Al Michaels doesn’t want to call NBA games for Amazon under new package
The NBA is coming to Amazon Prime Video, which means a reunion between pro basketball and Al Michaels, the former voice of the NBA at ABC.
However, it appears the 79-year-old voice of Thursday Night Football on Prime Video is not interested in being part of the streamer’s broadcast team for the NBA when its package begins in 2025.
In an interview with the Los Angeles Times published Thursday, Michaels indicated he does not want to add the NBA back to his resume. He said instead Amazon “should put a group together that can do this for a lot of years and build” for the long-run of its 11-year deal.
“I love doing the NBA, but that was a long time ago and I’m happy just to spectate next year and beyond,” Michaels told Stephen Battaglio of the Times.
Michaels called the NBA Finals in 2004 alongside analyst Doc Rivers and 2005 with analyst Hubie Brown after replacing Brad Nessler as lead NBA announcer for ABC. When Michaels left for NBC in 2006, he was replaced by Mike Breen.
But at 79 heading into the final year of his contract with Amazon, Michaels is not the man to shepherd Prime Video’s NBA coverage into the next 11 years and beyond.
Previously, reports suggested Amazon would pursue Ian Eagle from TNT Sports to be its lead NBA voice as well as the eventual successor to Michaels on Thursday Night Football.
After wading into sports three years ago with its NFL package, Amazon will now become a nightly fixture in sports fans’ lives broadcasting the NBA. While Michaels was the first face of Prime Video Sports, he will soon pass the baton.
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