Ranking: The Top 15 NBA players turned media personalities

NBA media today is filled with former and even current players breaking down the game pretty much every day, be it on television or via podcast format (how a lot of active players are dipping their toes into the media world).

Obviously, some are more naturally talented than others at the whole media thing due to natural charisma or willingness to say what others won’t but what a lot of modern fans seem to value more is actual analysis from their media members, and that includes from former players. So what we’re here to do today is rank the 15 best players-turned-media, based 100 percent on a fan vote.

Check out the results below.

Stephen Jackson (Showtime)

The top positive when it comes to Showtime’s Stephen Jackson, the co-host of the ALL THE SMOKE podcast with a player coming up later on this list is his realness: Jackson is going to straight-up say what he feels or thinks, no matter the topic.

That’s probably what has helped the podcast grow so quickly, as ALL THE SMOKE is one of the most popular player-turned-analyst shows out there.

It might not fit on ESPN or TNT but Jackson’s ability as a media member should not be overlooked, as many a gem has come out of his current podcast thanks to Jackson’s hilarious, honest nature.

Bill Walton (ESPN)

One of the most universally beloved former players who went off to have long media careers, Hall-of-Famer Bill Walton excels thanks to his eccentric nature, his hilarious rants and the fact he’s overall an adorable media member without anger or bitterness in his analysis.

Walton has been working in basketball media since 1990 when he started out with CBS, since then having worked at NBC, with the Los Angeles Clippers and Sacramento Kings, and with ABC/ESPN. Currently, he’s calling games for the Pac-12 Network, providing color analysis for games out of the West Coast-based conference.

As far as pure lovable entertainment, few in the NBA media world can hold a candle (he literally ate a lit one of those in the opening clip in the video above for his birthday celebration, by the way) to the UCLA/Blazers legend.

Kevin Garnett (Showtime)

After a hilarious trash-talk-filled career, basketball Hall-of-Famer Kevin Garnett has naturally been a fantastic media member since his playing days ended, working previously for TNT but currently with Showtime, where he hosts his own show called KG Certified.

New episodes can be found on YouTube, too, making it very accessible for fans who want to hear Garnett’s humorous takes on the latest goings-on in the NBA.

From his time with TNT, Garnett boasts one of the funniest player-turned-media-member moments ever, one that still goes viral from time to time to this day, when he iconically couldn’t figure out how to say the word equivalent while playing a game with NFL legend Larry Fitzgerald.

As soon as Garnett said, “OK, here we go,” you could just tell he knew he was in trouble.

Still, Garnett does provide serious and good analysis, too, so fans of his and the NBA at large should definitely check out Showtime’s KG Certified.

The former Celtic and Timberwolves legend also starred in the dark Adam Sandler movie Uncut Gems, playing himself and smashing the role.

Steve Smith (TNT)

For legitimate analysis, Turner Sports’ Steve Smith is among the best the NBA media world has to offer.

Smith won’t be cracking jokes during his television segments or be the life of the party but he’s well-spoken and provides serious analysis during his segments on TNT, either during his studio work or when providing color analysis.

Smith has a strong voice, has great reactions and is quick when it comes to breaking down national television games on the TNT network. He also pops up on NBA TV from time to time to do studio work.

Tim Legler (ESPN)

Another more serious analyst, 10-year NBA veteran Tim Legler wears many hats for ESPN, appearing on SportsCenter, NBA Shootaround, First Take and other programs to provide strong analysis on the latest NBA happenings.

Legler takes an NFL approach to analyzing the NBA, explaining to more casual fans the intricacies of the NBA, closely breaking down plays and analyzing the minute details of the game, a welcome change from some other basketball analysts who are all about jokes and roasts.

Hence, that’s why Legler has been analyzing the NBA for ESPN since 2000 and is widely well-liked by basketball fans who appreciate serious analysis of the Association.

Draymond Green (TNT)

The champion of the “new media” movement empowering players to take media roles before their playing careers are over, Warriors star Draymond Green often podcasts immediately after Golden State games for The Draymond Green Show, which is great for fans looking for explanations after tough losses or huge wins.

When Green gets into it with a player during or after games, you can just look at your podcast feed for the latest episode of his show and you know he’s going to post some fire, breaking down what happened or going off on said player. For example:

Not only that, but Green is also already working with Turner as part of TNT’s NBA coverage, appearing on Inside the NBA in-season to break down matchups or discuss what’s going on with the Warriors.

It’s not all drama with Green, though, as the former Michigan State standout provides great analysis of what goes on in games, too, explaining Xs and Os and player strengths and weaknesses in ways that are easy for fans to understand.

You can already tell Turner is developing Green to be their next long-time analyst after his playing career is over, if he wants that job, in the mold of some of the players coming up at the top of this list. At the end of the day, Green loves to talk, is good at it and will be paid a lot of money to do it when he hangs up his sneakers.

Matt Barnes (Showtime)

Another member of the Showtime NBA media family, Matt Barnes spent 14 seasons in the NBA before transitioning into his media role, co-hosting the ALL THE SMOKE podcast along with another long-time former NBA player, Stephen Jackson.

Barnes is one of the most well-liked NBA media members due to his realness. You can tell when he’s speaking that he’s not playing up a role for the cameras – what he says is what he means whether people like it or not.

Reggie Miller (TNT)

Hall-of-Fame 2-guard Reggie Miller is one of the staples of TNT’s NBA coverage, most often calling the early tip-off games on Thursdays and providing color analysis for national television broadcasts.

Miller may frustrate fans with his analysis at times but there’s no question he’s one of the best in the role considering he’s had his job since 2005.

