The trend of media companies hiring former players to handle NBA broadcasting duties continues, the latest name being Carmelo Anthony.
The 10x All-Star will serve as one of NBC’s top studio analysts when the NBA rejoins NBC for the first time since 2002. The 40-year-old retired from the game two years ago and now adds analyst to his growing resume.
Over the last month, former NBA players were hired by networks looking to beef up their NBA coverage.
In January, Jamal Crawford was hired by NBC as a lead game analyst. The 20-year veteran and 3x Sixth Man of the Year Award winner Crawford will be calling one or more games a week on both the network and streaming platform.
Two weeks later, NBC announced it was hiring Indiana Pacers legend and former TNT Sports broadcaster Reggie Miller as a lead color commentator. Miller spent 20 years with Turner Sports, but after they were left out of the league’s new 11-year, $77 billion deal, Miller is changing scenery and will call games alongside play-by-play broadcasters Mike Tirico and Noah Eagle when the NBA’s new media rights deal kicks in this fall.
At the end of January, ESPN announced it had hired Miami Heat legend Udonis Haslem as a studio analyst for the remainder of the current season.
Anthony, Crawford, Miller and Haslem are joining Dirk Nowitzki, Blake Griffin and Taylor Rooks, who are helming Amazon’s NBA studio show.
For Carmelo, it’s another great job to add to his growing list of jobs. That includes entrepreneur, host of the successful “7am in Brooklyn” podcast, investor and now NBA analyst.
