Bob Costas: Mike Tirico ‘aced’ being the face of NBC Sports

Bob Costas was once the face of NBC Sports, but Mike Tirico has thrived in the role since receiving the baton.

Costas recently joined SiriusXM NBA Radio host David Shepard for an interview discussing the NBA Finals, the NBA on NBC, and his own media career among other topics. With the reboot season of the NBA on NBC now complete after a near quarter-century absence, Costas spoke highly of the network’s ability to honor history while still celebrating today’s era of basketball. And there has been no better person to be the face of this generation of the NBA on NBC, and NBC Sports, than Tirico.

“Mike Tirico is the face of NBC Sports now and he has aced that repeatedly, over and over again,” Costas told Shepard. “His closing in Milan has been his crowning moment, there will be more because he’s still in the prime of his career. All these things are as they should be with the passage of time. For a number of generations, Jim McKay was the face and voice of the Olympics. In effect, he passed the baton to me. In effect, I’ve passed the baton to Mike Tirico. And I’m happy to be the middle link in an ongoing chain of pretty darn good broadcasters.”

Tirico might be the face of NBC Sports, but Costas returning to the network where he spent the prime of his media career has been a great reunion. Costas only played a small role in the NBA on NBC’s revival, but he was a vital part in the network’s ability to blend nostalgia with today’s basketball.

Costas praised the quality of production and broadcasting for this generation of the NBA on NBC, and just as he spoke highly of Tirico, he similarly touted Maria Taylor as a great talent with star presence during the interview with Shepard.

The baton as the face of NBC Sports was passed to Tirico years ago, but his return to calling NBA games justly has him in the conversation of best all-around sportscaster. As great as Jim Nantz, Joe Buck, Mike Breen and others are at their craft, Tirico’s ability to host the Olympics, call a Super Bowl, and shine during NBA games is putting himself in a different conversation. He’s not just the face of NBC Sports, he might be on the verge of becoming the face of sports in America.