NBC Goodbye Was Short and Sweet

NBC said goodbye. And it was done with class and, perhaps more importantly, with succinctness.

“One last time, you’re watching the NBA on NBC,” said Bob Costas, introducing a video of highlights from the network’s 12-year run.

Marv Albert, who was celebrating his 61st birthday, said what a privilege it had been, Bill Walton thanked Albert for his patience before shedding what appeared to be a real tear, and Steve “Snapper” Jones, searching for the right word, called Walton “a real character.”

To NBC’s credit, it didn’t seem to lose sight of the fact the night belonged to the Lakers, not NBC.

What seemed strange, though, was that NBC seemed to have crowned the Lakers before the game even started. During the pregame show, Costas said it was only a matter of time.

“The Lakers are 48 minutes from a convincing three-peat,” he said. “It’s not a question of whether the Lakers will celebrate this year’s championship but rather how many titles they can run off to determine their ultimate place in NBA history.”

And it was at halftime that Commissioner David Stern, during a live interview with Costas, took the opportunity to thank NBC.

“I want to take my last five seconds to thank my great friends at NBC for 12 spectacular years,” Stern said.

Did he know this would be NBC’s final game?

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After NBC signed off and Channel 4 went to Fred Roggin in New Jersey, Roggin found himself being a public servant.

First he told Kobe Bryant that police at Staples Center were firing rubber bullets at fans and asked him to deliver a message to those who might be watching the jumbo screen outside the arena.

Bryant told them to settle down and act like champions.

Later, Shaquille O’Neal said he didn’t want any fans or any of his police officer friends to get hurt. Then, maybe a little wrapped up in the moment, he blurted out, “I know the fans are happy as ... , and I’m happy as ... .”

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Walton was really wired Wednesday night, maybe more than usual.

“I think once again it’s a case of too much coffee for Bill,” Albert marveled at one point early on.

But then what was Tom Tolbert on? He appeared desperate to go out with a bang and ended up misfiring.

Speaking of the Lakers, he said, “It’s not a question of if, but when they will win a championship. What is their place in the pantheon of all great teams? I don’t know, I just wanted to say pantheon.”

That wasn’t so bad, but then, commenting on the fact that Kobe was wearing a Michael Jordan jersey before the game, he said:

“I thought he might pay tribute to one of the greatest high jumpers of our era and wear a Mickey Mouse T-shirt, Dwight Stones.”

Responded a bewildered Costas: “You lost me.”

Tolbert: “I lost myself too. I do that a lot.”

What Tolbert needed to explain was that Dwight Stones used to wear Mickey Mouse T-shirts. Not many viewers would have known that. Of course, not many would have know who Stones is either.

It was an obscure reference not many would get. The whole bit was weird.

And then at halftime Tolbert chipped in with:

“Jason Kidd needs to play every minute of the second half. Byron Scott should forget about rotation, or the next thing he’ll have to worry about is rotating the tires on his car.”

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Maybe Tolbert has been hanging out with Walton too much. When Albert said that Stern has suggested that perhaps teams playing Shaq and the Lakers should be allowed to play a sixth man, Walton said, “I think he said that in jest.” Retorted Albert: “You think so?”

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Albert, an easygoing sort, handles Walton well, but Jones might be getting fed up.

He was snapping at Walton pretty good.

After Walton heaped praise on O’Neal for passing to Devean George for a wide-open three-point shot, Jones said, “You can’t hit a wide open man? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Viewers at home no doubt agreed with that one.

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Jim Gray must have thought he was Roy Firestone when he decided to conduct a lengthy in-depth interview with Julius Erving while action was taking place in the first half.

But Gray rallied with his postgame interviews.

After Game 3, Shaq had chided Gray about his interview with Mike Tyson on the pay-per-view telecast of Tyson’s loss to Lennox Lewis Saturday night. “I wish Mike Tyson had knocked you out,” Shaq said.

But after Game 4, Shaq’s final comment to Gray was, “Love you.”

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To set the record straight, Costas called earlier Wednesday and said he had no idea he cut off Ahmad Rashad in mid-sentence during the Game 3 pregame show Sunday night.

He said his producer was talking to him in his ear telling him to go to a commercial break and he wasn’t aware Rashad was still talking.

Whatever, it still wasn’t any kind of a sendoff for Rashad, who had just done his final feature for NBC after a 20-year stint.

Rashad was back on NBC Wednesday night, but only to help with the trophy presentations. His last official act for NBC came Sunday night, and whether you like Rashad or not, it was no way to treat a loyal employee.

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Sometimes you wonder who is pushing the buttons at Channel 4. During Roggin’s pregame show Wednesday night, Channel 4 joined the national anthem after it began.

Then the station abruptly cut away for a commercial before it was over.

At least during the Finals Channel 4 wasn’t showing that bothersome scroll at the bottom of the screen promoting Roggin’s postgame show during live action as it had during the Western Conference finals.