Rumors

The New Orleans Pelicans announced today that the team has signed multi-year contract extensions with television play-by-play announcer Joel Meyers and color analyst Antonio Daniels, solidifying one of the NBA’s most dynamic and respected broadcast duos. Meyers and Daniels have been the voices behind the Pelicans’ TV broadcasts since 2019. “We are thrilled to continue our partnership with Joel and Antonio,” said Pelicans Governor Gayle Benson. “They bring energy, professionalism, and an unmatched love for the game that reflects the spirit of our organization and fan base. Their passion, insight, and chemistry have made them fan favorites across the Gulf South region.”

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Active NBA players curious about a future as a broadcaster often don’t explore that path until deep into their playing career, perhaps after they turn 30 and retirement starts to approach. Then there’s New Orleans forward Trey Murphy, 24. After only two pro seasons, Murphy was a host on ESPN’s 2023 NBA Draft coverage, sitting alongside Brian Windhorst during a three-hour livestream. Early in the 2023-24 season, while recovering from knee surgery, Murphy decided to provide “live analysis” of a Pelicans scrimmage in the Metairie practice facility, describing the action in entertaining fashion to (actual) Pelicans TV analyst Antonio Daniels. “Trey is hilarious,” Daniels remembered of Murphy’s running commentary. “Obviously he was saying certain things that you can’t say on TV. But it was awesome. He was breaking down what was going on in the scrimmage, saying things like, ‘Man, that was a messed-up shot!’ knowing he’s part of the team, so he can say things (about teammates) that we can’t say on TV. It was really funny.”

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Sirius XM NBA: Former Celtics Legend M.L. Carr has some high praise for Joe Mazzulla as he talks with Rob Perez and Antonio Daniels pic.twitter.com/NBwOWyikQo

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Oleh Kosel: Antonio Daniels broadcasted that Jose Alvarado had 103 tickets for friends and family in Brooklyn tonight. CJ McCollum bought 50 of them. CJ continues to be a shining veteran for this Pelicans team, and from my vantage point, I've never seen a closer-knit locker room.

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Sirius XM NBA: "It is a killer" 🔊 @adaniels33 reacts to the news of Karl-Anthony Towns being diagnosed with a torn meniscus #Timberwolves pic.twitter.com/TYzhmU0rTV

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Sirius XM NBA: “Teams are going to do what’s in their best interests”. @ADaniels33 tells @VinceGoodwill he only has one issue with Lillard’s trade demand. pic.twitter.com/95cnmJlQLA

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Sirius XM NBA: “It’s amazing how guys struggle with grasping that concept”. Antonio Daniels reacts to the report on Brogdon being upset with Celtics in relation to trade talks. @ADaniels33 | @RickKamlaSports | #BleedGreen pic.twitter.com/0Tp9Fcd6OC

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Antonio Daniels: "What you have here in New Orleans is, a lot was going on early on in the season, new pieces trying to fit in along with head coach Willie Green. And that's a lot to take on early; 1-12, 3-16 is what this team started. And now, at that time, the talk was, 'Let's tank. There's no Zion.' Fans all said they should just tank the season. Even when you acquired CJ McCollum. I remember Stephen A. Smith saying, 'Oh, I don't know what they're doing. Why would CJ McCollum want to go there? New Orleans ain't going anywhere anyway.’”

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Antonio Daniels: “The disrespect from the national media is, I think, what guys really pay attention to. And I think they do somewhat use that as motivation. But to be a part of this journey, Etan, from Day 1 of training camp, to Zion being hurt [and] not being available throughout the course of this team's season, being without your best player and seeing what this team has been able to accomplish, climbing out of that 3-16 start, it's been special."

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Antonio Daniels: “And I'm a proud believer, Etan, that the best coaches in this league are role players. You know why? Because they can relate to everybody from 1-to-15. If you're a star player, you can't relate to the guy who hasn't played in six games or the guy who's major inconsistent. Willie Green has started in this league, he's been a sixth man, he's been in situations where his minutes weren't guaranteed and he's also been in a situation where he hadn't played at all. Tell me who on that bench he cannot relate to! And there's nothing more important in today's NBA than a coach's ability to relate to his players. I don't care about your defensive schemes, I don't care about your X's and O's. If the players feel like you can't relate to them, they will not play as hard for you. But the moment that they feel like you care about them as men, as fathers, as husbands — they will run through a wall for you. And I'm telling you, Willie Green has that locker room so engaged, because of the way that he handles himself throughout adversity."

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SiriusXM NBA Radio: After a dominant sophomore season, what's next for Luka Doncic? Rick Kamla and Antonio Daniels say a statistical milestone is within reach for the Mavericks superstar. #MFFL Antonio Daniels: "I think Luka will be the next player in our League to average a triple-double."

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Sirius XM NBA: "It's kind of an obvious pick to go with James Wiseman" 🔊 Rick Kamla and Antonio Daniels explain why James Wiseman is the clear pick at number 2 for the Warriors pic.twitter.com/SvePs9oDdW

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Christian Clark: Fox Sports New Orleans will televise all 8 seeding games, Pelicans announce. Joel Meyers, Antonio Daniels and Jennifer Hale will be working from Smoothie King Center.

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Yet the idea of Duncan emerging from three years of relative seclusion to take such a front-facing position at Popovich’s side — in a suit, no less, for 82 games plus the playoffs — prompted a string of accusatory texts from longtime Duncan-watchers who thought I was tweeting April Fools’ Day material on July 22. “TD hates wearing suits with a passion,” his former teammate Antonio Daniels, now an analyst on New Orleans Pelicans broadcasts, confirmed in an interview.

New York Times