Marv Albert and Reggie Miller will be joined by a familiar face in the booth this year.
Mike Fratello is rejoining the lead TNT NBA broadcast team this season, according to Michael Hiestand of USA Today. Fratello will team with Albert and Miller in a three-man booth.
Fratello previously worked for TNT from 1999 to 2004, working mostly with Albert. Prior to working on TNT, Fratello and Albert were the lead broadcast team for the NBA on NBC from 1990 to 1993.
When it was revealed that Turner would be promoting Reggie Miller to the lead NBA broadcast team, indications were the former Indiana Pacers star would be working in a two-man booth with Albert. Considering Miller’s relative lack of experience, having worked mostly on the third-string broadcast team with Dick Stockton, TNT was criticized for giving him such a prominent role.
With Fratello joining the team, Miller will be able to serve in a more supplementary role. The move is similar to NBC adding Doug Collins to the Bob Costas/Isiah Thomas broadcast team in 1998. Collins’ presence relieved pressure from Thomas, who was unproven and generally unpleasant to listen to. While Miller is far superior to Thomas as an analyst, the addition of Fratello should make his transition to the lead broadcast team much easier.
In related news, Doug Collins will work at least five regular season games with Marv Albert during the regular season — a change from previous years. Collins and Albert, who partnered together on NBC during the 2000-01 season, have previously only worked together during the Conference Finals on TNT.
