Knicks Analyst Lands National Job

Former New York Knicks star and current MSG analyst Jamal Crawford is getting ready to Roundball Rock.

Per Andrew Marchand of The Athletic, Crawford is set to be the first signing of NBC’s return to Association broadcasting, reportedly joining the network as a game analyst.

Crawford, a lasting NBA veteran, is currently calling Knicks games for MSG Network, standing as one of several backup color commentators behind Walt “Clyde” Frazier. The former Knick and three-time Sixth Man of the Year made his local debut during the team’s five-game road trip last month next to Mike Breen and Tyler Murray. Prior to his MSG debut, Crawford called games for TNT and NBA TV.

NBC will return to the NBA and WNBA national scene next season. The network is best known in basketball circles for its 12-year run with the NBA’s national package (1990-2002), which broadcast some of the league’s finest moments at the turn of the century, including most of Michael Jordan’s heyday and every edition of the NBA Finals in that span.

There should be no shortage of work for Crawford and his eventual cohorts: between the broadcast channel and its streaming platform Peacock, NBC is set to carry 100 regular season games plus playoff stagings, including one conference final series in even-numbered years.

That former tally features Monday and Tuesday doubleheaders as well as a Sunday night game when the NFL season ends (NBC holds the NFL’s “Sunday Night Football” package). NBC will also carry holiday games (Veteran’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day) and the NBA’s All-Star Weekend festivities beyond the Celebrity Game (which will remain stationed on ESPN).

Marchand also notes that the peacock-branded network is also going after Reggie Miller, who would likely serve as the voice of the marquee games. One more nugget declares that Noah Eagle and Mike Tirico will likely serve as the lead play-by-play men.

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