Credit: NBC
By Drew Lerner on

With all the talk about NBC’s NBA presentation largely focusing on nostalgic elements from the network’s run three decades ago, it’s nice to see the network introduce something new and fresh. That’s exactly what NBC provided on Tuesday during its first “Coast 2 Coast” doubleheader.

After viewers were treated to a classic introduction courtesy of a cameo from legendary sports broadcaster and former NBC star Bob Costas, NBC debuted something new, but also entirely familiar. Instead of showing a typical starting lineup graphic on the screen before the game started, NBC chose to have the players introduce themselves, similar to what viewers see every week on Sunday Night Football.

The small touch was met with an overwhelmingly positive response on social media.

Through two weeks, NBC is crushing its NBA coverage, at least from a fan perception standpoint. It’s little elements like player intros that make all the difference. Just like with Sunday Night Football, having players introduce themselves gives the broadcast an elevated feel. It makes the game seem more important.

The funny thing about this style of introduction for basketball games is that they aren’t really necessary. The broadcast could just as easily let the in-arena public address announcer take over as players are introduced from the bench. But what NBC has done here is a bit more efficient, and doesn’t oversell what might just be a run-of-the-mill regular season game. Not to mention, it’s consistent with other sports properties on the network.

Fans have taken notice, and NBC has to be satisfied with the positive reception.

About Drew Lerner

Drew Lerner is a staff writer for Awful Announcing and an aspiring cable subscriber. He previously covered sports media for Sports Media Watch. Future beat writer for the Oasis reunion tour.

View all posts by Drew Lerner