NBC Sports host Maria Taylor returned to basketball coverage this season with NBC Sports — a move she calls a “full circle moment” after her 2021 departure from ESPN.
Speaking on 7PM in Brooklyn with Carmelo Anthony, Taylor detailed how leaving ESPN, where she built her national profile, ultimately led to a fresh opportunity and renewed purpose at NBC.
“The last thing someone told me at my former employer was, like, you’ll never be seen on TV again,” Taylor recalled. “There’s a questionnaire that I had to fill out for volleyball when I was in college, a junior, and it said, ‘What do you want to do?’ And it was like, ESPN reporter — that was it, that was the dream. When I made the decision to come over to NBC, I had to believe in that and go with it. I just felt like I wasn’t getting served, there was nothing else to learn [at ESPN].”
Taylor’s final assignment for ESPN came during the 2021 NBA Finals. Where she was part of the network’s coverage as the Milwaukee Bucks clinched the championship. The very next day, she transitioned to NBC to cover the Tokyo Olympics. An abrupt but defining moment in her career shift.
“Literally, the next day, I woke up and went to Tokyo and covered the Olympics for NBC. When I left, I really thought I was leaving basketball at the table — and that’s the sport I love,” said Taylor. “So to flash forward now, five years later into this. [To] have an opportunity to be back in the league — that was what I was working towards.”
Taylor said the time away from the NBA ultimately proved meaningful. Helping her gain perspective and reaffirm her passion for the game.
“Things can be removed out of your life for a reason. This is what was on the other side of it, and this is where I needed to be,” she explained. “For me personally, it’s the biggest full-circle moment I could ever ask for. I remember the commissioner saying, even when I was leaving. He’s like, ‘We have a great relationship with NBC, and life is long — you just never know what’s gonna happen.’”
Now, Taylor will again be a familiar face for basketball fans. This time on NBC Sports’ coverage, closing a loop that began with a leap of faith four years ago. As the host of Football Night in America, Taylor’s role will shift following the conclusion of the NFL season on NBC Sports. As the network will launch Sunday Night Basketball across NBC and Peacock on February 1, 2026.
This year, Sunday Night Basketball will pause on February 8 and February 15, 2026, due to NBC Sports’ coverage of Super Bowl LX, the NBA All-Star Game, and the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics. It will resume on Feb. 22 and run through April 5. Sunday nights will occasionally feature doubleheaders. A one-hour, on-site studio program will lead into game coverage each week on NBC and Peacock.
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