When ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro wanted to make “Monday Night Football” glamorous, he grabbed the stars and Mickey Mouse’s wallet. Pitaro, a die-hard New York Yankees fan, channeled his inner George Steinbrenner by signing NFL TV’s white whale Peyton Manning and then luring Joe Buck and Troy Aikman from Fox Sports.
These were boss decisions for Disney-owned ESPN.
Pitaro offered Buck a $75 million contract and Aikman $90 million, both over five seasons, while Manning, with his Omaha Productions and brother Eli in the fold, makes even more per year than the one or the other, although exact numbers are unknown. This offseason, Omaha called up another audible by adding the legendary Bill Belichick at this fall’s MNF “ManningCast.”
The luster was returned to the production of “Monday Night Football.”
Now, during the NBA Finals, Pitaro should take a page out of his NFL playbook. He and his right-hand man, Burke Magnus, ESPN’s president of content, are expected to court LeBron James with a Tom Brady-style broadcast deal that will kick in whenever James, 39, decides to hang up his sneakers.
James’ basketball IQ is off the charts. Like Brady… which debuts on the Fox NFL booth in September on a 10-year, $375 million contract — there’s no definitive way to say how good James would be on games, but the bottom line is turning broadcasts into events.
James would do this, standing next to play-by-play broadcaster Mike Breen. They should have him calling 20-25 games per season, like an NFL analyst, and raise the level of broadcasting, especially this time of year, during the Finals.
If Pitaro can’t have James, he should keep the 36-year-old Stephen Curry in mind when it will be ready to stop draining 3 seconds. In the meantime, of course, if TNT Sports loses its NBA TV package, Charles Barkley should — and will — be at the top of ESPN’s lineup.
All of which is to say that it’s time for an ESPN NBA reboot as its final coverage of the Boston Celtics against the Dallas Mavericks feels small.
For the first two games, ESPN added the New York Knicks game. Josh Hart as a guest analyst. Hart is someone to look up to, with his work ethic and reputation as a good guy, but, as the kids like to say, it seemed very middle of the road.
If ESPN wanted to add another body for its half-hour pregame and halftime show in the blink of an eye, it should have rewarded the analysts who got them there, like big names Kendrick Perkins or Richard Jefferson. Both are much better daily on “NBA Today” than the neophyte Hart showed in his guest spots. At least Hart added another NBA player’s voice to the Finals festivities.
Before his addition, ESPN’s Finals coverage included JJ Redick, a 3-point specialist for 15 years, as its only former player. Redick joined Doris Burke and Breen in the finals stand always disappointing.
In the studio, without Hart, there are no former players, as host Malika Andrews is joined by legendary opinionist Michael Wilbon, ex-Golden State general manager Bob Myers and the face of ESPN, Stephen A. Smith. Well, when Smith has time.
After the second game on ABC, ESPN aired a postgame show, but Smith did not participate. He was already flying from Boston to Miami to be in position for “First Take,” even though the program regularly broadcasts from New York.
Smith is the network’s undisputed No. 1 star, but it’s the games that make it work. Smith said earlier in the playoffs that he was hoping for a quick Eastern Conference final so he could take some time off.
Smith is a workaholic and the center of sports media, but if appearing on playoff studio broadcasts is beneath his time, perhaps, frankly, it’s not the best solution to let him get stuck between his daily talk shows, his thrice-weekly YouTube show, his role on “General Hospital” and every other platform known to mankind on which he appears.
As the series moves to Dallas on Wednesday, the nine-time All-Star Paul Georges is an improvement in his status over Hart as a guest analyst. It remains to be seen if it is good. During the conference finals, Chris Paul was the guest analyst, and he showed signs of potential.
When the new TV deals are finalized, ESPN is expected to hold the rights to the finale for a dozen years, with its final season on the current deal and the next 11 on the new one. He ended the competition with a deal that will net the league $2.6 billion a year, just shy of the $2.7 billion he hands out to the NFL per season. This seems like a smart move, as TNT Sports clinging on for dear life for his NBA future.
ESPN NBA Finals booth: JJ Redick, Doris Burke and Mike Breen. The trio has yet to find their rhythm in their first NBA Finals. (Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images)
Amazon Prime Video, who has a framework agreement with the leaguealready has Ian Eagle on its radar for play-by-play, according to sources briefed on their plans, and NBC, which is also close to a deal, will likely name Mike Tirico its No. 1. starts corresponding with Breen.
Even though the iconic “Inside the NBA” is potentially entering its final season with Warner Bros. Discovery, it’s not like Barkley or Shaquille O’Neal won’t be employed, maybe even still with Kenny Smith and Ernie Johnson. Amazon and NBC will be there for the biggest names.
Beyond all that, ESPN should take inspiration from other networks’ coverage of the Super Bowl and World Series. The ESPN executive in charge of NBA, David Roberts, is expected to order a new graphics package for the finale to further distinguish it from a November game. The network with the Super Bowl does this every year, although it’s actually even more necessary for ESPN on the NBA due to its glut of games that can make them all blend together.
Roberts should also watch Fox’s MLB October studio coverage, featuring Derek Jeter, David Ortiz and Alex Rodriguez. This is a prestigious event, and Fox has brought together three of the biggest players of the last generation. You don’t have to do this, but if you can’t figure out the names, the content needs to be top quality. This was not the case in these finals.
Then, ESPN should pursue James, just like Manning. And Barkley, just like Buck and Aikman. Pitaro and company should play like the boss again.
GO FURTHER
Where will Charles Barkley go? What if ESPN loses JJ Redick? Thoughts on the NBA’s media woes
(Top photo: Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images)
