Marcus Spears gets fired up watching his son prepare to make his college basketball debut: 'I'm about to cry'

ESPN analyst Marcus Spears took the stage for “Monday Night Football” feeling a bit conflicted. While Spears was ready to perform his usual job, his heart was elsewhere, as his son — Marcus Spears Jr. — was about to make his college basketball debut.

Spears loved the moment, telling the crew was “about to cry.”

Marcus Spears couldn’t make his son’s college basketball debut because he was working Monday Night Countdown.

So, ESPN cut to the game so he could watch his son arrive at the arena. pic.twitter.com/nqbBp2s33A

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He then gave some insight into his emotional state heading into Monday night.

“I called our producers and I said, ‘I don’t think I’m going to come to come to Seattle this week.’ Because I wanted to be there for his first game. But they had an exhibition last week against St. John’s and I was able to be there for him and see him play.

“I got here yesterday, and I’m telling you, man, I was down as hell that I wasn’t going to be in the building. And then I thought about it, and I was like, my wife and myself have prepared him to be where he’s at. So he’ll be fine.

“I’m glad to be here with y’all, my brothers. But y’all know where my mind and my heart at.”

Spears Jr., considered the top recruit in the class of 2027, reclassified to the class of 2026 and committed to Texas in July. He got his first taste of collegiate action during an Oct. exhibition against St. John’s, where Spears dropped nine points in 22 minutes.

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p style=”text-align:left”>His regular-season debut came Monday against Chicago St. While Spears didn’t start, he did put up numbers off the bench. In 20 minutes, he scored 11 points, picked up five rebounds and was credited with four blocks in Texas’ 109-59 win.