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Derek Fisher is joining the new broadcast team for the NBA on NBC
Derek Fisher is joining the new broadcast team for the NBA on NBC

USA Today

time6 days ago

  • Entertainment
  • USA Today

Derek Fisher is joining the new broadcast team for the NBA on NBC

This coming season, the NBA will return to NBC after a 23-year hiatus. That means that fans will get to hear that timeless "Roundball Rock" theme song on a regular basis throughout the season. No, Marv Albert and Bob Costas will not be handling broadcasts as they did in the 1990s and early 2000s. But NBC has assembled a solid cast of play-by-play announcers, color commentators and analysts. On Thursday, the network announced that it has added several more talented individuals who are former NBA players to that cast. One of them is Derek Fisher, a guard who won five NBA championships with the Los Angeles Lakers alongside the late great Kobe Bryant. Fisher, like Bryant, was a member of that famed 1996 draft class. It took him a little while, but he became a key role player for the Purple and Gold as they won the first three world titles of the 21st century. After two seasons with the Golden State Warriors and one with the Utah Jazz, he returned to the Lakers in 2007 and earned two more rings in 2009 and 2010. Fans remember him for hitting key 3-pointers, especially in the playoffs, and for his grittiness and leadership.

TNT's Kenny Albert wraps up a memorable 9-month stretch with the Stanley Cup Final
TNT's Kenny Albert wraps up a memorable 9-month stretch with the Stanley Cup Final

The Independent

time04-06-2025

  • Entertainment
  • The Independent

TNT's Kenny Albert wraps up a memorable 9-month stretch with the Stanley Cup Final

Getting to call a Stanley Cup Final for the third time on national television would qualify as the top moment of the year for most announcers. For TNT 's Kenny Albert, it is another accomplishment in a year that has been filled with many, especially over the past nine months. Wednesday's Game 1 between the Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers will be Albert's 1,483rd call in hockey, football or baseball for a national network. He moved past his father, the legendary Marv Albert, into fourth place among North American announcers during last Wednesday's Game 5 of the Eastern Conference final between Florida and Carolina. 'To be listed along with some of the all-time greats who I watched growing up and then got to know a lot of them personally, it's a proud moment when you see that you're included in that group,' Albert said. 'My schedule definitely is a bit of a jigsaw puzzle between the various sports and networks, but very fortunate to work for and with so many great people.' Albert surpassed the 500 games mark in both the NFL and NHL within a six-month period. He became the first NFL play-by-play announcer to reach 500 games on one network last October when the Philadelphia Eagles hosted the Cleveland Browns in a game televised by Fox. He has been with Fox Sports since its beginning in 1994. He surpassed 500 national NHL games on Dec. 18 when the Philadelphia Flyers faced the Detroit Red Wings on TNT. Albert has been TNT's top hockey announcer since it got the rights in 2021. All told, Albert has done 534 NHL, 512 NFL, 421 baseball and 15 NBA games on a national broadcast or cable network. That is on top of his other duties as New York Rangers radio voice and backup for New York Knicks television games on MSG Network. Albert's versatility to do a plethora of different sports was something he picked up from his father. Even though Marv Albert's signature sport was the NBA, he also did the NFL and NHL along with hosting the baseball pregame show during the late 1980s on NBC. 'I've always loved the variety,' Kenny Albert said. For all of the aforementioned accomplishments, though, the highlight of Albert's year so far was calling Alex Ovechkin's 895th NHL goal on April 6 to break Wayne Gretzky's career record. Albert's call during the second period, when the Washington Capitals star set the record against the New York Islanders, relayed excitement while also mentioning the goal number and then going silent so that the crowd and scenes from the crowd could take over. 'In a championship situation or big moment, I don't usually write something out, but I do throw some words around in my mind just to be ready,' Albert said. "I was thinking something with his nickname, the Great Eight, the great Gretzky. When he tied the record, Joe Beninati (the Capitals TV announcer) used something similar to that, so I wanted to shift over to something else and not use some of the same words he did. 'When it happened, it just came out naturally. I mentioned No. 895 and then I just got out of the way. It was very important after the call to just lay out and let the production folks do their thing. Let the pictures and sound tell the story.' According to TV database research compiled by Un/Necessary Sports Research, the late Bob Cole, who called the games for CBC's 'Hockey Night in Canada' for 50 years, leads the way at 1,722 (all hockey) games; followed by Dick Stockton, who did basketball, baseball and football for CBS and Fox, with 1,544; and Canadian play-by-play announcer Chris Cuthbert with 1,539. Cuthbert, the current lead voice for 'Hockey Night in Canada' will surpass Stockton if the Stanley Cup Final goes six games. Kevin Harlan is sixth at 1,477 and should surpass Marv Albert (1,481) for fifth during Week 5 of the upcoming NFL season. This will be the 11th Stanley Cup Final for Albert, including eight on radio, but the first where he has called a rematch from the previous year. This is the first final rematch since the Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins in 2009 and the second over the past 40 years. 'It has a chance to be one of the all-time great championship series," Albert said. "These same teams played a scintillating seven-game series last June. Star power on both sides. Edmonton attempting to win Canada's first Cup since 1993. Florida looking to repeat. Can Connor McDavid match Wayne Gretzky and Sidney Crosby and win his first Stanley Cup against the team that beat his club in the Cup Final the year before? I can't wait.' ___

