ESPN Adds Yet Another NBA Analyst In Avery Johnson
Thursday, October 16, 2008
I honestly think that ESPN's HR Dept. has no idea how many employees they currently have under the payroll, or they wouldn't be continually hiring people for NBA coverage. The latest hire is former Mavs' Coach, Avery Johnson, who actually worked with the network last season. Here are quotes from the parties involved in the deal....
“Avery has excelled in every professional endeavor and we know his success will carry over to his on-air role,” said Norby Williamson, ESPN executive vice president, production. “His experience and passion for the game will resonate with our fans.”I personally think that Avery is a very smart Basketball mind, but he just wasn't ready to be on TV last year. Hopefully he got better over the offseason because the show he'll be on has a trainwreckability that's off the charts. Johnson will be joining Stuart Scott and Bill Walton on ESPN’s NBA Shootaround, and with Walton having the season off last year after with back problems, I'm sure he'll be even more amped up than ever before.
“I’m excited to join the ESPN family of networks and, specifically, to join the NBA broadcast team,” said Johnson. “ESPN and ABC has an abundance of terrific talent and I’m glad to launch my career in broadcasting with the premiere sports network.”
It'll be interesting to say the least. I'm also not sure what the hirings of Magic Johnson, and now Avery Johnson, means for one of my favorites in Tim Legler. Hopefully he's still around this season because he's the best analysts that they have over there. I guess they could have just forgot he works there since they have over 30 NBA employees on the payroll. One of these days I'm going to try and count them all.
(Via ESPN PR)
9 Comments:
Why would ESPN's public relations department have anything to do with hiring people?
Why would ESPN's public relations department have anything to do with hiring people?
"Tim Legler. Hopefully he's still around this season because he's the best analysts that they have over there."
This quote says volumes about the quality of the NBA analysts over at ESPN. I don't mean that as a compliment to ESPN or to Tim Legler.
AA,
Greg Anthony slightly nudges Legs out of first place as the best NBA analyst the WWL employs. When Bill Walton speaks, war my mute button!
"He's breakdance fighting!!"
I wish this were a create the caption.
As long as they can slide Stephen A. Smith out with these hiring, the better.
LOL you changed it from public relations to human recourses...HR is not in charge of hiring people either...keep trying, you will get it soon.
Greg Anthony is still at ESPN?
Legler is currently doing the myriad of International exhibition games ESPN has been running recently, but that's no indication of his current status as an analyst.
I think that Norby is trying to get a Jets/Sharks style gang war going on in Bristol between the NFL and NBA "analysts".