sweeten his deal at UK, I don't know. But there obviously - there is something to it. Come on."
When pressed whether he thought Calipari was trying to leverage himself to get a better deal or was seriously considering an offer from the Lakers, Chapman said, "I couldn't tell you that. All I can tell you is what I was told. And again, I'm not going to keep from saying things that I hear just because it might upset people."
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