Prime Video will have many familiar faces along with some new voices when it begins its first season of NBA coverage in October. Two of those are very familiar to Timberwolves fans, with Michael Grady, the current TV voice for the team, and Kevin Harlan, the voice of the Wolves franchise at their start, joining the mix.
That also means local fans will miss Grady at points during the season when he's on the call for Amazon. The Wolves say he will work a "modified" schedule in order to fit in national broadcasts. There's no word yet on who fills in for Grady locally on FanDuel Sports Network.
“I am beyond thrilled to join the Prime Video family and be a part of telling stories and providing passionate narration of memorable moments to come in both the NBA and the W," Grady said in a statement. "Prime Video is building something hoop fans can truly be proud of, and I cannot wait to get started.”
Grady has been the Minnesota Timberwolves TV voice since 2022. Harlan served as the Minnesota Timberwolves' play-by-play announcer from the team's inception in 1989 through 1998.
Harlan, Ian Eagle and Stan Van Gundy are coming over from TNT while Cassidy Hubbarth is coming from ESPN.
Harlan and Van Gundy were part of TNT's crew for its final NBA game on May 31, when the Indiana Pacers defeated the New York Knicks in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals.
Harlan was with TNT since 1996 while Van Gundy returned to being an analyst in 2021 after being fired as New Orleans' coach.
Eagle, who has called Nets games since 1996, began doing national games for TNT in 2010.
Prime Video will not have set announcing pairings or name an “A” or “B” team, but Eagle is likely to be the voice for the top games, including a conference finals series in 2027. He's also been the lead voice for CBS coverage of the men's NCAA Tournament the last two years.
“We're not in a situation where we have like a single game of the week. We have two big games every week and more after the NFL season ends,” said Jared Stacy, Prime Video's head of production. “So we’re always going to sort of be living in this doubleheader world and we’re treating every game like a big game. We like the ability to be flexible and try out different combinations as we go."
Hubbarth not only worked games as a sideline reporter for ESPN, but served as a guest host on the network's NBA studio shows and also hosted the digital series “Hoop Streams.”
Prime Video also announced the additions of play-by-play announcers Eric Collins, analysts Brent Barry and Dell Curry, and Allie Clifton and Kristina Pink as sideline reporters.
Collins and Curry have called Charlotte Hornets games together since 2015. Barry, a former TNT analyst, returns to broadcasting for the first time since 2018 after roles with the San Antonio Spurs and Phoenix Suns.
Pink has done sideline reporting for LA Clippers games as well as Fox Sports NFL coverage while Clifton has been part of the Los Angeles Lakers broadcasts since 2018 after being the Cleveland Cavaliers sideline reporter from 2012 through '18.
“I think you see that with a lot of the people we announced today there are familiar voices but we’ve got front office experience, coaching experience and Hall of Fame playing experience on this roster. I think it’s a really good, well-rounded group of people who are excited to build something from the ground up,” Stacy said. “I think it’s one of the reasons we’ve been successful on Thursday night is everybody’s enjoyed building what ‘Thursday Night Football’ has become. And I think you’re going to see the same kind of passion from this group here.”
Prime Video previously announced Taylor Rooks will host studio coverage with Blake Griffin, Dirk Nowitzki and Udonis Haslem as analysts. Steve Nash, Dwyane Wade and Candace Parker will be game and studio analysts.
Prime Video’s NBA coverage begins on Oct. 24 with a Friday night doubleheader. The 11-year agreement includes 66 regular-season games, including a doubleheader on Thursday nights after the NFL’s regular season is over. It also includes all six NBA Play-In Tournament games, about one-third of the games in the first two rounds of the playoffs and the knockout rounds of the NBA Cup in-season tournament. It will also carry one of the conference finals series for six seasons.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.