NBC’s effort to extend the success of Sunday Night NFL into a new NBA programming partnership will see its first Sunday night show powered by a superstar athlete who isn’t even in the NBA.
NBC announced that popular WNBA guard Caitlin Clark will join NBC Sports as a special contributor on February 1 for the Sunday night premiere of the network’s new NBA pregame show, “Hoops Night in America.” She will serve as an analyst on the pregame show, which begins at 6 p.m. ET and ends at 7 p.m. ET between the Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.
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The second game of the night will be a playoff rematch between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Denver Nuggets in Denver at 9:30 p.m.
Clark will join a studio team consisting of host Maria Taylor and three Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame members Tracy McGrady, Carmelo Anthony and Vince Carter for in-studio analysis.
“I’m excited to be a part of the Basketball Night in America team this season,” Clark said in the release. “Cameron, Vince and Tracy are legends of the game, and Mariah is a true pro. It will be really fun to join them a few times this season.”
Clark is widely considered one of the icons of women’s basketball. She is a two-time WNBA All-Star, a 2024 WNBA All-Pro selection and the 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year as the No. 1 pick in that year’s draft, following one of the greatest college careers in men’s or women’s basketball.
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The former Iowa point guard put together a stellar college career filled with milestones. She became the leading scorer for both men and women in NCAA Division I history (3,951 points) and won two Naismith College Player of the Year Awards (2023, 2024), two AP Player of the Year Awards (2023, 2024), AP Female Athlete of the Year Award (2024), and was a three-time unanimous first-team All-American (2022, 2023, 2023). 2024).
Clark will return to the show on Sunday, March 29 at 7:30 pm ET when the Oklahoma City Thunder host the Knicks.
Analysis by Andrew Marchand
In a creative move, NBC brought in Caitlin Clark as a special contributor for its NBA coverage. If you want to stand out and possibly attract attention, Clark is a good place to start.
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In a world where Inside the NBA has dominated for years, it’s hard for a pregame show to stand out. Although the joining of Michael Jordan has always been a “big hat, no cattle”, the joining of Clark may bring more dividends.
She was injured last year but could still end up being the biggest star in basketball. Don’t you want to build a strong, long-term relationship with that person? NBC not only has the NBA, but also the WNBA.
The most interesting aspect of this setup is: Where will Clark’s relationship with NBC go from here?
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
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