Legendary sports journalist and broadcaster Jim Gray has some very fond memories from working in this business, but looking back on his time spent covering the NBA on NBC, Gray said some of his best memories involve two of the game’s icons.
In a recent interview with Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson, Gray was asked what memories stood out. Jim said Michael Jordan’s run with the Chicago Bulls really stood out.
“To view that to see that, to see that dynasty, that spectacle that the Bulls put on with Scottie Pippen and Michael Jordan and all the great players – Dennis Rodman – it was just so much fun, and it was excellent,” he said. “We were seeing excellence personified winning those fourth, fifth, sixth championships.”
When the Bulls dynasty eventually broke up, Gray called it “sad” but reminded himself of all the other incredible players and teams he got to watch while at NBC.
“We saw the beginning of Shaq and Kobe, the Jordan years, Vin-sanity, Tim Duncan and the excellence that was there. Hakim Olajuwon,” he said. “So there was just a lot of great things that happened over the course of time.”
“It was a great time in the NBA, and it was great time to be involved,” Jim Gray added.
Scoop B pivoted to the late Kobe Bryant and asked Gray if it was harder for him to develop a rapport with Kobe versus Jordan. Jim said the dynamic with Kobe was different considering he knew Bryant’s parents. When Bryant got drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers, Gray was already living in LA and so it definitely helped that he had already developed a relationship with Kobe and his family.
“A familiar face to the Bryant family was very fortuitous and lucky for me to have been able to be in that position,” Gray said. “So having a relationship with Kobe was one of the great joys of my life and to see him play. And covering Michael and being able to talk to him and interview him and be on those broadcasts all those years was fantastic too.”
