The NBA on NBC

The NBA on NBC is a former TV show that televised NBA games on NBC, and was produced by NBC Sports. In the 1990-1991 season, NBC succeeded CBS Sports as the official American TV broadcaster of the NBA.

Related Topics:
TV show - NBA - NBC - NBC Sports - 1990 - 1991 - CBS Sports - American

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It all started on November 9, 1989 when the NBA and NBC reached an agreement on a four-year, $600 million contract. On April 28, 1993, NBC extended their exclusive broadcast rights to the NBA with a four-year, $750 million contract.

Related Topics:
November 9 - 1989 - $ - April 28 - 1993

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The catchy, dramatic, and melodic theme song Roundball Rock was composed by New Ager John Tesh. The song is today often used by NBA TV for their live, game coverage. During the closing credits for NBC's coverage of the NBA Finals, they would regularly play the motivational rock song Winning It All, by The Outfield http://www.theoutfield.com/.

Related Topics:
Theme song - Roundball Rock - New Age - John Tesh - NBA TV - NBA Finals - Rock song - The Outfield

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Jim Fagan is still today NBC Sports' announcer. He is the one who announced things like "This is The NBA on NBC." and "Welcome to NetZero at the Half." during the Roundball Rock. Since late 2002, he has also been the main voice-over announcer on the Madison Square Garden Network, the New York regional television channel.

Related Topics:
Jim Fagan - 2002 - Madison Square Garden Network - New York

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One of the voice-overs for commercials of The NBA on NBC was Mitch Phillips, whose voice also appears on TV commercials of Wyeth's Caltrate and of Toyota's Toyotathon promotion, and on other car commercials.

Related Topics:
Voice-overs - Commercial - Mitch Phillips - Wyeth - Caltrate - Toyota

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The pregame program with Ahmad Rashad, Hannah Storm, or Bob Costas was known as NBA Showtime. The video game ', by Midway (MWY) from San Diego, was named after this pregame show. The halftime show was sponsored by Prudential Financial (Prudential Halftime Show) and NetZero (NetZero at the Half) among others. The NBA on NBC also had a segment during the live games called Miller Genuine Moments, which briefly looked back on a particular historically significant and/or dramatic moment in NBA history.

Related Topics:
Ahmad Rashad - Hannah Storm - Bob Costas - NBA Showtime - Video game - Midway - San Diego - Prudential Financial - NetZero - Miller

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The lead play-by-play man for most of this period was Marv Albert. After a sex scandal forced NBC to fire Albert before the start of the 1997-1998 season, NBC tapped studio host Costas to replace Albert. Costas would carry on this particular role until the 2000-2001 season when Albert made his triumphant return.

Related Topics:
Play-by-play - Marv Albert - 1997 - 1998 - 2000 - 2001

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Rashad was frequently ridiculed for his not too secret close friendship with superstar Michael Jordan. To put things in the proper perspective, some observers felt that Rashad came across on camera as more or less shameless Jordan cheerleader and/or would be gravy train rider than a credible journalist. Rashad would soon receive the tag "Little Mike" (a play off from the famous advertising campaign featuring Penny Hardaway and a Chris Rock voiced puppet) from radio personality Jim Rome.

Related Topics:
Michael Jordan - Gravy train - Journalist - Penny Hardaway - Chris Rock - Puppet - Radio - Jim Rome

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Other commentators that were featured on The NBA on NBC included:

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• Mike Breen (play-by-play man)
• Quinn Buckner (studio analyst)
• P. J. Carlesimo (studio analyst)
• Doug Collins
• Don Criqui (play-by-play man)
• Pat Croce (studio analyst)
• Sean Elliott
• Dick Enberg (play-by-play man)
• Julius Erving (studio analyst)
• Jim Gray (sideline reporter)
• Greg Gumbel (play-by-play man)
• Matt Guokas
• Tom Hammond (play-by-play man)
• Dan Hicks (play-by-play man)
• Mike Fratello
• Kevin Johnson (studio analyst)
• Magic Johnson
• Steve "Snapper" Jones
• Bob Neal (play-by-play man)
• Pat Riley (studio analyst)
• Paul Sutherland (play-by-play man)
• Isiah Thomas
• Tom Tolbert (studio analyst)
• Peter Vescey (studio analyst)
• Bill Walton
• Jayson Williams (studio analyst)

In 1992, basketball legend Earvin "Magic" Johnson became a top game analyst (alongside the likes of Dick Enberg, Marv Albert and Mike Fratello) for The NBA on NBC. Unfortunately, Johnson's performance was heavily criticized. Among the complaints were Johnson's apparently poor diction skills, knack for "stating the obvious", and overall lackluster chemistry with his broadcasting partners. Johnson would ultimately be slowly phased out of The NBA on NBC after helping commentate the 1993 NBA Finals.

