Legendary sports broadcasters Bob Costas, Doug Collins, Mike “Czar of the Telestrator” Fratello, Jim Gray, Hannah Storm, Isiah Thomas, and P.J. Carlesimo return to NBC Sports in a special edition “throwback” Coast 2 Coast Tuesday broadcast on Tues., March 3 in Philadelphia when Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs visit Tyrese Maxey and the Philadelphia 76ers.
The game, which will be called by Costas, Collins, and Fratello alongside courtside reporter Gray, tips off at 8 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock. NBA Showtime precedes the game broadcast at 7 p.m. ET on Peacock and will feature Storm as studio host and Thomas and Carlesimo as studio analysts.
Costas, Collins, Fratello, Gray, Storm, Thomas, and Carlesimo all served as NBA on NBC Sports commentators and analysts during the 1990s and early 2000s. Costas, Gray, and Fratello, who was dubbed “Czar of the Telestrator” by Marv Albert, are Emmy Award winning sports broadcasters.
Thomas, who is a two-time NBA champion with the Detroit Pistons, and Collins, who is a four-time NBA All-Star and longtime NBA head coach for the Chicago Bulls, Detroit Pistons, Washington Wizards, and Philadelphia 76ers, are Naismith Basketball Hall of Famers. Storm’s sports broadcasting career has spanned over 40 years across networks such as CNN, NBC Sports, Amazon Prime, ESPN, and ABC, and Carlesimo has nearly 40 years of coaching experience in college basketball and the NBA and has worked as a broadcaster with networks including TNT, ESPN, and NBC.
- Bob Costas – Host and Play-by-Play voice, 1990-2002
- Doug Collins – Game Analyst, 1998-2001
- Mike Fratello – Game and Studio Analyst, 1990-1993, 2001-2002
- Jim Gray – Courtside Reporter, 1994-2002
- Hannah Storm – Courtside Reporter and Studio Host, 1993-2000
- Isiah Thomas – Game and Studio Analyst, 1998-2000
- P.J. Carlesimo – Studio Analyst, 2001-2002
Both Coast 2 Coast Tuesday broadcasts of Spurs-76ers at 8 p.m. ET and Suns-Kings at 11 p.m. ET will incorporate reminiscent and familiar components from the 1995-96 NBA on NBC season, including feature graphics package — score bar, stats, full pages, replay wipes, etc. — and tape elements. While the on-court game coverage will reflect 2025-2026 NBA on NBC Sports broadcasts, there will be flashbacks from the 1990s weaved into the viewer’s experience throughout the night.
In a nod to its original era of NBA coverage from 1990-2002, in NBC Sports’ first season back broadcasting the NBA, John Tesh’s “Roundball Rock”, an AI-generated voice of the late Jim Fagan, and narrated features, teases and introductions Costas, Albert, and Tom Hammond have been highlighted.
“Everyone at NBC Sports has so many great memories of the 1990s and NBA on NBC,” says Sam Flood, Executive Producer, NBC Sports. “We are excited to get the band of iconic voices back together with Bob, Doug, Mike, Jim, Hannah, Isiah and P.J. and celebrate the game of basketball with viewers of all ages.”
NBC Sports’ coverage of this throwback NBA broadcast between San Antonio and Philadelphia is led by Coordinating Producer Frank DiGraci and Director Drew Esocoff who is coming off directing Super Bowl LX earlier in February on NBC and Peacock.Flood is Executive Producer & President, NBC Sports Production. The Coordinating Producer of NBA Showtime is Adam Littlefield and directed by Jared Sumner.