TNT isn’t sure two of its top basketball voices will be back with the network next season. Andrew Marchand of the New York Post reports both analyst Chris Webber and legendary play-by-play man Marv Albert may be nearing the end of their run at Turner Sports.
Marv Albert will be 80 years old next year. He is contemplating retirement, but Marchand reports that no decision has been made yet. He is currently in the last year on his most recent contract. His final broadcast of the season is slated to be the Eastern Conference Finals on TNT.
Turner officials have apparently been on the fence regarding Chris Webber’s future for a while. Although he is partnered with Albert on TNT’s top broadcast, the audience isn’t exactly in love with him.
Webber also apparently rubbed his bosses the wrong way during the NCAA Tournament. He informed Turner brass very late that he did not want to be part of the college basketball broadcasts.
So what would TNT do next if they were to lose either or both Albert and Webber?
As far as play-by-play goes, the network is in good shape. Both Kevin Harlan and Ian Eagle would be worthy top dogs for any network that carries the NBA.
The analyst role may be a little harder to predict. Andrew Marchand notes that Reggie Miller and Jim Jackson would be candidates for a promotion. He also notes that Grant Hill won rave reviews for his performance alongside Eagle during the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament. His contract with Turner is up at the end of the year. That could mean he is inline for a big raise if the network does view him as a potential replacement for Chris Webber.
Finally, Marchand notes there are a couple of attractive free agents on the market. Richard Jefferson’s contract at ESPN is up at the end of the year. The network also let Paul Pierce go after he posted racy videos to Instagram.
Chris Webber is the best basketball sports announcer in the business. TNT is stupid for allowing him to slip out their hands. I understand him standing up to TNT and letting them know that he is bigger than College Basketball. He is a NBA announcer and that’s exactly we’re Chris Webber belong. Chris is intelligent, articulate and he is great analyzing the game.