"This was Michael Jordan. The face of the NBA’s greatest era. The man who helped make the original NBA on NBC a cultural phenomenon. The opportunity to put him back in that environment should have been impossible to screw up. And somehow, NBC did."
Manfred noted that the league currently plans to produce broadcasts for both the Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks in 2024, like it did for roughly half of the 2023 MLB season.
Betts will appear on a bevy of MLB properties, including MLB Network, ahead of the game, and will speak with players and coaches during pregame and postgame interviews.
Hahn has worked as the Voice of the Wolfpack football and men's basketball teams since 1990, calling more than 400 football and 1,000 men's basketball games.
"This was Michael Jordan. The face of the NBA’s greatest era. The man who helped make the original NBA on NBC a cultural phenomenon. The opportunity to put him back in that environment should have been impossible to screw up. And somehow, NBC did."
Tuesday's tribute worked because it felt honest, not staged. Consequently, it's the kind of moment that reminds viewers why they tuned in beyond the headlines.