Feb 24, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (1) conducts an interview with Ashley ShahAhmadi after the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images

Former Hornets reporter Ashley ShahAhmadi joining the NBA on NBC

Originally posted on Charlotte Hornets on SI
By Ryan Stano | Last updated Aug 7, 2025 8:58 AM ET

The Charlotte Hornets are not on national television very often. They haven't been for quite a while, mainly because of how poorly they have played over the last few years.

Being in the lottery doesn't lend itself to teams being on national TV very often, so the Hornets haven't been exposed to a large audience outside of Charlotte.

Ashley ShahAhmadi was with the local broadcast team up until this past season when she decided to move on from FanDuel SportsNetwork and was ultimately replaced by Shannon Spake.

Now, she is now moving on to a national stage. She has now signed a deal to be a reporter for one of the new networks that will have the NBA next year.

Former Charlotte Hornets reporter Ashley ShahAhmadi signs a deal with NBC

ShahAhmadi has signed a deal to work with NBC next season to be a sideline reporter. She is one of four reporters who recently signed a deal with network.

Former Charlotte Hornets sideline reporter Ashley ShahAhmadi is joining @NBAonNBC's coverage for the 2025-26 season. pic.twitter.com/U1Oip6k9sq
— r/CharlotteHornets on Reddit (@HornetsReddit) August 4, 2025

The Hornets certainly loved her work while she was in Charlotte, so it will be nice for her to get to work on a bigger stage on a more regular basis. She didn't get to cover very many exciting times with the Hornets, so this will certainly be a more entertaining gig, although working alongside the electrifying Eric Collins and Hornets legend Dell Curry sure made things a lot better.

NBC is trying to assemble the best possible staff for both calling games, analyzing games, and sideline duties. Adding ShahAhmadi will only help that agenda forward.

Perhaps she will have a chance to do some sideline work with the Hornets while working for NBC this season. Hornets fans would love to see that, because that means they are good enough to be put on national television again.

The Hornets need LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller to stay healthy in order to put them back into national relevance, and possibly some nationally televised games. It may not happen in 2025-26, but taking a step toward competitive basketball this season could position them for more appearances in 2026-27.