The Charlotte Hornets announced today that Sam Farber has been named the team’s new radio play-by-play broadcaster. Farber comes to Charlotte from Southern California and brings a wide variety of broadcasting experience to the Hornets. He regularly calls play-by-play for college basketball, college baseball and high school football for both ESPN and FOX Sports West/Prime Ticket. Farber also serves as a Game Break Update anchor for college football games on FOX and FOX Sports 1, as well as the halftime and postgame host for University of Southern California football. Additionally, he has been a play-by-play announcer for the South Bay Lakers of the NBA G League on Spectrum SportsNet since 2016. From 2014-2016, Farber was the pregame host for the Los Angeles Clippers flagship station, The Beast 980, where he also was an anchor, reporter and host.
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The Sacramento Kings announced today that Kyle Draper has been named as the team’s additional TV play-by-play announcer, following the recent announcement of new primary TV announcer Mark Jones, and host of “Kings Pregame Live” and “Kings Postgame Live” on NBC Sports California. Draper, who arrives in Sacramento with more than 20 years of television experience, will call select games alongside analyst and Kings legend Doug Christie on NBC Sports California when Jones is on assignment for ESPN.
The Portland Trail Blazers have found a familiar face to fill the most important seat on their television broadcast. The team has hired Jordan Kent as its new television play-by-play announcer, the Oregonian/OregonLive has learned, replacing a future Hall of Famer with a local broadcaster on the rise.
He served as the Blazers' play-by-play voice temporarily when the Blazers competed in the NBA bubble this summer, after veteran Kevin Calabro unexpectedly stepped away in June. Kent had never called an NBA game and was given less than a month to prepare.
The Sacramento Kings announced today that Mark Jones has been named as the team’s new primary TV play-by-play announcer. Universally recognized for his nationally televised work on ESPN and ABC Sports, Jones brings more than 30 years of experience to Sacramento. He will call game action alongside Kings TV color analyst and Legend Doug Christie on NBC Sports California, the exclusive home of Kings basketball, beginning in the 2020-21 season.
“We are delighted to welcome Mark to the Kings family and watch him partner with Doug to form a new, dynamic broadcast team for the franchise and its proud fans,” said Kings Owner and Chairman Vivek Ranadivé. “Throughout his impressive career, Mark has amassed a tremendous wealth of experience broadcasting some of the largest events this league has hosted. We are excited he has chosen to continue his career in Sacramento as we look towards the bright future of this organization.
Sean Cunningham: Mark Jones is the new TV announcer for the Sacramento Kings.
On Tuesday, Post sports editors Matt Vita, Matt Rennie, and Joe Tone announced that Lee will take a role with the publication’s sports enterprise team. Rather than focus his coverage on the NBA and stories of a more immediate nature, Lee will cover a broader range of topics including sports’ role in society, along with race, gender, and diversity.
BasketballNews.com is excited to announce the addition of Washington Wizards wing Troy Brown Jr. to our staff. He will be producing a vlog, hosting an upcoming podcast and writing articles for the site going forward. Today, Troy premiered the first episode of his "Life Outside the NBA" vlog (as seen above).
Chris Sheridan: Excited and proud to come aboard today as the Senior NBA Columnist for http://basketballnews.com , a new hoops Web site that will be creating excellent original content with a very talented roster laden with names you already know -- journalists, players, coaches and commentators.
Chris Mannix: Showtime has agreed to new deals with Stephen Jackson (@Stephen Jackson) and @Matt Barnes, per sources. The video podcast 'All the Smoke' runs on Showtime's platforms. Allen Iverson will appear on September 24th. The deal calls for new episodes on Thursday's through 2021.
The New York Post announced a multiplatform partnership with Jalen Rose that spans a weekly column, video and podcast series called “The Renaissance Man.” The media personality, author, philanthropist, former NBA player and founder of the Jalen Rose Leadership Academy will launch the multiplatform content program with the NYP this fall. It’s the first content partnership of this kind for the newspaper. “Rose will share anecdotes and lessons learned throughout his NBA career and beyond, and will relate them to current events and themes,” according to a statement from the NYP.