TNT's Kenny Albert wraps up a memorable 9-month stretch with the Stanley Cup Finals
TNT's Kenny Albert wraps up a memorable 9-month stretch with the Stanley Cup Finals

Associated Press

time04-06-2025

  • Entertainment
  • Associated Press

TNT's Kenny Albert wraps up a memorable 9-month stretch with the Stanley Cup Finals

Getting to call a Stanley Cup final for the third time on national television would qualify as the top moment of the year for most announcers. For TNT's Kenny Albert, it is another accomplishment that has been filled with many over the past nine months. Wednesday's first game between the Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers will be Albert's 1,483rd call in either hockey, football or baseball for a national network. He moved past his father, the legendary Marv Albert, into fourth place among North American announcers during last Wednesday's Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals between Florida and Carolina. 'To be listed along with some of the all-time greats who I watched growing up and then got to know a lot of them personally, it's a proud moment when you see that you're included in that group,' Albert said. 'My schedule definitely is a bit of a jigsaw puzzle between the various sports and networks, but very fortunate to work for and with so many great people.' Albert surpassed the 500 games mark in both the NFL and NHL within a six-month period. He became the first NFL play-by-play announcer to reach 500 games on one network last October when the Philadelphia Eagles hosted the Cleveland Browns on Fox. He has been with Fox Sports since its beginning in 1994. He also surpassed 500 national NHL games on Dec. 18 when the Philadelphia Flyers faced the Detroit Red Wings on TNT. Albert has been TNT's top hockey announcer since it got the rights in 2021. All told, Albert has done 534 NHL, 512 NFL, 421 baseball and 15 NBA games on a national broadcast or cable network. That is on top of his other duties as New York Rangers radio voice and backup for New York Knicks television games on MSG Network. Albert's versatility to do a plethora of different sports was something he picked up from his father. Even though Marv Albert's signature sport was the NBA, he also did the NFL and NHL along with hosting the baseball pregame show during the late 1980's on NBC. 'I've always loved the variety,' Kenny Albert said. For all of the aforementioned accomplishments though, the highlight of Albert's year so far was calling Alex Ovechkin's 895th NHL goal on April 6 to break Wayne Gretzky's career record. Albert's call during the second period, when the Washington Capitals star set the record against the New York Islanders relayed excitement, while also mentioning the goal number and then going silent so that the crowd and scenes from the crowd could take over. 'In a championship situation or big moment, I don't usually write something out but I do throw some words around in my mind just to be ready,' Albert said. 'I was thinking something with his nickname, the Great Eight, the great Gretzky. When he tied the record, Joe Beninati (the Capitals TV announcer) used something similar to that, so I wanted to shift over to something else and not use some of the same words he did. 'What it happened, it just came out naturally. I mentioned number 895 and then I just got out of the way. It was very important after the call to just lay out and let the production folks do their thing. Let the pictures and sound tell the story.' According to TV database research compiled by Un/Necessary Sports Research, the late Bob Cole, who called the games for CBC's 'Hockey Night in Canada' for 50 years, leads the way at 1,722 (all hockey) games; followed by Dick Stockton, who did basketball, baseball and football for CBS and Fox, with 1,544; and Canadian play-by-play announcer Chris Cuthbert with 1,539. Cuthbert, the current lead voice for 'Hockey Night in Canada' will surpass Stockton if the Stanley Cup Finals goes six games. Kevin Harlan is sixth at 1,477 and should surpass Marv Albert (1,481) for fifth during Week 5 of the upcoming NFL season. This will be the 11th Stanley Cup Final for Albert, including eight on radio, but the first where he has called a rematch from the previous year. This is the first final rematch since the Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins in 2009 and the second over the past 40 years. 'It has a chance to be one of the all-time great championship series,' Albert said. 'These same teams played a scintillating seven-game series last June. Star power on both sides. Edmonton attempting to win Canada's first Cup since 1993. Florida looking to repeat. Can Connor McDavid match Wayne Gretzky and Sidney Crosby and win his first Stanley Cup against the team that beat his club in the Cup Final the year before? I can't wait.' ___ AP NHL:

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