Ball Around

NBA Fans React to Carmelo Anthony Joining NBC as Broadcaster

The former All-Star is garnering mixed reactions from fans after the hiring was announced.

Ryan Stano

Aug 5, 2024; Paris, FRANCE; Carmelo Anthony poses for a photograph during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Team USA House. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-Imagn Images
Aug 5, 2024; Paris, FRANCE; Carmelo Anthony poses for a photograph during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Team USA House. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-Imagn Images / John David Mercer-Imagn Images

Next season, the NBA will be broadcasted on some different networks than they have been in the last two decades. TNT will no longer be part of the rotation of games.

While ESPN/ABC will keep games, the other portion of games will be split between NBC and Amazon. That means that those networks have been scrambling to find talent to broadcast these games next year.

A lot of current Turner employees have already signed deals with one of those other networks to continue their work in basketball. That doesn't mean all of the Amazon or NBC employees will be former Turner employees, though.

Read more: Carmelo Anthony Signs With NBC to be NBA Studio Analyst: Report

NBC has announced that they will be singing Anthony to be an in-studio analyst for them. This will be his first TV job since he retired following the 2021-22 season.

Since the hiring has been announced, some fan reactions have been mixed. Some fans think he will be a dud on the air.

Meanwhile, other fans seem to think that Anthony will do well on the air. They think he will be insightful while he is a studio analyst.

Anthony does have some previous experience in the NBA media space. He currently has a podcast that he does, 7PM in Brooklyn with Carmelo Anthony.

That will help him in this new job. He clearly knows how to speak about the NBA game, so he just needs to be comfortable enough doing that in front of a camera in a more formal setting.

More Ball Around news: Former NBA Forward Wants Kevin Durant to Team Up With All-Star Guard in East

Anthony has also done several commercials, so he is clearly comfortable in front of a camera. He should be a good asset for NBC once this show gets going.

There will be growing pains for Anthony, as there is for every athlete transitioning into a new media role. It will take time for him to find his groove.

After he's a few weeks in, expect Anthony to feel more comfortable in what he's saying and how he's able to talk about the players. As a recent player, he's going to be able to speak more about the current game than a lot of pundits.

More Ball Around on SI news: Fort Wayne Mad Ants Add Frontcourt Depth Following Jahlil Okafor’s Pacers Deal

Longtime NBA Center Daniel Theis is Leaving NBA for EuroLeague

For more news and notes, visit Ball Around on SI.

Published
Ryan Stano
RYAN STANO

Home/News