CNN has added Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green as a contributor to its coverage. Anchor and chief Washington correspondent Jake Tapper announced Green’s hiring on his show on Aug. 28. Green, 30, is also a basketball analyst for TNT, which like CNN is owned by Turner. The Warriors were not part of the NBA’s restarted bubble season, but Green offered insight into the three-day NBA player strike that began Aug. 26.
First Deion Sanders ... then Charles Barkley? Maybe! Barstool Sports prez Dave Portnoy says Sir Chuck is the next big star he's hoping to sign, after inking Prime Time earlier this week. "Charles Barely is like the best to ever do it," Portnoy told us in NYC ... "He's a guy, who one of the few, he just slings it on TNT and does a great job." "That's a guy that comes up on top of my list that I would wanna get."
As per John Ourand’s SBJ Media newsletter at Sports Business Journal, Charania’s deals with both those companies expire later this month (two years after he signed them), and that could lead to him moving on from one or both of those roles. Here’s more on that from Ourand: Shams Charania’s deals with The Athletic and Stadium are up at the end of the month, and he has started exploring whether to move to other outlets when his contracts end. What makes this situation so unique is that it is possible that the 26-year old Charania could switch outlets in the middle of the playoffs; the NBA Finals are slated to start Sept. 30. Typically August is a slow month on the NBA calendar. Not this year. The Chicago-based Charania could decide to re-up with The Athletic or Stadium, both of which have made moves to keep him.
ESPN was reportedly in the hunt for Charania back in the summer of 2018, and while they already have quite a prominent NBA insider in Adrian Wojnarowski, Woj and Shams worked together well in the past at Yahoo’s The Vertical. And ESPN has maybe more incentive than anyone else to add Charania, as they prioritize having their own reporters breaking the news of the day, whether that’s for the on-screen Bottom Line ticker, for ESPN.com or ESPN social media outlets, or for appearances on the likes of SportsCenter and other studio programming.
And if a Stadium-RSN expansion happens, keeping Charania at Stadium might make a lot of sense. The non-YES networks currently have local broadcast rights to 16 NBA teams, and the idea of a regional networks-wide reporter has been tried before, with NBC’s RSNs bringing on Tom Haberstroh in that role in October 2018. And Stadium has already been able to use Charania in a lot of other content, including daily news shows and that Rose documentary. So it makes sense that they’re trying to keep him.
Dionysis Aravantinos: Really excited to announce that I’ve joined @hoopshype as a social media manager. Follow us on all social media platforms. Stay tuned.
Michael Pina: A quick announcement: In addition to covering the NBA for GQ, I'll be contributing a little bit to @FiveThirtyEight . My first piece is about Donovan Mitchell, and how—inside the bubble—what's good for him is best for the Utah Jazz:
Logan Murdock: Growing up, I promised to pursue opportunities that expand my creativity. Now, I’ll look to fulfill that pledge at The @Ringer .
Michael Scotto: Announcement: I've joined @HoopsHype! I'll be taking over for my good friend, @AlexKennedyNBA, writing stories, conducting Q&As, and hosting the HoopsHype podcast!
Sam Amick: Congrats, Michael!
Howard Beck: Congrats, Michael!
Nate Duncan: Huge news: the NBA has selected @DannyLeroux and me to do 2 league pass broadcasts coming up. ORL/BRK at 2:30 ET Fri, PHI/SAS at 8 ET. It will be available in League Pass app and also for single game purchase. Reply here with questions you'd like answered during the cast!
