“They have a shot at a legit Western Conference Finals run. Star power wins games in the playoffs, so they have that star power.” – Carmelo Anthony on the Lakers run this season
“We don’t know, but he’s gearing up for something. Something is brewing.”– Carmelo Anthony on the potential return of Jayson Tatum
“I think this is a team that can make it to the Eastern Conference Finals with Jaylen Brown at the helm” – Tracy McGrady on the Celtics performing without Jayson Tatum
STAMFORD, Conn. – February 22, 2026 – Basketball Night in America, NBC Sports’ weekly on-site NBA studio show, returned tonight ahead of Sunday Night Basketball, NBC Sports’ marquee NBA program of the week. BNIA was on-site tonight from Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, Calif., leading into coverage of the Los Angeles Lakers hosting the Boston Celtics on NBC, Peacock, and Telemundo at 6:30 p.m. ET / 3:30 p.m. PT.
Tonight’s premiere on-site edition of Basketball Night in America from Crypto.com Arena featured host Ahmed Fareed alongside Naismith Basketball Hall of Famers Carmelo Anthony, Vince Carter, and Tracy McGrady. Pre-game coverage also included NBC Sports’ Bob Costas, its famed sports broadcaster for nearly four decades, introducing the show and the debut feature of THE QUIET WORK, a five-episode series on NBC Sports documenting Celtics star Jayson Tatum’s return to the NBA from a torn Achilles last May.
Noah Eagle (play-by-play), Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer Reggie Miller (analyst), three-time NBA Sixth Man of the Year Jamal Crawford (analyst), and Zora Stephenson (courtside reporter) are calling Celtics-Lakers.
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Following are highlights from tonight’s edition of Basketball Night in America ahead of Sunday Night Basketball on NBC, Peacock, and Telemundo:
ON CELTICS/LAKERS RIVALRY
Bob Costas: “The Celtics and the Lakers, they are without a doubt the two most storied franchises in the NBA.”
ON CELTICS
Carmelo Anthony on the potential return of Jayson Tatum: “We don’t know, but he’s gearing up for something. Something is brewing.”
Tracy McGrady: “I’m playing the wait-and-see game.”
Vince Carter: “I’m going to play the other side, and I’m talking straight to the player: don’t rush the process. At the same time, you don’t want to be in and out of the lineup. Fix the problem. Get better. Get healthy 100 percent and then go for it.”
McGrady on the team’s ceiling without Tatum: “When we’re talking about the ceiling, what they can do with JT not coming back, I think this is a team that can make it to the Eastern Conference finals with Jaylen Brown at the helm.”
ON LAKERS
Anthony on the Lakers’ ceiling this season: “They have a shot at a legit Western Conference Finals run. Star power wins games in the playoffs, and they have that star power. The Lakers’ ceiling, to me, is the Western Conference Finals.”
McGrady on the Lakers’ big three — James, Dončić and Reaves: “One of the toughest things for a coach is when you’ve got guys in and out of the lineup, especially your key guys. When one of those three guys is sitting out, who’s going to fit well coming off the bench that’s going to mirror what we do on this basketball court?”
Carter: “I think that guy is Luke Kennard. He has gravitational pull. They can use that because it opens up the floor for their three superstars.”
ON THE U.S. MEN’S HOCKEY GOLD MEDAL WIN AT THE MILAN CORTINA 2026 OLYMPICS
Anthony: “That’s a lot of pride right there. In that moment, you’re talking about one of the biggest moments in sports. To win that game 2-1 in overtime in the gold medal game, that’s what we want to see in sports.”
ON JULIUS ERVING CELEBRATING HIS 76th BIRTHDAY
Carter: “He was my inspiration. He was a guy I loved. Getting to meet him for the first time was one of the best moments of my life.”
—BASKETBALL NIGHT IN AMERICA—