TNT stuffs three ex-players into one booth as NBA analysts
When TNT carries the Oklahoma City Thunder-at- Golden State Warriors game Thursday (10:30 p.m. ET), the network is hoping that subtraction will end up being a plus.
Calling the game that night: Steve Kerr, Chris Webber and Reggie Miller. Not a play-by-play man among the former NBA stars.
Kerr says he won’t be trying “to be Marv Albert or Kevin Harlan” but will act as “point man leading us to breaks. Maybe a little bit of a traffic cop if the game calls for it. It is more like three former players having a roundtable (discussion) almost during the game.”
So has Kerr informed the other former NBA All- Stars that the offense will be running through him Thursday night?
“In no uncertain terms,” Kerr says with a laugh. “Well put.”
The idea for the new booth came from a conversation between Turner Sports chief operating officer Lenny Daniels and senior VP Craig Barry.
“Lenny and I are always talking that television has always been done the same way for the last 40 or 50 years,” Barry told USA TODAY Sports. “Why not just have a team captain and have three guys who know the game inside and out?
“They are all charismatic, they are all capable of carrying a show, so why not just have them talk basketball?”
Kerr, who called the NCAA men’s basketball title game Monday on CBS with Jim Nantz and Clark Kellogg, says taking the announcing crew out of its comfort zone will enhance the coverage.
“One of the reasons I enjoyed doing the NCAA tournament is that even though it’s still an analyst’s role, it’s still different,” Kerr said. “Different game. Different production. It gets the juices flowing. The butterflies kick in. I think Thursday will be the same thing. It will be a different challenge, force me to do some things differently. ... Hopefully it will be very entertaining for the listeners.”
Chemistry is an X factor in any new venture, but Kerr says the extensive work he has done with Miller and Webber will help make for a smoother transition.
“We all know each other, like each other genuinely. That is always a good start,” he said. “What will be interesting is that each guy will be looking at the game a little differently. Chris was a superstar big man. Reggie obviously was an All- Star himself. I was more of a reserve. We all came at the game from different angles. I always thought that big men and guards look at the game a lot differently. I think it will be good to get different perspectives on it in the same telecast.”
Kerr has no idea if he’s participating in a one-time deal or a new type of sportscasting offense but figures Thursday will “sound much different than what a normal telecast would.”
Viewers will tell Barry whether TNT should repeat the analyst-only booth.
“We’ll have to see how we define success,” he said. “Philosophically, one of the things for me is to create a better fan experience. So this is that opportunity.
“If the success comes from the fans who chime in and say, ‘That is the most fantastic thing I ever watched or listened to,’ then of course we would give it to them again.
“(The point) ... is giving the fan a great experience.”