Game 6 of the NBA Finals marked the last game under the NBA’s current television deal with ESPN/ABC and TNT.
And while all three networks will continue broadcasting games in a similar arrangement for the next eight years, it is worth noting that it took ABC until the very last year of the initial television contract to finally get a hang of broadcasting NBA games.
The good.
Consistency: This year marked the first time since 1999 and 2000 that the same broadcast team worked the NBA Finals two years in a row. Mike Breen, Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson make up one of the best lead broadcast teams ABC has ever had.
Breen has just finished working his third NBA Finals, tying him with Bob Costas, who worked three straight from 1998 to 2000. Only Brent Musburger, Dick Stockton and Marv Albert have worked more NBA Finals in the past thirty years.
Meanwhile, Van Gundy and Jackson finished working their second straight Finals together. Over the course of this season, the duo has morphed into a modern Steve Jones and Bill Walton, though they lack some of the chemistry that team had on NBC.
In the studio, Michael Wilbon finished working his third straight NBA Finals, and his second straight with analyst Jon Barry. Sideline reporter Michele Tafoya has now worked five of the six NBA Finals on ABC.
Introduction: This could also go in the consistency category. For the third straight year, ABC used the “Hall of Fame” video introduction. Using the same intro each year may seem boring to some, but it worked for NBC. ABC has eight more NBA Finals to go, and using the “Hall of Fame” video each season could help it become as recognizable as the intros for NBC or CBS.
Stuart Scott: While the thought of NBC veteran Hannah Storm hosting NBA Countdown next season is tempting, Stuart Scott has done a surprisingly good job as the ESPN/ABC NBA studio host. Scott has been understated, hardly using the catchphrases that make him annoying on SportsCenter, and did a much better job of injecting life into the studio show than predecessor Dan Patrick did last season.
One recommendation: stop telling viewers they should have goosebumps.
The bad.
Music: Having Tim McGraw and Def Leppard perform the intro for games this season was yet another terrible move. Not quite as bad as using The Pussycat Dolls or Rob Thomas, but terrible nonetheless. Who will be chosen next season? Coldplay? Hilary Duff?
The best decision would be to have an actual introduction. Not one featuring the pop musician of the week, but one more along the lines of the ESPN college basketball open.
Additionally, the current theme, Fast Break by Non Stop Music, is getting stale. In the past, ESPN would roll out an enhanced version of its MLB theme for Division Series games. Even the venerable Monday Night Football theme went through a makeover when games moved to ESPN. But the theme for the NBA Finals is exactly the same as it would be for a preseason game.
Games. ABC aired only ten playoff games before the NBA Finals. The New Orleans Hornets and budding superstar Chris Paul did not play a single playoff game on ABC. ABC airs two prime time playoff games per season, and both are buried on the least watched night of the week. Is it really “prime time” if its Saturday night?
The lack of games hurts ABC’s momentum heading into the Finals. For casual fans and people without cable, the ABC game is the biggest NBA showcase. How can those people get excited for the Finals when they haven’t seen a playoff game since Game 3 of the previous round?
Next season, ABC needs to dramatically increase the amount of playoff games it televises. An afternoon doubleheader each Saturday and Sunday will help the league far more than two Saturday night games. Also, during the Conference Finals, ABC should air Games 3 and 4 over Memorial Day weekend, with Game 3 on Saturday and Game 4 on Monday. If ABC does not want to air the games in prime time, simply start coverage in the late afternoon.
Conclusion.
ABC had its best season this year, but there is still much room for improvement. The network needs to air more playoff games next year, and should avoid using pop musicians in introductions. Mike Breen, Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson are the best broadcast team the network has had, and keeping them together for several more NBA Finals should be a top priority.
