Nostalgia has been a big part of NBA on NBC coverage so far this season, as the network enters back into pro hoops broadcasting for the first time in more than two decades. “Roundball Rock” is back; so are the live lineup intros, pregame monologues, and old-school graphics packages.
And next Tuesday, NBC Sports will bring back a handful of the most recognizable personalities from the heyday of the NBA on NBC when the Philadelphia 76ers host the San Antonio Spurs.
The network has, according to the Associated Press, finalized plans to have Bob Costas call the game alongside Mike Fratello and Doug Collins. Veteran Jim Gray will have sideline reporting duties. And Hannah Storm — who shocked the industry when she left NBC for ESPN in the mid-2000s — will anchor studio coverage next to Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas and fellow ESPNer P.J. Carlesimo.
Leave it to Costas to sum up the throwback moment perfectly.
“I think some people are calling it ‘new-stalgia.’ There’s just a touch of nostalgia and history,” Costas told the AP. “But then we lean into what’s happening now.”
The AP reported the graphics package and other visual components will be derived specifically from the 1995-96 season, exactly 30 years ago.
The arrangement likely took some doing. Costas has been on-site for NBC’s Sunday Night Basketball on a couple of occasions this winter, but the rest of the crew is staying busy elsewhere. Gray has largely transitioned to the NFL world, hosting a podcast for SiriusXM and mingling with members of the former New England Patriots dynasty. Fratello calls Cleveland Cavaliers games for local television. Collins has been out of the media since leaving ESPN in 2017.
Thomas, however, has contributed to NBC’s coverage this season. Storm and Carlesimo cover the NBA for ESPN.
But all seven will come together in Philly next week to harken back to the early days of their careers — and the pinnacle of NBA on NBC coverage.
About Brendon Kleen
Brendon is a Media Commentary staff writer at Awful Announcing. He has also covered basketball and sports business at Front Office Sports, SB Nation, Uproxx and more.