Analyst Chris Webber won’t be involved in TNT’s coverage of the 2021 NBA Playoff, leaving the broadcasting team after 14 years.
NBA playoff games broadcast on TNT this year will have a different sound to them.
Chris Webber and TNT have agreed to part ways, according to The New York Post.
The analyst was not part of Thursday night’s final TNT regular-season broadcast and he won’t be calling games in the playoffs alongside Marv Albert either.
Chris Webber leaving TNT is the end of an era
It’s crazy to think Webber’s time as a TNT analyst was almost as long as his time playing in the NBA. He joined the broadcast team in 2008 with 14 years of games under his belt. His playing career spanned 15 years.
According to the Post, the two sides hadn’t conducted contract negotiations for next season. The split appears to have been agreeable to both, even if it is odd for him to leave without seeing out the postseason.
Read into this what you will, but Webber’s Twitter certainly didn’t feel like he was torn up about the situation.
As most analysts do, Webber split opinions, so some may celebrate along with him, while others may be disappointed.
TNT hasn’t officially announced the departure. They haven’t identified a replacement either.
The Post speculated that Reggie Miller, who joined Albert for the 76ers game against the Heat on Thursday, could take the spot. Other potential names include Grant Hill, who called the Suns’ win over the Trailblazers with Kevin Harlan, and Jim Jackson.
The NBA regular season will finish up on Sunday. Play-in tournament games will tip-off on May 18 and continue through May 21. The proper playoffs will then begin on May 22.
By then, TNT will have their analyst situation sorted out. Then all the attention can focus on the action on the court as the league sets out to determine a champion.