‘No!’ Albert could be off NBA’s best
THIS may be Marv Albert’s final season as one of the NBA’s marquee voices, The Post has learned.
Turner officials have discussed replacing the legendary Albert as their No. 1 playby-player after this season, according to sources.
His contract gives Turner the right to decide yearly whether to keep Albert on its top NBA events, the conference finals and the All-Star Game. He is scheduled to call both this season, but next year is now in question.
While Turner executives have begun developing a plan, they want to be respectful of Albert’s place in sports broadcasting history. All sides stressed no final decision has been made.
Albert, 77, has been calling the NBA for more than five decades and is generally described as the greatest play-by-play man in the history of the game, with his trademark “Yes!” and his sarcastic humor.
If Albert were no longer Turner’s No. 1 play-by-play man, he still would be able to broadcast games in the final two years of his contract, which runs through the 2020-21 season, if he so chose. It is unclear if he would want a Vin Scully-like retirement tour. In fact, Albert has shown no indication he wants to stop working.
“My contract is for another three years,” Albert texted The Post. “I feel great. The people at Turner are terrific to work with. I love doing the NBA and will continue to do so. I do appreciate your reaching out.”
Sources familiar with Turner’s thinking said Brian Anderson is considered the current front-runner to replace Albert for the 2019-20 season as Turner’s No. 1 playby-play man. Anderson, 47, is already the network’s lead play-by-play man on the MLB playoffs. He is not closely associated with the NBA, having never been a team’s regular play-by-play guy and having only worked a limited number of national games. He was the Spurs’ sideline reporter for seven years.
He is the lead TV announcer for the Milwaukee Brewers and works the NCAA Tournament for Turner/CBS. He currently appears on 15 to 20 NBA telecasts, mostly during the playoffs, for Turner. He is solid on calls, but lacks flair.
If Turner were to anoint Anderson, it would be bypassing Kevin Harlan, who has been the network’s longtime No. 2 play-by-play man. Harlan, 58, has been calling the NBA for more than three decades and is known for his monstrous calls, especially on dunks.
Turner also uses Ian Eagle during its playoff coverage. Eagle is often mentioned as the top current NBA play-by-play man, along with Albert and ABC/ESPN’s Mike Breen.
Besides his NFL and college football work for CBS, Eagle, 49, has been doing Nets games for a quarter-century. Eagle is the closest to Albert in his prime.
Breen, the Knicks’ TV voice, is not a possibility, as he is under a long-term deal as ABC/ESPN’s top game caller, which includes The Finals.
In recent years, Albert has cut back in other areas, but he has continued atop Turner’s game coverage. He has not done a local team’s broadcasts for nearly a decade, and he relinquished his NCAA Tournament duties in 2016. He still works a full weekly schedule for Turner.
Albert’s agent, Sandy Montag, declined comment, while Turner said nothing is finalized.
“No decisions have been made at this time,” a Turner spokesman said.
The two sides will continue their conversations and Albert, responsible for some of the most memorable calls in NBA history, will be able to tell the executives what he has in mind.