There has been much made of the NBA’s presentation of this year’s NBA Finals. From criticisms of logos on the court to the broadcast of the starting lineups, the discussion has often centered more on the presentation than on the actual gameplay itself. Meanwhile, with viewership for the Finals struggling near all-time lows, Colin Cowherd shared his opinion on one particular aspect of the Finals presentation on ABC television that has caught his eye.
Although he’s not typically a fan of being critical of other broadcasters, Cowherd noted that he feels the biggest issue currently with the presentation of the NBA Finals is the chemistry between the broadcasters.
“Not that I’m exclusively or even primarily qualified to talk about it, but I think I’ve earned the right to talk about chemistry. Not talent, chemistry. I don’t like the chemistry on the ESPN NBA broadcast,” said Cowherd on his Colin Cowherd Podcast via The Volume. “It’s not the people, it’s the chemistry.”
This year’s NBA Finals is the first to feature Mike Breen on the call alongside Doris Burke and Richard Jefferson on ABC. Cowherd went on to note the chemistry between talents like Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon, and also Joe Buck and Troy Aikman, as some of the best examples of modern-day broadcasts where chemistry—something difficult to attain—is clearly present.
“The chemistry on your show. Beyond talent, the chemistry is really what makes the show,” explained Cowherd. “Jeff Van Gundy, Mark Jackson and [Mike] Breen had remarkable chemistry. For 24 years, or however long ESPN has had the NBA, they have struggled with pregame shows, post-game shows. The perfect pairing, they had it, and then they blew it up.”
Furthermore, Cowherd believes Van Gundy’s criticisms of the NBA—and possibly the influence that former commissioner David Stern may have had over certain broadcasters—may have contributed to the issue between the league and its on-air talent. However, despite Cowherd’s view that the current chemistry isn’t meeting his standards, he does not believe broadcast crews significantly impact ratings.
“I don’t think broadcasting crews change ratings,” said Cowherd. “As the NBA moves to other networks, I am really interested to see it at Amazon and see it at NBC, because ESPN does a lot very, very well in my opinion…. I don’t think they’ve been good with the NBA. I think Mike Breen is as good as anybody including Marv Albert. I think for 20 years, and I don’t do this, I think they under produced and under delivered the NBA.”
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