Keeping Up With All The Industry Press Releases
ESPN will produce the two-hour ABC special, NBA Countdown presented by Mountain Dew: NBA Restart, on Saturday, July 25, from 8-10 p.m. ET.
The post Two-Hour NBA Countdown Presented by Mountain Dew: NBA Restart to Air July 25 on ABC appeared first on ESPN Press Room U.S..
Network’s 14-Game Schedule to Tip Off with the Portland Trail Blazers & Damian Lillard Facing the Memphis Grizzlies & Ja Morant on Friday, July 31, at 4 p.m. ET
NBA TV will televise 14 regular season games, including the Milwaukee Bucks, LA Clippers, Houston Rockets, Miami Heat, New Orleans Pelicans and defending champion Toronto Raptors, as the NBA returns to action in Orlando. The network will tip off its live “seeding games” schedule with the Portland Trail Blazers and Damian Lillard facing the Memphis Grizzlies and rookie star Ja Morant on Friday, July 31, at 4 p.m. ET.
Overall, the network will feature three doubleheaders, with additional game highlights including:
Under the competitive format for the restart, the 22 participating teams will be the eight teams in each conference with the highest current winning percentages and the six teams that are currently within six games of the eighth seed in either conference. The restart will begin with each participating team playing eight “seeding games,” as selected from its remaining regular-season matchups.
NBA TV is available directly to consumers through NBA.com and the NBA App. The channel’s programming offerings include live NBA game telecasts, original programming and an extensive list of on-demand video content.
2019-20 NBA TV Restart Schedule (All Times Eastern)
| Day | Date | Time (ET) | Game |
| Friday | July 31 | 4 p.m. | Memphis Grizzlies vs. Portland Trail Blazers |
| Sunday | Aug. 2 | 6 p.m. | Sacramento Kings vs. Orlando Magic |
| Monday | Aug. 3 | 1:30 p.m. | Toronto Raptors vs. Miami Heat |
| 4 p.m. | Denver Nuggets vs. Oklahoma City Thunder | ||
| Tuesday | Aug. 4 | 1:30 p.m. | Brooklyn Nets vs. Milwaukee Bucks |
| 4 p.m. | Phoenix Suns vs. LA Clippers | ||
| Wednesday | Aug. 5 | 4 p.m. | Philadelphia 76ers vs. Washington Wizards |
| Thursday | Aug. 6 | 1:30 p.m. | New Orleans Pelicans vs. Sacramento Kings |
| Friday | Aug. 7 | 4 p.m. | Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Memphis Grizzlies |
| Sunday | Aug. 9 | 6:30 p.m. | Philadelphia 76ers vs. Portland Trail Blazers |
| 9 p.m. | Brooklyn Nets vs. LA Clippers | ||
| Monday | Aug. 10 | 3 p.m. | Dallas Mavericks vs. Utah Jazz |
| Tuesday | Aug. 11 | 2 p.m. | Houston Rockets vs. San Antonio Spurs |
| Wednesday | Aug. 12 | 4 p.m. | Indiana Pacers vs. Houston Rockets |
Doubleheader to Feature Utah Jazz vs. New Orleans Pelicans at 6:30 p.m. & LA Clippers vs. Los Angeles Lakers at 9 p.m. ET
Network to Present 18 “Seeding Games” via Tuesday Doubleheaders, Thursday Tripleheaders & More
Turner Sports, in its 36th consecutive year of NBA coverage, will tip off the league’s comeback with a blockbuster NBA on TNT doubleheader, Thursday, July 30. In the NBA’s first regular season game since March, the New Orleans Pelicans and rookie standout Zion Williamson will take on the Utah Jazz and Donovan Mitchell at 6:30 p.m. ET. Two of the Western Conference’s top teams will follow – the Los Angeles Lakers with LeBron James and Anthony Davis vs. the LA Clippers with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George – at 9 p.m.
TNT will present a total of 18 games, highlighted by Tuesday doubleheaders and Thursday tripleheaders throughout the remainder of the regular season, in addition to a tripleheader on Saturday, Aug. 8,that will mark the end of an eight-game, three-day stretch on the network.