Jamie Goldberg: I’m excited to announce that I will be staying on permanently as a business reporter @Oregonian. I moved to the news side in March, fully expecting to return to the Blazers beat. But as I’ve reported on the COVID-19 fallout, I've realized these are stories I want to tell. (1/3)
Lakers Film Room: It is the honor of a lifetime to announce that I will be producing videos and other content for the @Lakers . What a dream come true. Picked me up off the buyout market after I cleared waivers Face with look of triumph AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
The sports media job market is not that strong at the moment, unless you are Adam Amin. Besides leaving ESPN to broadcast NFL and MLB for Fox Sports, Amin is on the verge of becoming the new TV voice of the Chicago Bulls, according to sources. Amin, a 33-year-old Chicago native, will replace the retiring longtime voice of the Bulls, Neil Funk. Funk announced this would be his final year after more than four decades in the NBA and almost 30 years with the Bulls. He was the team’s voice for five of its six Michael Jordan-led titles.
The sports media job market is not that strong at the moment, unless you are Adam Amin. Besides leaving ESPN to broadcast NFL and MLB for Fox Sports, Amin is on the verge of becoming the new TV voice of the Chicago Bulls, according to sources. Amin, a 33-year-old Chicago native, will replace the retiring longtime voice of the Bulls, Neil Funk. Funk announced this would be his final year after more than four decades in the NBA and almost 30 years with the Bulls. He was the team’s voice for five of its six Michael Jordan-led titles.
Former Cleveland Cavaliers head coach John Beilein is going back to his college basketball roots, landing a job with the Big Ten Network.
Beilein, who stepped down as Cavs coach after 54 games and a frustrating 14-40 record, will serve as an analyst for BTN’s studio team during the conference tournament and March Madness. According to a tweet from the network that welcomed him to the crew, Beilein will make his first appearance Wednesday night during the Big Ten Tournament Tipoff Show at 5:30 p.m.
Keith Smith: I'm incredibly excited to join the NBC Sports NBA team. Thanks to @basketballtalk and the entire NBC team for the opportunity! More exciting news to come later too! And for those who have asked, I'll still be contributing to Yahoo! Sports, CelticsBlog & RealGM. Time to work!
Jenny Dial Creech: Friday night news... later this month I’ll start in my new role as managing editor for The Athletic Houston. I’m thrilled to stay in this city and cover the vibrant sports scene here with the terrific writers on staff. Thanks again for the continued support! For the time being, I’m going to take a few days to hang out with my family and catch my breath. I look forward to getting started on this new journey very soon.
The Knicks parted ways with head coach David Fizdale earlier this month after his squad started 4-18. But he won't be waiting around to find work until next season. SNY's Ian Begley has sources telling him that Fizdale will be returning to ESPN as an NBA analyst later this season. He'll be a studio analyst appearing on various shows that discuss the NBA.
Eddie Maisonet: Life Update: I have a new job title, ESPN NBA Editor. I’m excited. Life Update No. 2: I still have no plug on tickets and/or accepting story pitches. I’m sorry. Life Update No. 3: If you don’t like something we publish, blame me. I’m not sorry. I need some ☕️, love y’all.
Chris Haynes continues to be a growth stock among NBA insiders. The senior NBA insider for Yahoo Sports is nearing a deal to become TNT’s sideline reporter for its Tuesday Night NBA game schedule that tips off in late January, sources tell Front Office Sports. TNT’s Tuesday Night coverage will feature an all-new look during the 2019-2020 season. After a two-year experiment, TNT is dumping the “Players Only” telecasts that featured former stars like Grant Hill, Derek Fisher, Kevin McHale, and Richard Hamilton.
Chris Haynes continues to be a growth stock among NBA insiders. The senior NBA insider for Yahoo Sports is nearing a deal to become TNT’s sideline reporter for its Tuesday Night NBA game schedule that tips off in late January, sources tell Front Office Sports.
Out of the Bleachers: Bleacher Report’s Adam Lefkoe will be the new host on TNT’s Tuesday night NBA coverage. Lefkoe will be joined on set by Dwyane Wade, Shaquille O’Neal and Candace Parker. Turner has scrapped the “Players Only” format, turning to strong play-by-players in Ian Eagle and Brian Anderson. They will be working with Stan Van Gundy and Jim Jackson. The exact pairings are not yet known.
