Shane Gillis knew exactly what he was doing when he stepped onstage to host the 2025 ESPYs — and it wasn’t comedy.
Midway through ESPN’s annual awards show, the comedian took aim at NBA player Karl-Anthony Towns with a joke that leaned hard into tired, homophobic tropes.
“The New York Knicks had a great season,” Gillis began, to cheers. “Karl-Anthony Towns is here… hey girl.”
It wasn’t subtle — and it wasn’t clever. It was a dog whistle dressed up as a punchline.
The joke drew immediate backlash, not just because it cheap-shotted Towns, but because of what it implied. The NBA star has been an open ally to the LGBTQ+ community, having once invited the head of Twin Cities Pride to join him at a Timberwolves Pride Night. That gesture sparked speculation about Towns’ own sexuality — speculation Gillis clearly decided was fair game for ESPN primetime.
Shane Gillis Bombs at ESPYs With Homophobic and Racist Jokes
Whether Towns is gay or not (he’s never addressed it publicly), Gillis’ crack underscores how hostile the sports world can still be for queer athletes. Coming out in men’s professional sports remains rare, not due to lack of acceptance from fans or teammates — but because of moments exactly like this one.
But Gillis wasn’t done. Later in the show, he lobbed a racially charged line aimed at WNBA star Caitlin Clark.
“When Caitlin Clark retires from the WNBA,” he joked,
“she’s going to work at a Waffle House so she can keep doing what she loves most — fist fighting Black women.”
Read More: Shane Gillis’ ESPYs Monologue Sparks Mixed Reactions
That one? Somehow worse.
For anyone unfamiliar with Gillis’ history: this isn’t his first brush with offensive comedy. He was famously fired from Saturday Night Live in 2019 before ever appearing on air, after recordings surfaced of him using slurs and mocking Asian people. His defenders have long claimed he’s just pushing boundaries — but the boundaries he keeps targeting look suspiciously familiar: women, people of color, queer folks.
Hosting the ESPYs should be a celebration of the best in sports — the stories of resilience, competition, and community. Instead, Gillis used the mic to punch down.
If this was about grabbing headlines, then mission accomplished. But if ESPN thought this was edgy or entertaining, they might want to check the temperature outside their own studio.