Editing Bob Costas (section)

====National Basketball Association====
{{details|NBA on NBC#1990–1997|NBA on NBC#1998–2000}}

Costas served as NBC's lead play-by-play announcer for their [[National Basketball Association]] (NBA) [[NBA on NBC|broadcasts]] from [[1997-98 NBA season|1997]]-[[1999-2000 NBA season|2000]]. In that time frame, Costas called three [[List of NBA Finals broadcasters|NBA Finals]] including the [[1998 NBA Finals|1998 installment]] (which [[Game 6 of the 1998 NBA Finals|set]] an all-time [[NBA television ratings|ratings]] record for the NBA) between the [[1997-98 Chicago Bulls season|Chicago Bulls]] and [[1997-98 Utah Jazz season|Utah Jazz]]. Costas was paired with [[Isiah Thomas]] and [[Doug Collins (basketball)|Doug Collins]] on NBC's NBA telecast.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Sandomir |first=Richard |date=1997-11-26 |title=BASKETBALL; Thomas Is Teamed With Costas on NBC (Published 1997) |language=en |work=[[New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/11/26/sports/basketball-thomas-is-teamed-with-costas-on-nbc.html |access-date=2023-08-19}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Stewart |first=Larry |date=1997-11-26 |title=Costas-Thomas No. 1 at NBC |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-nov-26-sp-57888-story.html |access-date=2023-08-19 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}</ref> Following the [[2000 NBA Finals]], he was replaced by [[Marv Albert]] as the lead play-by-play announcer, who incidentally, the man he directly replaced on the ''NBA on NBC'' in the first place.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Sandomir |first=Richard |date=1999-06-30 |title=PRO BASKETBALL; NBC Rehires Albert 2 Years After Firing Him (Published 1999) |language=en |work=[[New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/06/30/sports/pro-basketball-nbc-rehires-albert-2-years-after-firing-him.html |access-date=2023-08-19}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Albert back as NBC's lead announcer |url=https://www.tampabay.com/archive/1999/12/15/albert-back-as-nbc-s-lead-announcer/ |access-date=2023-08-19 |website=Tampa Bay Times |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Sandomir |first=Richard |date=1999-12-17 |title=TV SPORTS; Once Again, Albert Is at Top of His Game With the N.B.A. (Published 1999) |language=en |work=[[New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/12/17/sports/tv-sports-once-again-albert-is-at-top-of-his-game-with-the-nba.html |access-date=2023-08-19}}</ref>

Costas had previously presided as host of NBC's pre-game show, ''[[NBA Showtime]]'', while also providing play-by-play as a fill-in when necessary. Costas later co-anchored (with [[Hannah Storm]]) NBC's NBA Finals coverage in [[2002 NBA Finals|2002]], which was their last to-date (before the NBA's network television contract moved to [[NBA on ABC|ABC]]).<ref>{{cite web |last1=Sarni |first1=Jim |title=NBC GETS WISH WITH DOUBLEHEADER |url=https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-xpm-2002-05-31-0205310126-story.html |website=sun-sentinel.com |date=May 31, 2002 |publisher=South Florida South Sentinel |access-date=August 18, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=NBA Finals Game 3 draws best rating since move to ABC |url=https://www.apnews.com/90ae589fe9904174a3ea64ca3d951914 |website=apnews.com |agency=Associated Press |access-date=August 18, 2019 |archive-date=August 18, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190818024117/https://www.apnews.com/90ae589fe9904174a3ea64ca3d951914 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

{{Blockquote|Okay, Marv, thanks very much. And as Marv himself would say, "it should be pointed out" that Marv is celebrating his forty-ninth birthday tonight for a record twelfth consecutive year. Well, another season is in the books. The Lakers' title run continues with perhaps no end in sight. But as Marv said, we have reached the end of our run with the NBA. NBC's twelve years televising the league had been filled with indelible moments. And so, as we say good night, here's an appreciative look back. And for one last time, you've been watching the ''NBA on NBC''.|Bob Costas closing out NBC's final NBA broadcast, Game 4 of the [[2002 NBA Finals]] on June 12, 2002.}}