Thirteen-year NBA veteran and former Portland Trail Blazer Channing Frye has joined NBC Sports Northwest for the 2019-20 Trail Blazers season, with his debut coming Friday, Nov. 1.
Frye will co-host a new weekly podcast, Talkin’ Blazers, with NBC Sports Northwest’s Dan Sheldon, Northwest Emmy Award winner and co-host of the Rip City Morning’s radio show. With new episodes dropping each Friday throughout the NBA season, Talkin’ Blazers will discuss all things Trail Blazers as Frye and Sheldon also dive into conversations that extend beyond the court, discussing Portland lifestyle, culture and community.
After 11 years at ESPN, LaPhonso Ellis is being promoted to the top of the network’s hoops coverage as he will join “College GameDay” with Rece Davis, Jay Bilas and Seth Greenberg. “Overwhelmingly honored, bro,” Ellis told The Post. “It came out of nowhere.”
The creator of House of Highlights is headed to the House of the Mouse. Omar Raja, the 25-year-old internet sensation, is leaving Bleacher Report for a major role with ESPN, sources told The Post. He is expected to get a multi-million dollar deal. Raja invented “House of Highlights” as a teenager and grew it under the Bleacher Report umbrella the past four years.
NBA legend Dwyane Wade -- a three-time NBA Champion, NBA Finals MVP and 13-time NBA All-Star -- has reached a comprehensive, multiyear agreement with WarnerMedia that will include a variety of projects across the media company’s entire portfolio. Wade’s contributions will cross over a number of areas, including sports, lifestyle and entertainment. As part of his Turner Sports role, Wade will be a basketball commentator, making appearances at TNT’s tent pole NBA events and as a regular analyst for the network’s Tuesday night studio coverage, appearing alongside analysts Shaquille O’Neal and Candace Parker. Wade will also make studio appearances at the NCAA Final Four and National Championship, as part of Turner Sports and CBS Sports’ combined coverage of the event.
Erik Horne: It’s official. I’m excited to announce that I’ll be covering the Thunder for @TheAthleticNBA . It’s the continuation of a goal and dream: https://theathletic.com/1308822/2019/10/20/erik-horne-joining-the-athletic-a-continuation-of-the-dream
Frye, who made the “Road Trippin'” podcast an enjoyable mashup of inside basketball chatter and random side conversations just by being himself, will join NBA TV’s rotating group of analysts on “NBA GameTime” this season. “NBA GameTime,” a nightly program with highlights and analysis, has a stacked roster of 16 former players that includes Shaquille O’Neal, Kevin McHale, Chris Webber, Kenny Smith, Isiah Thomas, and Grant Hill, so it’s not clear how often Frye will appear. But, since the show airs so often, the 2016 NBA champion with the Cavs should have plenty of opportunities to make an impact.
Brett Dawson: So, I’m changing jobs at The Athletic. Starting today, I’m covering the Lakers alongside @Bill Oram in a job that will also see me giving @Jovan Buha some assists on the Clippers. A little more about the move: theathletic.com/1291012/2019/1…
Mike Monroe: Excited to announce I am coming out of retirement to contribute to @The Athletic’s Spurs coverage this season. I will contribute weekly, with new stories, beginning next week. For 40% off subscription, use this promo code: theathletic.com/welcomemonroe
Expect to see a lot of former Cavaliers fan favorite Richard Jefferson on ESPN’s NBA pregame coverage this season. The 2016 NBA champion will be featured prominently on both "NBA Countdown" and "The Jump" prior to games broadcast on ESPN and ABC. On “NBA Countdown,” he’ll join new hosts Maria Taylor and Jay Williams along with returning analyst Jalen Rose. The show will generally air Fridays from 7-8 p.m.
The Portland Trail Blazers have hired Michael Holton as the team’s radio analyst, it was announced today by Trail Blazers President and CEO Chris McGowan.
Tas Melas: 📣ANNOUNCEMENT 📣 @NoDunksInc has joined @TheAthleticNBA! Subscribe to #NoDunks wherever you listen to podcasts.
