The Jimmy Kimmel–Ted Cruz basketball game is really happening, and it has a tentative date

Jimmy Kimmel gives some details of one-on-one game with Ted Cruz
(Image credit: Screenshot/YouTube/Jimmy Kimmel Live)

Jimmy Kimmel accepted Sen. Ted Cruz's (R-Texas) challenge to face him in one-on-one basketball, and Cruz has accepted Kimmel's challenge acceptance, Kimmel announced on Monday's Kimmel Live. "The backstory, in case you don't know: Ted was unhappy I compared him to a blobfish — even though, in fairness to me, he looks just like one," Kimmel said. "So this is happening — Ted man walking. We're still working out the details, but we're planning to do it Father's Day weekend." Kimmel was realistic about the challenge he faces — Cruz played varsity basketball in high school, while "I played the clarinet in high school," he said. "And yet, I think about it, I cannot imagine any scenario in which I lose this game to that greasy blobfish — there's just no way."

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
Explore More
Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.