NBA Icons Turned Analysts: Which Former Players Own the Broadcast Game?
From Dunks to Deep Analysis
When the lights go out on the court and the oldest NBA players have to think about retiring, many seek new passions and new directions for their careers. Some choose to become coaches, others are dazzled by the glamour of Hollywood and become actors, and many others end up as analysts on broadcast networks. It is on this last group that we are going to focus to find out who are the ex-Hoopers who have best adapted as sports analysts.
What is the Retirement Age for NBA Players?
Basketball is a very physically and mentally demanding sport with constant travel, injuries, and the pressure to perform at the highest level. The life of a player is hard and depending on how each one feels, we have seen everything from players who retire from the league at 30 years old, others at 35, and a few who endure the pressure of playing until 40 or beyond. Nat Hickey holds the record as the oldest person to play in the NBA at 45 years and 363 days old.
But in general, the average age of retirement is 28.2 years old. Although it may seem that they retire very young, it must be considered that many of them have played the game for much of their life, being part of high school and college teams before making the jump to the NBA. When retiring so young, it is not surprising that players look for other passions and careers to dedicate their time to.
NBA Players Who Turned Broadcasters
Many players have become broadcasters and have made a name for themselves for excellent analysis work and performance in front of the cameras. Let’s look at some of them:
Charles Barkley
Barkley always showed a great work ethic and commitment on the court, which translated into great successes such as NBA MVP, 11-time All-Star, and All-Star Game MVP among others. In 1992, he made his first foray into the world of broadcasting on Inside the NBA as a guest analyst. Due to his great knowledge and passion for the game, as well as his charisma, he became a full-time studio analyst for the NBA on TBS during the 2000-01 season and has since become one of the most recognizable faces.
He wanted to have one of the longest NBA careers but ended prematurely at the age of 36 due to an injury. However, today you can’t think of an NBA broadcast that doesn’t have Barkley on the roster. In 2022, Barkley signed a deal with TNT for $100 million, proving that he has found a lucrative career path.
Magic Johnson
The five-time NBA champion made a smooth transition into the world of broadcasting after his retirement as one of the oldest NBA players of his time at 32. At the beginning of his career, Magic did not want to play basketball and had decided to focus instead on his communication studies major and desire to become a television commentator. Luckily, he was convinced to play basketball. But the dream of being in front of the cameras did not disappear. In fact, he owns a production company and in 1998, Johnson hosted a late-night talk show on the Fox network called The Magic Hour, but the show was canceled after two months because of low ratings.
He would later be called upon as a guest analyst on some programs, and in them, Johnson has stood out in his work due to his pragmatic approach and his great ability to point out the changes that the game has had, how it has evolved, and where it is headed.
Grant Hill
During his playing days, Hill was a standout figure for his versatility, agility, and leadership, and was even compared to Jordan. However, injuries prevented him from displaying his full potential. He is one of the oldest NBA players to retire at 40 years old. He made the transition to the TV world on NBA Inside Stuff, where he showed that he had a natural talent for the cameras, although he was not aware of it. Just a few days after starting his job at Turner Sports, Hill was called into the network’s head office. In his own words, Hill thought he was being called in to be told how badly he had done, but it was quite the opposite. The network and fans wanted more of Hill and offered him a permanent role on the show.
Since 2015, Hill has been a fixture on March Madness broadcasts and today he is a broadcaster known for his charisma.
Tracy McGrady
During his playing days, no one knew that T-Mac wanted to be a TV analyst. But the two-time scoring champion and seven-time All-Star made a smooth transition into the world of broadcasting after his retirement, landing a contract with ESPN. He has since been a prominent figure in the sports broadcasting world with appearances on networks such as FOX and several sports TV shows. McGrady is one of those NBA veterans who made history and keeps busy outside of the TV studio with various business ventures and investments.