Al Michaels has decided to accept ABC’s offer to become the network’s lead NBA play-by-play announcer this upcoming season. Michaels will make his NBA debut when the Los Angeles Lakers host the Houston Rockets in one of the two NBA games ABC will televise on Christmas Day.

Michaels will work a selection of regular-season games, weekend playoff games and all games of the NBA Finals. Michaels will not broadcast any games seen on ESPN.

Brad Nessler, ABC’s lead play-by-play announcer last season, will remain ESPN’s lead play-by-play announcer and will do the ABC games that Michaels doesn’t work.

“Michaels’ partner on the broadcasts will be selected within a few weeks,” said George Bodenheimer, President of ABC Sports and ESPN.

Michaels is one of the few announcers who has broadcast all four major North American sports. He is best-known for his baseball and football work, but he called some basketball for ABC in the late 1980's. Earlier in his career, he broadcast UCLA games in Los Angeles.

Michaels also broadcast hockey during ABC’s Olympic coverage where he made the phrase, “Do You Believe in Miracles? Yes!,” famous during the 1980 match between the U.S. and the Soviet Union.