It was a somewhat cautious six-year, $4 billion deal that ABC, ESPN and TNT agreed to pool together to carry NBA games starting with the 2002-03 season.
NBC, which had the TV rights for the previous 12 seasons as it rode the star power of Michael Jordan and six Chicago Bulls championships, failed to see much upside going forward in the first post-9/11 sports media contract, and it actually lowered its bid to renew.
Jordan, at age 39, was finishing his latest comeback. Shaquille O’Neal was starting his 11th season. Allen Iverson, Vince Carter, Kevin Garnett, Tracy McGrady and Tim Duncan were at the core of star attractions, with Yao Ming coming in as a rookie.