Under the competitive format for the restart, the 22 participating teams will be the eight teams in each conference with the highest current winning percentages and the six teams that are currently within six games of the eighth seed in either conference. The restart will begin with each participating team playing eight “seeding games,” as selected from its remaining regular-season matchups.
The network’s game schedule highlights include (full schedule below):
TNT will also televise more than 40 NBA Playoff games – the most of any network – including first and second round action and the exclusive presentation of the 2020 NBA Western Conference Finals.
Live streaming coverage of all NBA on TNT games is available via http://www.tntdrama.com/watchtnt and the Watch TNT app and participating TV providers’ websites and apps. Fans will be able to access the games whenever and wherever they desire by logging in with the username and password provided by their TV service provider.
TNT’s NBA Season Resumption Game Schedule (All Times Eastern)
| Day | Date | Time (ET) | Game |
| Thursday | July 30 | 6:30 p.m. | Utah Jazz vs. New Orleans Pelicans |
| 9 p.m. | LA Clippers vs. Los Angeles Lakers | ||
| Tuesday | Aug. 4 | 6:30 p.m. | Boston Celtics vs. Miami Heat |
| 9 p.m. | Houston Rockets vs. Portland Trail Blazers | ||
| Thursday | Aug. 6 | 4 p.m. | Miami Heat vs. Milwaukee Bucks |
| 6:30 p.m. | LA Clippers vs. Dallas Mavericks | ||
| 9 p.m. | Los Angeles Lakers vs. Houston Rockets | ||
| Friday | Aug. 7 | 6:30 p.m. | Orlando Magic vs. Philadelphia 76ers |
| 9 p.m. | Boston Celtics vs. Toronto Raptors | ||
| Saturday | Aug. 8 | 1 p.m. | LA Clippers vs. Portland Trail Blazers |
| 3:30 p.m. | Utah Jazz vs. Denver Nuggets | ||
| 6 p.m. | Los Angeles Lakers vs. Indiana Pacers | ||
| Monday | Aug. 10 | 9 p.m. | Denver Nuggets vs. Los Angeles Lakers |
| Tuesday | Aug. 11 | 6:30 p.m. | Boston Celtics vs. Memphis Grizzlies |
| 9 p.m. | New Orleans Pelicans vs. Sacramento Kings | ||
| Thursday | Aug. 13 | 4 p.m. | TBD vs. TBD |
| 6:30 p.m. | TBD vs. TBD | ||
| 9 p.m. | TBD vs. TBD |
ESPN and ABC will combine to televise 20 live NBA seeding games from Walt Disney World Resort starting Friday, July 31.
The post ESPN and ABC Combine to Televise 20 NBA Seeding Games from the Walt Disney World Resort Starting July 31 and Conclusive Regular Season-Ending Games on August 14 appeared first on ESPN Press Room U.S..
ESPN will televise NBA Countdown: NBA Schedule Release presented by Mountain Dew tonight, Friday, June 26, at 7 p.m. ET. The one-hour show will reveal the game and national television schedule for the NBA seeding games.
The post ESPN to Televise NBA Countdown: NBA Schedule Release Presented by Mountain Dew Tonight at 7 p.m. ET appeared first on ESPN Press Room U.S..
ESPN’s investigative docuseries “Backstory” will examine LeBron James’ “The Decision,” the controversial ESPN program from 2010, in a new episode debuting Sunday, June 28, at 9 pm ET.
The post LeBron James’ “The Decision” Explored in New Episode of Investigative Docuseries <em>Backstory</em> appeared first on ESPN Press Room U.S..
ESPN will host SportsCenter Special: The Return of Sports on Monday, June 15, as the commissioners from six of the top American professional team sports leagues discuss the return to competition in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. Get Up’s Mike Greenberg will host the two-hour primetime special with Gary Bettman (NHL), Cathy Engelbert (WNBA), Don Garber (MLS), Roger Goodell (NFL), Rob Manfred (MLB) and Adam Silver (NBA) expected to participate in conversations.
The post ESPN to Host Two-Hour <em>SportsCenter Special: The Return of Sports</em> with Professional Team Sports League Commissioners on Monday appeared first on ESPN Press Room U.S..
