NBA on NBC just wrapped its first season back, and one of its biggest names might already be gone. Tracy McGrady revealed this week that his deal with the network was only for one year and he is not sure if he will be back next season.
“I give ourselves a B+,” McGrady said of his group’s overall performance. “I only did a one-year deal, so we’ll see how that goes moving forward.”
That is the kind of quote you give when you are not sure what is coming. McGrady joined NBC last summer along with Maria Taylor, Carmelo Anthony, and his cousin Vince Carter. The studio show was billed as the centerpiece of NBA on NBC’s relaunch. Year one did not live up to the hype.
The numbers were fine. The chemistry was not. NBA Showtime, as the network branded the studio show, struggled to find a rhythm with four big personalities sharing the desk. Maria Taylor is a polished host. McGrady and Carter are Hall of Famers with strong opinions. Carmelo brings star power. The mix never quite clicked.
NBC’s one year deal structure for McGrady was a hedge from the start. The network wanted the name and the credibility he brought to the launch year. They also wanted the flexibility to reshape the desk if it did not work. That flexibility is now in play.
McGrady is not going to be hurting either way. He just bought 80 percent of the legendary ABCD basketball camp. He is rebooting one of the most iconic prep showcases in the country. NBC was a side project. The camp is the legacy play.
If NBC moves on, expect the network to consolidate. The desk needs fewer voices, more direction, and a clearer point of view. The Inside the NBA crew set the bar for studio shows so high that everyone else is just trying not to look bad in comparison. NBC is not there yet.
This also raises questions about the rest of the desk. If McGrady walks, is Carmelo next? Is Vince? Maria Taylor is the only person whose long term place at the network feels secure.
The NBA on NBC has been around for one season and is already looking at a teardown. The basketball coverage on the call was strong. The studio show was not. The network has to decide whether to double down or reset entirely.
Either way, this is not a great look for a relaunch that was supposed to challenge ESPN and TNT for cultural relevance. Year two will tell us whether NBA on NBC is here to stay or just here for the rights money.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