Related Topics:
1992 - Diction - 1993

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When Costas started his regular duties as the lead play-by-play man, he was paired with Isiah Thomas. It was later determined that Thomas, who didn't have a lot of prior broadcasting experience, wasn't very comfortable in the role as the lead color commentator. So NBC eventually added Collins, who would ultimately leave NBC to coach Michael Jordan and the Washington Wizards, to the mix to help take some weight off of Thomas. About a year later, Thomas was moved to the less chaotic confines of the studio. Thomas would stay in this postion before ultimately leaving NBC in order to become the head coach of the Indiana Pacers.

Related Topics:
Washington Wizards - Head coach - Indiana Pacers

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Perhaps the most infamous moment during the history of The NBA on NBC occurred on June 17, 1994. During Game 5 of the NBA Finals between the Houston Rockets and New York Knicks, most NBC affiliates (with the noted exception being WNBC-TV out of New York) split the coverage of the game between NFL Hall of Famer (turned NBC football commentator) O. J. Simpson's low speed freeway chase with the LAPD. A visibly confused and distraught Bob Costas said during the telecast from Madison Square Garden that the Simpson situation was "not just tragic but now surreal."

Related Topics:
June 17 - 1994 - Houston Rockets - New York Knicks - Affiliates - WNBC-TV - New York - NFL Hall of Famer - NBC football - O. J. Simpson - LAPD - Madison Square Garden

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In Game 1 of the 1996 NBA Finals between the Chicago Bulls and Seattle SuperSonics, the Bulls' 107-90 win at home in the United Center earned a 16.8 rating and a 31 share on NBC. In addition, Game 1 was viewed in a then record 16,111,200 homes. On June 16, 1996, Game 6 of the NBA Finals (where the Bulls clinched their fourth NBA Championship in six years) drew an 18.8 rating and a 35 share. With the game pulling in an estimated 60 million viewers, this became the most-watched NBA game ever on television. The six games of the 1996 NBA Finals averaged a 16.7 rating which ranks second all-time behind the 1993 NBA Finals. The six games of the 1993 NBA Finals between the Bulls and Phoenix Suns averaged a 17.9 rating.

Related Topics:
1996 - Chicago Bulls - Seattle SuperSonics - United Center - Rating - June 16 - Phoenix Suns

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One of the most replayed plays from The NBA on NBC is from the 1998 NBA Finals Game 6 at the Delta Center. Michael Jordan stole the basketball from Karl Malone's dribble and handled the ball all the way to the other half of the court. Utah Jazz shooting guard Bryon Russell took a bad step while covering Jordan and slipped. Jordan made the lead-changing, game-winning two-point field goal with 5.2 seconds in the fourth period and with Karl Malone watching the ball float over his head. The play was narrated by Costas.

Related Topics:
1998 NBA Finals - Delta Center - Karl Malone - Utah Jazz - Shooting guard - Bryon Russell - Field goal

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During the 2001 NBA Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Philadelphia 76ers, NBC decided to cross-promote with their then-hot quiz show The Weakest Link. During halftime of Games 2 and 3, two 10 minute editions of The Weakest Link aired. The contestants were Bob Costas, Bill Walton, and Steve "Snapper" Jones along with Charlotte Hornets guard Baron Davis and Los Angeles Sparks center Lisa Leslie.

Related Topics:
Los Angeles Lakers - Philadelphia 76ers - The Weakest Link - Charlotte Hornets - Baron Davis - Los Angeles Sparks - Lisa Leslie

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When NBC Sports' contract with the NBA expired in 2002, the corresponding rights were passed to The NBA on ABC, a program which came back to TV after 28 years, on Christmas Day 2002, with a doubleheader. NBC made a four-year, $1.3 billion bid in the spring of 2002 to renew its NBA coverage, but the league instead made six-year deals worth $4.6 billion with ESPN, ABC, and TNT. It should be noted that in the last four years of the final contract, NBC lost $300 million. NBC only offered $325 million a year compared to ESPN's $400 million. ESPN gets $1.70 a month from its 86 million cable subscribers, an income source an NBC doesn't possess.

Related Topics:
2002 - The NBA on ABC - Christmas Day - Doubleheader - ESPN - ABC - TNT

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Whereas NBC normally televised 33 regular games a year, ABC on the other hand, would televise only 15 regular season games a year. According to Commissioner David Stern, the reduced number of network telecasts was at the NBA's own request since the NBA believed that they would get a higher audience for a single game (in contrast to NBC's tripleheaders). NBC Sports replaced the Sunday afternoon single games and doubleheaders of The NBA on NBC with games of The AFL on NBC in February 2003.

Related Topics:
David Stern - Sunday - The AFL on NBC - February 2003

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The NBA on NBC: See also ►