‘PASCAL SHAKEEM’: CNN anchor botches pronunciation of Raptors star’s name

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What’s in a name?

It certainly wasn’t correct pronunciation for one CNN on-air personality.

During a segment highlighting the international talent attending last weekend’s NBA All-Star game, CNN anchor Zain Asher mispronounced the names of several players, including Toronto Raptors star Pascal Siakam.

Instead of Siakam (prounounced SEE-AK-UM), Asher announced the Raptors power forward’s last name as “Shakeem.”

At least she got the first name right.

Siakam’s name wasn’t the only one that was botched by Asher. During the segment last Friday, the anchor also incorrectly pronounced the names of Philadelphia 76ers’ Joel Embiid and Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Names weren’t the only thing that Asher got wrong. She noted the nine All-Star players as international players when only six actually were.

“Yoooo pascal shakeem is crazy,” he tweeted Wednesday along with a flushed face emoji and skull.

Some on Twitter didn’t take too kindly to the mispronunciations.

“She did not get one name right,” one tweeted.

“Butchered the s*** out of the names,” another stated.

Others got a good laugh out of the situation.

“Pascal Shakeem the Dream,” one chuckled.

“Shakeem Olajuwon,” another joked.