Azubuike replacing Barnett on TV has some grumbling
On Friday, just before most of us were ready to dive into the weekend, the Warriors dropped a bit of news about their TV broadcast team: Next season Kelenna Azubuike will replace Jim Barnett, who moves over to radio.
For any pre-bandwagon Warriors fan, the shift rekindled sour memories of 2014 and the first time Golden State tried to shove Barnett out of the TV booth.
That decision raised the ire of viewers who had grown to appreciate — even count on — Barnett’s insightful analysis over three decades. There was such an uproar, in fact, that a fan campaign was launched to save Barnett’s job and the Warriors, thankfully, backtracked.
When Friday’s announcement arrived, there again was some grumbling. Via online commentary, a few angry fans even insisted they would abandon the TV broadcasts in favor of the radio. (Many argued that play-byplay man Bob Fitzgerald, not Barnett, should have been jettisoned. But that’s a post for another day).
All that said, it’s a lot less likely that the Warriors would reverse their decision this time because of a few factors. Barnett, for one, will still be around, just flanked by Tim Roye instead of Fitzgerald. And unlike five years ago, he’s supporting the change, at least in public. On Saturday, he tweeted that he was “very happy” for Azubuike as he gets “his deserved opportunity.”
It also helps that Barnett’s replacement is a likable member of the Warriors’ community, having played on the fabled “We Believe” team and earned plenty of goodwill over recent years with his lively in-studio analysis on preand post-game programs.
Most importantly, this time the decision makes sense.
Yes, the work of Barnett, 75, was superb. And his objective, even-handed perspective was a welcome contrast to Fitzgerald’s often bombastic approach. Why fix something that ain’t broke — especially when fans are already experiencing jarring changes in the team’s roster and arena?
On the other hand, there are obvious benefits to bringing more youth and diversity to the telecasts. As for strictly business concerns, sports-affiliated TV networks and the NBA are struggling to find ways to earn the sustained attention of younger viewers. Having a younger POV among the broadcast team can help.
Also, at the age of 35, Azubuike undoubtedly has a better handle on, and insight into, the modern NBA. He played with Steph Curry and against plenty of guys still in the game today.
Those experiences just naturally seep into a broadcaster’s perspective and game breakdowns. As an older fan, I absolutely loved it when Barnett could serve up an anecdote about life in the old Boston Garden. But it also can be fun — and informative — to hear from someone who has been on the court with Kobe Bryant, and who speaks the language of today’s game.
And then there’s the obvious diversity Azubuike brings. NBC Sports Bay Area can certainly improve in this area. A quick glance across the network’s broadcast crews reveals a lot of older, paler faces. The optics aren’t always good.
They’ve done a better job with the NBA, a league mostly populated with black men. The Warriors’ latest change, in fact, mimics what the Sacramento Kings and NBC Sports California did last year with their broadcast team — replacing a much older — and beloved — white guy (Jerry Reynolds) with a younger former player of color (Doug Christie).
In recent years, NBC Sports Bay Area occasionally experimented with having Azubuike join Barnett and Fitzgerald on Warriors broadcasts. Had they stuck with that dynamic, they could have leaned into the POV of both analysts while leaving Roye alone to do his thing on radio.
But even though ABC and TNT routinely deploy three-person teams, they can be tricky to pull off. So maybe it’s better that NBCSBA chose not to go in that direction.
Either way, Azubuike deserves his shot to grow into his new role and to win over Dub Nation.