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The Atlanta Hawks have become one of the Eastern conference's more interesting teams. While Trae Young's extension still hasn't happened, the team made big moves. Even though they are much more popular, analysts are still learning how to pronounce their players' names. Udonis Haslem had a moment similar to Kendrick Perkins when saying Zaccharie Risacher's name.
Risacher, the top pick from the 2024 draft, had a strong finish to the season after getting his feet under him. He couldn't catch San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle for the Rookie of the Year honors, but he showed flashes down the stretch. In addition to being an interesting young talent, Risacher has given announcers a tough time because of how his last name is pronounced.
On Thursday's episode of NBA Today, Haslem made a point about the Hawks' roster. When he got to Risacher, though, he struggled with the pronunciation of his name.
"…you got your young core in Jalen Johnson and… Rosh Hashanah, however you say his name. Excuse me, I'm sorry, Risacher. Zaccharie Risacher…" – Udonis Haslem 😂 pic.twitter.com/5XKFZYq06N
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) August 14, 2025
After Perkins went viral for fumbling a name during the NBA draft, fans have become more attuned to calling out analysts when they make mistakes with names. Haslem received that kind of backlash from fans on social media.
“Former players are destroying sports talk,” one fan claimed. “They have become unwatchable!!”
“This is what happens when you hire nba players instead of actual NBA journalists and analysts,” said another.
“Seeing him laugh at his own lack of professionalism really annoys me,” commented one fan.
His name might be hard to say, but Risacher's teammates are excited to see what he can do. The Hawks added Kristaps Porzingis and Nickeil Alexander-Walker this summer to take a step forward. However, the second-year wing might be the biggest x-factor in the 2025-26 season in Atlanta.
If Risacher grows as much as the Hawks think he will, he could become a household name. Luckily for Haslem, he will have enough practice saying his name to avoid future mistakes.
