With less than a year before Amazon and NBC broadcast their first NBA games, the two networks joining the NBA’s new national broadcast contract for the next 11 years are ramping up their search for talent. NBC has already signed Jamal Crawford, whose work with TNT made him a rising star in the broadcasting space, while Amazon has tabbed Ian Eagle as its lead play-by-play man, with Taylor Rooks set to host its studio show and Dirk Nowitzki finalizing a deal to join her on the Prime studio desk.
There are still plenty of spots left to fill for both networks, and some other recently retired stars are in the mix for high profile gigs. Dwyane Wade had a trial run in the Olympics broadcast booth for NBC and made a strong impression alongside Noah Eagle, and figures to be NBC’s choice for lead game analyst if he wants the job. Blake Griffin is a name we mentioned when we drafted broadcast teams for both networks as the kind of personality that any network would love to have, either on game broadcasts or in studio, and he has reportedly had discussions with the two networks about potential roles.
On Thursday, we learned Carmelo Anthony is also on the list of former stars that have talked with NBC and Amazon, with Front Office Sports’ Michael McCarthy reporting he’s had discussions with both networks about studio and game analyst jobs. Anthony has started his own media production company and has a podcast, 7PM in Brooklyn, where he’s been able to get some reps on the mic, and now it seems he would be interested in launching a TV career as well.
Hovering over everything is the current situation with Inside the NBA, where the show is set to be licensed to ESPN, but Shaq’s contract situation is still pending and Charles Barkley hasn’t locked himself in yet either, insisting he’s still listening to Amazon and NBC, at least until ESPN and TNT show him a schedule for the new agreement in writing. Until Barkley and Shaq are fully off the market, I think both Amazon and NBC will drag their feet a touch on putting together a full studio desk because you can’t take yourself out of the running for someone as beloved as Barkley.
At the same time, I do think there’s something to be said for creating a younger studio show (like Amazon seems to be doing, at least) that can build chemistry and try to carve out its own lane, especially because Inside won’t be around forever in this current iteration, even if it continues with ESPN for the immediate future.