Tom Tolbert is joining Tim Roye for Warriors home broadcasts on 95.7 The Game. While Tolbert handles color commentary for the home slate, Jim Barnett will travel with Roye for road games throughout the season.
Turner Sports has reached a multi-year agreement with Stan Van Gundy, with the veteran NBA head coach serving as a game analyst for NBA on TNT Tuesday night coverage, along with being an NBA TV studio analyst throughout the season. Van Gundy will be one of several commentators in new or expanded roles, with play-by-play broadcasters Ian Eagle and Brian Anderson and analyst Jim Jackson also contributing to TNT’s Tuesday night NBA coverage.
“We’re looking forward to further evolving our Tuesday night NBA coverage this season, with Stan joining a talented commentator lineup that will be a key piece of that transformation,” said Craig Barry, Chief Content Officer, Turner Sports. “Stan’s passion for the game and insights will be a great complement alongside Ian, Brian and Jim as our primary Tuesday night voices on TNT.”
Jared Weiss: After 7 years working as a bank regulator by day & journalist by night, I am joining The Athletic full time to cover the Celtics/NBA & host the Daily Ding.
The Athletic: 📢 Welcome @John Hollinger to @The Athletic team! The former Grizzlies VP of Basketball Ops & creator of PER returns to media to provide NBA analysis with a front office perspective for subscribers. More from John on his journey coming full circle » theathletic.com/1246862/?sourc…
KNBR today announced a multiyear contract extension with host Tom Tolbert. A source told The Athletic that the extension will keep Tolbert under contract for four more years from the date it was originally set to expire, in the middle of 2020.
Zach Lowe is staying with ESPN. The NBA talent is signing a multiyear extension with the network, The Big Lead has learned. When reached by text, an ESPN spokesperson declined to comment on the news. As The Big Lead previously reported, Lowe’s contract with ESPN was coming up and The Athletic had interest in adding him to their subscription service.
Danni Wysocki: Welcome to the @NBCSChicago fam @KC Johnson #bfd #leggo
Lowe has not yet signed a new deal with ESPN. Decision-makers at the network really hope to retain him, but there exists a price that is a bridge too far as they continue to practice austerity on talent deals. The most likely suitor for Lowe is The Athletic. They are believed to have made a substantial offer. Lowe, in deciding between ESPN and The Athletic, must weigh factors like whether and how much he wants to be on television, the extent to which having the widest possible readership for his stories and listenership for his podcasts is important to him, and if he wants the pressure of driving enough subscriptions to justify a seven-figure annual deal.
It is expected that Eric Woodyard, who has covered the Utah Jazz for the Deseret News, will be moving to Chicago to replace Andrews on the midwestern beat (Bulls, Bucks, Pistons, Pacers), but the deal is not yet finalized. ESPN has hired Andrew Lopez away from the Times-Picayune to cover Zion Williamson and the Pelicans.
Andrew Lopez: Personal news: I’ve been hired as an NBA writer for ESPN. I’ll have more specifics later but I’ll be based in NOLA - so get ready for more Pels coverage. Working for ESPN has been a dream of mine since I was 8 or 9. And now it’s real. To say I’m excited is an understatement.
Eric Woodyard: I can confirm this news! Let’s go!!!!
CNBC.com managing editor Jeffrey McCracken sent out the following announcement on Thursday to the staff: I am pleased to announce a new hire for the CNBC.com newsroom. Jabari Young joins as a sports business reporter based in Englewood Cliffs. He will cover news ranging from big TV network sports contracts to the influence of agents to the growth of sports gambling. Jabari comes to CNBC from San Antonio where he reported on the NBA and San Antonio Spurs for The Athletic. Before that, he covered the Spurs’ 2013-2014 championship run for the San Antonio Express-News and later broke the story on NBA superstar Kawhi Leonard requesting a trade from the team.