If nothing else, you can tell Miller genuinely loves basketball and is passionate about the subject, which really comes across during his broadcasts.

Jamal Crawford (TNT)

Jamal Crawford, a fan favorite as a player during his career, has become equally well-liked in his new role as a media member. Crawford was hired by TNT to replace Dwyane Wade, now a part-owner of the Utah Jazz, back in 2022 and has acclimated to the role well so far.

Crawford’s mild-mannered way of speaking and genuine enjoyment of the NBA product really come across when he’s breaking down the game. What’s more, Crawford won Teammate of the Year back in 2018, which goes to show how universally beloved he is not just by fans but by fellow players as well.

Maybe to stand out a bit more, Crawford will want to work on his delivery and loosen up comedically a bit – the one time TNT pranked him was pretty hilarious…

…but maybe that will come with time as he gets more comfortable on camera.

Crawford also called games for NBA League Pass along with Quentin Richardson for a show called NBA Hooper Vision before joining the Turner team.

Jalen Rose

The only person on this list who currently isn’t working in sports media, Jalen Rose was a part of ESPN’s late-June layoffs and hasn’t popped back up with a new media job quite yet.

It’s truly unfortunate, too, considering Rose spent 17 years working in the media, first for a brief spell with TNT and since then at ESPN. That’s actually a longer span of time than his 13-year NBA playing career.

Rose wore various hats at ESPN, working on podcasts and on a slew of their different in-studio shows, most notably on the network’s important pre-game show, NBA Countdown.

Richard Jefferson (ESPN, YES Network)

Richard Jefferson was a good NBA player during his time in the league, winning the 2015-16 championship as a member of the Cavaliers and making an All-Rookie Team.

But he’s doing even better as a media member, working at ESPN since 2019 and with the YES Network as a Nets’ studio analyst since 2018 while appearing on multiple other networks in that time.

The best part of Jefferson as a media person is that he doesn’t take himself too seriously and has fun in the role. After all, how many other former NBA players would take getting roasted this hard on national television with as much aplomb as Jefferson did:

There was also the time when Jefferson took on the role of referee for a Summer League game:

All in all, Jefferson provides good analysis but more importantly, he’s entertaining, and that’s probably the most important thing for the best media members in sports.

Kenny Smith (TNT)

Generally regarded as the third wheel (among former NBA players) in the Inside the NBA operation, Kenny ‘The Jet’ Smith’s massive success is maybe more commendable since he didn’t have the playing career of the next few media members coming up on this list.

Regardless, Smith is a necessary part of Inside the NBA, as with the other two former players on the show taking on such a heavy comedic burden, the panel needs at least one former player on the list to provide serious analysis.

That’s not to say The Jet isn’t funny himself – he can get down with the roasting, too – because he is, and his run to the highlight wall has become a staple of the program. But overall, the show needs a punching bag for the two Hall of Famers on it, and Smith is a fantastic one:

Shaquille O'Neal (TNT)

The replacement for Chris Webber on Inside the NBA way back in 2011, Shaquille O’Neal was surprisingly not an immediate hit as a media member but got more comfortable and overall better over time. By now, his chemistry with the TNT guys is unfathomably good, as O’Neal has provided with so many hilarious moments of the year – almost too many to count – that it’s hard to think about a day when he won’t be gracing the airways once a week.

O’Neal provides somewhat good analysis from time to time, but there’s no question he’s one of the best player-turned-analysts for his comedic chops, which he’s had his entire career, and not for his actual basketball takes (because some of them are rough).

Arguably the most hilarious moment O’Neal has had on Inside the NBA was when he got mad at his co-host for talking into his airtime and refused to give his analysis, telling Ernie Johnson to go back to his co-host instead.

Truly one of the greatest NBA media moments of all time:

The brilliance of Inside the NBA in a three-minute clip.

Charles Barkley (TNT)

Shockingly not the first-place finisher in this ranking when put to a fan vote, Charles Barkley might be a victim of voter fatigue here, because there’s no way based on the longevity of his media career and the countless memorable, hilarious moments he’s given us on TNT that he’s not the best player-turned-analyst of all time.

Barkley might also be a victim of the younger generation of very-online NBA fans, i.e., the people who would actually take the time to vote on something like this, preferring pure basketball breakdowns – Xs and Os and player evaluations from guys who very recently spent time in the league – and not the comedy aspect of NBA media.

Because those are truly the only ways in which Barkley doesn’t finish first here. He’s been on TNT for 23 years, joining the network in 2000, and is an absolute legend in the media game. For goodness’ sake, Barkley has won four Sports Emmy Awards for Outstanding Studio Analyst for his work on TNT.

But the fan vote is what we went by, so Barkley finished second.

Not for nothing, here’s a 20-minute clip of some of Barkley’s best moments on TNT:

JJ Redick (ESPN)

First place in the fan vote for best former-player-turned-media-member, JJ Redick is relatively new to the media game, though his rise has been meteoric.

Redick actually started his media career before his playing career was even over, starting a podcast in 2016 for Yahoo! Sports before seeing the show moved to Uninterrupted and The Ringer before finding its current home, on YouTube.

Redick also works for ESPN as an analyst, both in studio and adding color commentary to games live. He appears on First Take to argue with Stephen A. Smith from time to time and on other ESPN platforms.

It’s hard to point out a singular amazing moment in Redick’s media career like there are with Chuck and Shaq, but his podcast is probably the best out there right now for NBA fans, as he gets top-of-the-line guests who don’t hold back when they join his show and provides fantastic, quick analysis on the latest happenings in the Association.

Story originally appeared on HoopsHype