Turner Sports has hired a slew of high-profile — at least in the sports media world — NBA writers to join the Bleacher Report site.
Sportswriters Howard Beck of The New York Times, Kevin Ding of the Orange County Register, Ethan Skolnick of the Palm Beach Post, and Jared Zwerling of ESPN.com have joined Bleacher Report, Turner Sports announced Wednesday.
Beck and Zwerling will cover national NBA news, while Ding and Skolnick will focus on the Lakers and Heat, respectively.
The hires are among the highest profile ever for Bleacher Report, which was acquired by Turner Sports last year. According to The Big Lead, the writers will also contribute to Turner Sports television properties.
Turner Sports may also have its eye on a pair of former NBA players. On Wednesday night, “NBA on TNT” host Ernie Johnson Jr. said on Twitter that retired players Tracy McGrady and Grant Hill will be part of the new season of “Open Court” on NBA TV.
Hill in particular has long been considered a prime candidate to join the sports broadcasting ranks.
(Wed. news from Turner Sports press release, The Big Lead, twitter.com/turnersportsej)