Rosalyn Gold-Onwude: So excited to begin the next chapter of my career ☺️ First up: I’ll be hosting @FirstTake on ESPN for a series of shows through August, Sept & beyond! Geeked to join this huge platform w Stephen A & Max while filling in for the fabulous Molly Qerim! 1st show is tomorrow (Thurs)💪🏽
Sources told The Post that Billups is leaving “Countdown” to be a TV game analyst for the Los Angeles Clippers. Billups very well could continue at ESPN, too, but he likely will shift to games. Pierce is not expected to remain on “Countdown.”
Turner Sports is revamping its NBA coverage and is on the verge of hiring Stan Van Gundy away from ESPN to be a prominent game analyst, The Post has learned. Van Gundy’s addition could have long-term implications for Turner’s top games. For its marquee event, the conference finals, Turner typically goes with a three-man booth.
For the first time in 35 seasons, the Warriors will have a new color commentator on the TV side. Kelenna Azubuike will replace Jim Barnett on the team’s NBC Sports Bay Area broadcasts, with Barnett calling games on the radio with Tim Roye. According to a team press release, Azubuike will work alongside Bob Fitzgerald, who in a few months will enter his 23rd season as the team’s TV play-by-play announcer.
After a frenetic NBA free agency period, Zach Lowe has a deal of his own coming up with ESPN relatively soon, The Big Lead has learned. Sources indicate that ESPN decision-makers feel very strongly about keeping Lowe, who writes, hosts a popular podcast, and appears up and down their television dial on shows like Get Up, The Jump, and player movement analysis specials with Adrian Wojnarowski.
WNBA player Candace Parker’s contract with Turner Sports has expired and ESPN is showing interest in signing her as an analyst, The Big Lead has learned from multiple people with knowledge of the situation. Parker has impressed during her time with Turner and there could be a bidding war. Turner is hoping to keep her at the network and plans to be aggressive in their approach. Parker has served as both and an analyst and commentator for the NBA on TNT, NBA TV, and Turner/CBS coverage of March Madness.
Former Wizards Drew Gooden and Caron Butler are expected to share the TV analyst role alongside Kutcher, with Gooden calling a majority of the games. The analyst position became available when Kara Lawson, who served as Buckhantz’s broadcast partner for the past two seasons after she replaced Phil Chenier, was hired as an assistant coach by the Boston Celtics last month.
Brian Sieman is close to finalizing a deal to become the new television voice of the Clippers, succeeding the soon-to-be Hall of Famer Ralph Lawler in the play-by-play role, The Times has learned. With Sieman set to leave the team’s radio broadcast for television, the Clippers will hire Noah Eagle as his replacement on radio, according to a person with knowledge of the situation not authorized to speak publicly on the matter. The rest of the broadcast crew, including the analyst role on the team’s Fox Sports West/Prime Ticket television broadcasts, has yet to be completed, the person said.
Ralph Lawler: I could not ne happier! He was my First and Only choice. It makes me much more comfortable in retirement knowing my old job is in Brian’s more than capable hands. Congrats @bsieman ! Congrats Clipper Nation!
After months of searching, NBC Sports Washington is making progress on finding Steve Buckhantz’s replacement. Fox’s Justin Kutcher has emerged as the leading candidate to be the next play-by-play voice of the Wizards, according to sources with knowledge of the hiring process. Kutcher, a Connecticut native, has worked for Fox since 2012 and has called college football, college hoops and MLB games during his time there. He first came to D.C. to interview and audition for the job in early May, according to a source.
Kristian Winfield: Hey guys, I have some personal news: This will be my last week at SB Nation. Starting July 1, I'll be stepping in as a Senior NBA Journalist with @NYDailyNews / @NYDNSports
Diamond Leung: Happy to announce that I'll serve as managing editor of @TheAthleticBIZ, joining a great team at our new sports business, media and law vertical. Follow us and subscribe! theathletic.com/1022153/2019/0…
Fox Sports has signed Chris Haynes, Ric Bucher, Matt Barnes, and Cuttino Mobley to bolster their FS1 NBA coverage, a spokesperson has confirmed to The Big Lead. They will all be apart of non-exclusive deals with the network. With the NBA playoffs just days away, the four will be seen across FS1’s daily studio shows and Fox Sports’ digital platforms, but will not just be limited to appearances during the NBA’s postseason.
