Things just keep getting better for NBA fans when it comes to national TV broadcasts.
It was announced in August that TNT would be doing away with the “Players Only” broadcast that appeared on NBA TV. Those broadcast crews were roundly criticized as being meandering and uninformed when it came to the product on the floor.
Now fans are getting more of what they want in the form of Rachel Nichols and Maria Taylor.
According to a report from Richard Deitsch, Nichols and Taylor will be the hosts of ESPN’s pregame show, NBA Countdown.
ESPN news: ESPN is planning to name Rachel Nichols & Maria Taylor as the hosts of NBA Countdown for this upcoming season. Formal announcement should come in coming weeks. The expectation, via sources, is both will host the show. They'll split the assignment in some manner.
— Richard Deitsch (@richarddeitsch) August 16, 2019
Nichols will continue to host The Jump. Regarding other staffers on the show: Chauncey Billups will move from studio to work as a game analyst. Jalen Rose will be back on NBA Countdown. I’m not sure about Paul Pierce for this season.
— Richard Deitsch (@richarddeitsch) August 16, 2019
Paul Pierce and Chauncey Billups Won’t return as analysts on the pregame show next year, leaving just Jalen Rose. That means there are a couple of spots open, and we don’t yet know who ESPN will fill them with. Nichols will reportedly continue to host her regular show “The Jump”.
As the league continues to get more popular, it makes sense that broadcast partners listen to the audience. Nichols is an NBA favorite, so having her be more visible makes a lot of sense.
