With LeBron James’ Lakers and Kawhi Leonard’s Clippers vying for supremacy, Los Angeles is the epicenter for today’s NBA.
ESPN TV/radio talent Jorge Sedano will continue to be in the middle of the action. Sedano has signed a three-year contract extension that will keep him at ESPN through the end of 2022.
Sedano will continue to serve as an NBA sideline TV reporter while appearing on shows such as Rachel Nichols’ “The Jump,” Tony Reali’s “Around the Horn” and “SportsCenter.” Meanwhile, he’ll continue to host his daily radio show, “The Sedano Show,” on ESPNLA 710.
“It’s just an unbelievable opportunity for me when you think about it. The fact that both teams are great at the exact same time,” said Sedano. “I do a radio show there locally for ESPN, I do ‘The Jump’ from there, and my involvement in the NBA game broadcasts. All of it could not have come together at a better time.”
The Miami native cut his professional teeth in the South Florida radio/TV market, working with current ESPN Radio star Dan Le Batard. After joining ESPN in 2013, he’s risen quickly through the ranks, appearing on Le Batard’s radio/TV shows, covering the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas and contributing to Cassidy Hubbarth and Kendrick Perkins’ digital pregame show, “Hoop Streams.”
READ MORE: Stephen A. Smith, Skip Bayless Could Reunite on ESPN’s ‘First Take’
As one of the few young Latino talents in sports media, Sedano drew interest from several suitors, said sources.
“During the proper negotiation window, my agent did his due diligence and had discussions with other outlets. However, I wanted to be at ESPN. I was very clear to him and the management that I’m very happy there,” he said.
Growing up in Miami, the Cuban-American idolized ESPN’s Stuart Scott, the ground-breaking African-American anchor who died of cancer in 2015. ESPN has done a “really good job,” said Sedano, of hiring and supporting front-facing Latino talents like himself, Le Batard, Antonietta Collins, Pedro Gomez, and Israel Gutierrez. But the overall sports industry could do much better.
READ MORE: Damien Woody Could Replace Cris Carter on ‘First Things First’
‘As a kid watching SportsCenter, my friends and I were yelling (Scott’s catchphrases) ‘Boo-Yah’ and ‘Cool as the Other Side of the Pillow.’ It was just in the lexicon; it was cool,” said Sedano. “I’d love to be able to inspire someone the way he inspired African-Americans and people of color in general.”
Sports radio expert Jason Barrett said Sedano’s preparation and versatility have helped him succeed on both the national and local stage.
“Given the lack of Hispanic voices in sports radio and television, he’s a great example of why more people from different backgrounds should be given a stronger look for key roles,” said the president of Barrett Sports Media.
