Mina Kimes throws 'Minions' reference curveball at Austin Rivers after NBA players in NFL claim

ESPN analyst Austin Rivers made a bold claim that there are more NBA players who can succeed in the NFL than there are NFL players who can succeed in the NBA. Rivers' hot take has sparked several debates already, but NFL analyst Mina Kimes took a different route in her response.

Instead of arguing for or against Rivers' point and listing players who could play either sport like others, Kimes elected for a more comedic approach.

In her hilarious take, which she shared on X, Kimes omitted the NBA players from the picture and instead placed NFL players in a less likely scenario.

"I can take 30 Minions right now and throw them in the NFL," Kimes tweeted. "You cannot take 30 NFL players and put them in the Minion Ice Cave. jmt."

The Minions began as assistants to Despicable Me's anti-hero Gru. They've grown in popularity so much so that have even spawned a movie of their own in 2015 called Minions. The ice cave that Mina Kimes mentioned refers to the ice cave that the Minions lived in before they worked for Gru.

While Austin Rivers' take could potentially spark heated debates in the coming days, Kimes' post offers a hilarious side of the argument that fans can engage with when they need a break from the heated sports talks.

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JJ Watt has a more critical response of Austin Rivers' NBA-NFL take

While Mina Kimes offered a light and hilarious response to Austin Rivers' claims, some opted for a more scathing reply.

One of those people is former defensive star J.J. Watt. Just like Kimes, Watt posted his response on X, but he didn't seem like he was trying to be funny.

"You don't got a job in either right now," Watt posted, "go [ahead] and try it."

Watt is one of the most decorated defensive players in the NFL. He played both linebacker and DE during his time as a pro. He had three Defensive Player of the Year awards to his name and led the league in sacks twice.

He is also one of the few defensive players who got to line up on offense and scored a touchdown for his team. In fact, Watt has six career TDs, five of which came in 2014 with the Houston Texans. He retired in 2022 after 12 seasons in the NFL and has since become an analyst.

Meanwhile, Rivers last played in the NBA in the 2022-23 season as part of the Minnesota Timberwolves. He is only 31 years old and could still return to the league as a veteran, but until then, he is working as an analyst for ESPN.

Austin Rivers has yet to respond to Mina Kines' comedic response or J.J. Watt's critical take.