The NBA on NBC returns next season after securing a mega rights deal to bring the association back to the peacock network. Given it’s been so long since NBC has televised the NBA, it’s going to need to add some new voices to the roster to begin to fill out their coverage. And former TNT analyst Jamal Crawford will reportedly lead the way.
Before this season began, Crawford made the surprising move of leaving TNT, where he had served as both a game and studio analyst since 2023. He turned down a contract offer from the network to pursue other broadcasting opportunities, which could just lead to a big role at NBC.
According to Andrew Marchand at The Athletic, Crawford will be calling games when the NBA on NBC makes its comeback for the 2024-25 NBA season.
NBC secured a deal with Jamal Crawford, sources briefed on the discussions said Tuesday. The contracts aren’t signed yet, nor is Crawford’s exact place on NBC’s depth chart fully defined, but he is expected to call games, per the sources.
Crawford had been with TNT Sports and NBA TV before the new TV contracts with NBC/Peacock, ABC/ESPN and Amazon Prime Video were agreed upon. He is doing a limited number of local Knicks games on MSG Network in New York.
Crawford played 20 seasons in the NBA with 9 different teams, making his mark as one of the best sixth men in league history. And although TNT has an impressive depth chart including analysts who have been with the network for many years, Crawford slowly rose through the ranks to the network’s starting lineup. He received a Conference Finals assignment with Reggie Miller and Kevin Harlan last year, showing how highly his work has been regarded. There’s a reason why he was named one of AA’s rising sports media stars earlier this year.
Marchand also reports that NBC is talking with Miller, who could be a lead analyst for the network if he decides to join after TNT’s NBA coverage concludes this season.
Although nothing has been made official, NBC’s NBA coverage is slowly starting to take shape. We could conceivably see Mike Tirico, Jamal Crawford, and Reggie Miller emerge as the lead booth with the duo of Noah Eagle and Dwyane Wade as the network’s second team after their acclaimed work calling Olympic basketball in Paris.
Those would be two very solid lead teams given their previous experience working together in high profile roles. NBC has also brought on Jalen Rose for college basketball coverage and after shining in an Inside the NBA cameo, it’s easy to see him shift back to the NBA as well.
[The Athletic]