The NBA released its 2025-26 national broadcast game schedules for opening night, Christmas Day and MLK Day on ABC, ESPN, NBC and NBC’s streaming channel Peacock on Aug. 13.
The league’s 80th season begins Oct. 21 on NBC and Peacock, which hasn’t shown the league’s games on the network since 2002. NBC and Peacock will have three former Phoenix Suns on their broadcast crew on opening night — Jamal Crawford, Grant Hill and Vince Carter.
Phoenix Suns’ Steve Nash (13) and Grant Hill (33) against the Philadelphia 76’ers during NBA preseason action at US Airways Center in Phoenix on Oct. 16, 2009.
Crawford, who played for the Suns during the 2018-19 season, joined NBC in January 2025 as a lead game analyst. He’ll call the game with longtime NBC Sports’ play-by-play announcer Mike Tirico, fellow analyst and Hall of Famer Reggie Miller, as well as sideline reporter Zora Stephenson for the Houston Rockets’ visit to the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder.
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That’s the first of NBC’s doubleheader, starting at 7:30 p.m, in which former Phoenix superstar Kevin Durant will face his former team Oklahoma City. Phoenix traded Durant to Houston on June 22.
Studio coverage for that game will be hosted by Maria Taylor alongside analysts Carmelo Anthony and Carter, who played in Phoenix during the 2010-11 season.
Miller’s fellow Hall of Famer Hill, a member of the Suns from 2007-12, will cover the second game: Los Angeles Lakers hosting the Stephen Curry-led Golden State Warriors. The biggest story entering that matchup will be Lakers icon LeBron James adding to his hoard of all-time records by beginning his 23rd season.
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Hill will be on staff for the Lakers-Warriors game with play-by-play announcer Noah Eagle, sideline reporter Ashley ShahAhmadi, with in-studio host Ahmed Fareed and another Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady as an analyst.
NBC will air 100 games during the regular season on Sundays, Mondays, and Tuesday nights, All-Star Weekend and the NBA Playoffs.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: 3 ex-Suns among NBA On NBC analysts for 2025-26 season’s opening night