It took 23 years, but like a washed-up but beloved sitcom character stepping back into the room with a perfectly timed one-liner, NBC is finally returning to the NBA. And not just returning, they’re loading the clip.
Let’s rewind for a second. If you’re anywhere between the ages of 30 and 50, the phrase “NBA on NBC” doesn’t just trigger nostalgia; it sends you into a full Pavlovian spiral. John Tesh’s “Roundball Rock” is playing while Jordan, Barkley, Ewing, and Malone fly across your tube TV in glorious grainy standard definition. Bob Costas hitting you with a 90-second monologue that felt more like a Shakespeare soliloquy. Marv Albert yelling “YES!” like your dad just hit a three in the driveway. This was peak basketball television. It was myth-making in real time.
And then it all went away.
Since NBC’s last game in 2002, we’ve had two decades of cable chaos. TNT gave us Inside the NBA, ESPN gave us 900 analysts, and ABC leaned heavily on the Warriors and LeBron like they were printing money. But the presentation? The theater? The big game feel? That stayed buried in a time capsule somewhere between Allen Iverson’s crossover and Shaq’s elbow.
Until now.
NBC is officially back starting in 2025, and they’re coming in with the kind of roster that makes you wonder if they secretly ran a fantasy draft behind the scenes.
Let’s talk about this lineup.
You’ve got Mike Tirico on play-by-play. Tirico is the Swiss Army knife of sports broadcasting. Olympics? Done it. NFL? Elite. Golf? Yep. College hoops? Of course. And now, the NBA. He brings credibility, pacing, and that “important game” vibe that you just can’t teach.
Backing him up is Noah Eagle, who might just be the best young play-by-play guy in the business. Also he’s the son of Ian Eagle, which feels like cheating genetically, but I’m not complaining. Between Tirico and Eagle, NBC has two aces who can call any game and make it feel like a Finals night.
Then there’s the analyst booth.
Reggie Miller is back where he belongs. The guy was literally born on NBC broadcasts. Remember when he torched the Knicks in 8.9 seconds in 1995? NBC was there. He’s got the voice, the cadence, and the history. He’s the bridge between old-school NBA TV and the modern era.
But wait, they added Jamal Crawford too. That’s like a Sixth Man of the Year bringing his own YouTube mixtape to the booth. Crawford might be the most well-liked ex-player in media today, and the guy actually watches games all of them. Throw in Grant Hill, who is somehow still underrated as both a player and commentator, and you’ve got a booth that knows the game, respects its history, and won’t treat every possession like it’s a football snap.
Now to the studio crew. This is where NBC really started flexing.
Maria Taylor running the show. She’s already one of the best in the business, and pairing her with two former Olympians and All-Stars in Carmelo Anthony and Vince Carter? That’s not a desk. That’s a basketball Avengers squad.
Carmelo is cool, calculated, and still looks like he could give you 15 off the bench. Vince Carter is as likable as they come and sneaky sharp with his analysis. Plus, there’s no awkward chemistry to figure out these guys respect each other and the game.
And then, just when you think NBC was finished, they hit you with the nuclear bomb:
Michael Jordan.
As a special contributor.
In 2025.
I don’t know what this means yet. No one does. NBC says he’ll appear in pregame and halftime segments, which probably means he’ll give us a few 90-second taped monologues once a month about competitiveness, cigars, or Scott Burrell. But it doesn’t matter. You could give me Jordan reading the weather and I’d be locked in. This is the GOAT returning to the network that helped make him a demigod.
If NBC were a basketball team, this roster is a 60-win squad. It’s a mix of vets, fan favorites, locker room guys, and just enough mystery to make you tune in every week.
And it couldn’t come at a better time. The NBA media landscape has gotten too comfortable. Too predictable. Too sterile. NBC’s return might be exactly what the league needs to make the regular season matter again. To make Sundays feel special. To bring back the drama, the slow-mo intros, the goosebumps.
NBC isn’t just showing up. They’re kicking the door in.
So when that first broadcast drops next October, and “Roundball Rock” plays through your living room speakers for the first time in over two decades, remember this moment.
Basketball on NBC is back.
And it’s never looked better.
Leave a Reply