It’s been 23 years since NBC lost its NBA broadcast rights after the 2002 season, but the NBA on NBC is finally returning. This reunion is great; NBC brings a nostalgic and exciting energy to NBA action, and this partnership should yet again be super beneficial for both sides. However, the way NBC has hired its new analysts, play-by-play announcers and studio personalities doesn’t sit right with me.
Eleven former NBA players have been hired to the main staff of today’s revamped NBA on NBC broadcast. These players will serve as “game analysts” or “studio analysts,” and they comprise almost the entirety of the in-game commentary and analytical staff. Unjustly throwing these positions at former players is an ongoing trend by several media outlets and broadcast stations, but oftentimes, playing experience doesn’t translate into being a good analyst, especially on such a big stage.
With the exceptions of play-by-play announcers Mike Tirico, Noah Eagle, Michael Grady and a few other fill-ins, the majority of the television time the NBA on NBC occupies will feature at least one former NBA player. Some say journalism is a dying breed, and while it certainly isn’t, situations like this one are the reason many tend to think that.
Former players Robbie Hummel, Brian Scalabrine and Austin Rivers, all of whom had mediocre NBA careers, will serve as “game analysts,” providing commentary alongside the head play-by-play announcer. These three will alternate games with the five other game analysts, each being on call for about 15 games.
Playing in the NBA is an incredible feat, let alone playing for multiple years, but those guys’ analyses don’t hold weight like the analyses of NBA long-time legends or trained, highly informed journalists would.
Former players deserve to hold positions as analysts if scattered across several different networks, and many do, but Hummel, Scalabrine and Rivers should not be taking opportunities from aspiring journalists now.
Brad Daugherty, Derek Fisher, Jamal Crawford, Reggie Miller and Grant Hill also joined the crew as game analysts. Each of these five has had a very accomplished NBA career and now possesses the tools necessary to be great analysts.
Being an accomplished player does not make you a worthy analyst, though. Daugherty was a five-time All-Star, Fisher won five championships, Crawford earned three NBA Sixth Man of the Year awards and Hill is in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, but we are still yet to see how they pan out on the play-by-play call.
We’ve already seen Crawford, among other former players, jump on a broadcast and solely talk about their personal relationships with players on the court or relate the game to their careers, far more than they actually analyze the action.
I must admit, though, Miller has called games for several years now on Turner Network Television, and he truly is a great commentator and analyst. I have zero issues with him being on the NBC crew.
These players clearly know the game of basketball thoroughly, but there are journalists across the world who are just as, if not more, informed and would kill for opportunities to cover a highly-touted league.
Money is not everything, but NBA players make generational wealth yearly, and thousands of lesser-known journalists and analysts deserve to be compensated the way NBC will be paying these former players.
I find it very unjust that hard-working journalists and NBA aficionados are rarely given opportunities because said opportunities are rarely even open to the public for applications or referrals.
Former superstars Carmelo Anthony, Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady will serve as studio analysts, primarily analyzing games during halftime and giving post-game recaps. These three led illustrious NBA careers, all being multi-time All-Stars, earning several All-NBA team honors and being named Hall of Famers.
Anthony, Carter and McGrady shape up to be great analysts, as they have all been out of the league for some time now, but provide abundant knowledge and can attest to the pressure felt by today’s superstars. They will surely add value to the NBA on NBC crew and be enjoyable personalities for viewers to gain insight from.
Although I think these three reign supreme over the rest of NBC’s players turned analysts, it doesn’t mean they deserved to automatically fill their positions before accomplished journalists and media personalities were even given the chance to contest.
NBC needs to shift its recruiting focus toward hard-working, aspiring journalists and limit the number of former players on staff to far less than 11. Journalism is not a dying breed, but this kind of bias and unjust hiring is part of the reason why the art of journalism is often labeled that way.
Jack Muldowney is a freshman studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note the opinions expressed in this column do not represent those of The Post. Want to talk to Jack Muldowney about their column? Email/tweet them at jm760224@ohio.edu or @JackMuldowney1.
