Reggie Miller inks a multi-year extension with TNT Sports. Plus: Ryan Clark reveals ESPN contract has expired; JJ Redick officially joins ESPN’s top NBA team; Verne Lundquist will call his final Masters this year.
Reggie Miller signs extension with TNT
TNT Sports NBA analyst Reggie Miller has reached a multi-year contract extension with the company, it was announced Thursday, bringing his total tenure with the network to excess of 25 years. Miller joined TNT fresh out of retirement in 2005 and has called 13 NBA Conference Finals for the network. This Sunday, Miller will call his 17th NBA All-Star Game for TNT alongside play-by-play announcer Brian Anderson and analyst Candace Parker. Per the press release, Miller has called more than 650 games for the network during his 19-year tenure. (TNT Sports, 2.15)
Ryan Clark announces his ESPN contract has expired
ESPN NFL analyst Ryan Clark announced in a social media video Wednesday that his contract with the network has expired, and he is seeking a new deal. Clark has been a staple of ESPN’s NFL coverage the past several years, making frequent appearances on First Take, Get Up, SportsCenter, and Monday Night Countdown. The former defensive back has also bolstered his resume outside of ESPN, launching the popular podcast The Pivot and picking up a role on Inside the NFL for The CW this past season.
In his social media post, Clark explained that his mentality over the past three years of his ESPN contract was to work as hard as possible to gain leverage in his next contract negotiation. According to Clark it is time for ESPN (or another network) to “pay the piper.” (Clark, 2.14)
JJ Redick officially added to top NBA team
As reported Monday in The Athletic, JJ Redick will join ESPN’s top NBA broadcast team, the network announced in a press release Thursday. Redick will join two Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame broadcasters in Mike Breen and Doris Burke. The team will call the NBA Finals, Eastern Conference Finals, and will make its broadcasting debut on February 24th for a primetime game between the Celtics and Knicks on ABC.
Redick’s broadcast career has ascended quickly compared to most. In just three years on television, Redick has gone from a pure studio analyst to top game broadcaster. His frequent appearances on ESPN’s studio programming likely made him an attractive choice for ESPN Head of Event and Studio Production David Roberts, who is in charge of personnel decisions for ESPN’s NBA coverage. (ESPN, 2.15)
Verne Lundquist to call his last Masters
Longtime broadcaster Verne Lundquist announced this will be his final year calling the Masters for CBS, per the network’s social media post Wednesday. Lundquist has long been a staple of the Masters broadcast for his calls on the par 3 16th hole at Augusta National, famously calling Tiger Woods’ 2005 birdie chip-in with the line, “In your life have you ever seen anything like that?” This year’s Masters will be the 40th for Lundquist, who has called each since he began in 1983, save for a two-year hiatus from 1997-98. (CBS, 2.14)