Jessica Camerato: Some news to share with all of you:
The Los Angeles Times has named Arash Markazi Sports Enterprise Reporter and Page 2 Columnist, reporting to Assistant Managing Editor for Sports, Angel Rodriguez. “Like everything else in our society, the digital revolution has had a profound influence on sports,” said Times Executive Editor Norman Pearlstine. “We’re excited to have Arash on board to help us launch coverage of widely popular and emerging trends in sports, ranging from multiplayer gaming competitions to the legalization of sports betting.”
Arash Markazi: LIFE UPDATE: After nine amazing years at ESPN I've decided to take the job I dreamed about having as a kid. I'm going to be a sports columnist at the Los Angeles Times! I will also be covering emerging trends in sports. I can't tell you how excited I am for this opportunity.
Stephanie Ready: Good morning! I am thrilled to announce that I will be joining The Turner Sports Family this month! I’ll be partnered w/ @ripcityhamilton for the rest of the @nba season including playoffs, broadcasting @NBAonTNT VR! Join in on the fun!🏀😍
John Karalis: I'm thrilled to be joining MassLive as a full-time Celtics beat writer. It's an exciting time, and I'm looking forward to becoming the Celtics beat's John Tyler, in that I'm sure to soon alienate everyone and fade into obscurity, and my predecessor was only around for a month
Jared Weiss: Excited to announce I’m joining the @bballbreakdown pod every week this season to debate shooting mechanics and maybe other NBA musings if Coach Nick & I have time. Today, I take us deep into the Fultz nerve injury & we examine the Hoiberg firing: itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/bba…
ESPN is letting sports business reporter and social media provocateur Darren Rovell out of his contract early to join the upstart gambling platform The Action Network, sources told The Post. Rovell’s contract with ESPN is not up until the summer, however the network plans to let Rovell leave early. Rovell’s Action Network contract has not been signed yet, though he is expected to start there relatively soon. Sources said that Rovell will focus on sports gambling, which is now legal in his home state of New Jersey. He will also have a management role in which he will have a voice in new ideas for the group.
A source said he will still keep his hands on the sports business world. However, his focus will be more on gambling, where he might be able to delve a little deeper than he would at the Disney-owned ESPN.
Chris Haynes is building an NBA reporting team to be reckoned with at Yahoo Sports. Haynes, Yahoo's newly hired senior NBA Insider and editor-in-chief Johnny Ludden are finalizing a deal with up and comer Seerat Sohi of SB Nation, sources tell Sporting News. If Sohi does jump to jump Yahoo, she's expected to cover the NBA from her native Canada.
Chris Mannix: Since Twitter is the new NBA media transaction wire: After three great years at @YahooSports, I'm returning to Sports Illustrated. Thanks to Johnny Ludden, @JGuitarza and the entire Y! edit and video teams. Terrific talents, even better people.
After a 17-season career that began with the Nets in 2001, Jefferson is launching his broadcasting career with the YES Network this season, working primarily as a game analyst. "I've been doing little different things" said Jefferson. "I've done podcasts. I've done some radio stuff. But I'd never called a game before, and when the Nets signed me I really thought I'd be in studio more than games, and (YES producer) Frank (DiGraci) had a different idea."
What has it been like working at The Athletic vs more traditional outlets? Sam Amick: I've enjoyed it a great deal, and it only gets better now that I'm starting to figure out how our readers are different - i.e. more demanding, in a good way - than the mainstream audience. It had been a few years since writing for the most passionate fans was the top priority, and that part has been fantastic. I love the direct relationship with the reader. It's more akin to my time covering the Kings at The Sacramento Bee again.
I was hardly alone on this front, too. My friend and colleague, Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post, lives in the Bay Area now but is headed to an East Coast-based ESPN job soon. As he watched Curry go bonkers, he made a comment amid all the madness that underscored this truth.
