Costas to Call Game

In the third announcing switch for the game in just over three months, Bob Costas will be the play-by-play announcer for Sunday’s NBA All-Star Game, NBC said today.

Costas replaces Marv Albert, who will not take part in the telecast because of the death Tuesday of his mother, Alida.

Albert was NBC’s initial choice to call the game when NBC unveiled its NBA announcing lineup in July. Dick Enberg got the assignment in late October when NBC took Costas off play-by-play duties to co-host the “NBA Showtime” pregame show. Last month, Enberg deferred to Albert, believing that Albert’s long association with the NBA made him better suited for NBC’s first All-Star telecast.