Following Thursday’s NBA Board of Governors vote, The Jump will be live for one-hour featuring reactions from current players as well as guests including Adrian Wojnarowski, Zach Lowe, and Richard Jefferson. The show will also feature a special interview on social justice with six-time NBA Champion and activist Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
The post ESPN Revisits the 2012 Eastern Conference Finals in Tonight’s Best of the NBA Presented by State Farm Doubleheader appeared first on ESPN Press Room U.S..
On Saturday, May 30 at 2 p.m., ABC will re-air Game 1 of the 2018 NBA Finals where the Golden State Warriors defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers in overtime despite LeBron James’ 51-point performance.
The post ESPN’s Best of the NBA Presented by State Farm Wednesday Night Doubleheaders Continues Tonight appeared first on ESPN Press Room U.S..
Tonight’s Hosting Trio of NBA Greats Have Combined to Win 10 NBA MVPs, Nine NBA Titles, Nine NBA Finals MVPs, and Six Olympic Gold Medals
NBCSN Presents 20 Episodes in Primetime This Week, Including Six Featuring NBA Superstars
Content to Stream on NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports App
STAMFORD, Conn. – May 25, 2020 – Michael Jordan, LeBron James, and Charles Barkley headline opening night of this week’s marathon of classic sports-themed Saturday Night Live episodes on NBCSN, beginning tonight at 8 p.m. ET. Tonight’s NBA hosting trio – Jordan, James, and Barkley – have combined to win 10 NBA MVPs, nine NBA Titles, nine NBA Finals MVPs, and Six Olympic gold medals.
This week in primetime, NBCSN will televise 20 SNL episodes dating back to the early 1990s that were hosted by the biggest names in sports. Following Jordan, James, and Barkley, the remaining hosts for SNL Week include (NBCSN appearance order): Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Eli Manning, J.J. Watt, Dwayne Johnson, Andy Roddick, John Cena, Ronda Rousey, Michael Phelps, and Derek Jeter.
Programming will also stream on NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app.
Below is more information on tonight’s SNL Week programming:
MONDAY, MAY 25 – MICHAEL JORDAN, LEBRON JAMES, & CHARLES BARKLEY
| SNL EPISODE | TIME (ET) | NETWORK |
| Michael Jordan: Sept. 28, 1991 | 8 p.m. | NBCSN |
| LeBron James: Sept. 29, 2007 | 9 p.m. | NBCSN |
| Charles Barkley: Jan. 9, 2010 | 10 p.m. | NBCSN |
MICHAEL JORDAN: SEPT. 28, 1991 AT 8 P.M. ET
Michael Jordan kicks off NBCSN’s SNL Week tonight at 8 p.m. ET. The episode features Jordan’s one and only SNL hosting appearance, which aired on Sept. 28, 1991, three months after he won the first of his six NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls.
Widely regarded as the “greatest of all time,” Jordan won six NBA titles, six NBA Finals MVPs, five NBA MVP awards, and two Olympic gold medals, including one with the historic 1992 Olympic ‘Dream Team.’ The Hall of Famer holds records for the most NBA Finals MVP awards (six), and the highest career scoring averages in NBA regular-season (30.1 points per game) and playoff (33.4) history. Jordan also had a storied college career at North Carolina, highlighted by his freshman season in 1981-82, where he scored the winning points in the Tar Heels’ NCAA title game victory.
LEBRON JAMES: SEPT. 29, 2007 AT 9 P.M. ET
One of only three players to win NBA Finals MVP awards for multiple franchises, LeBron James has become a media mogul and entertainer, appearing in Amy Schumer’s movie Trainwreck and starring in the new Space Jam sequel, set to release in 2021. Before all that, he tested his comedy chops in his only SNL hosting appearance on Sept. 29, 2007. The show highlights James’ opening monologue, LeBronologue, a parody of his own Nike commercial.
Currently with the Los Angeles Lakers, James has garnered four NBA MVP awards, three NBA titles, three NBA Finals MVP awards, and two Olympic gold medals. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft by his hometown team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, James began his career with an NBA Rookie of the Year award in 2004. After a seven-year stint with the Cavaliers, James led the Miami Heat to back-to-back NBA titles (2012 and 2013). James returned to Cleveland in 2014 and led the Cavaliers to their first-ever championship win in 2016 – the first for a major professional team in Cleveland since 1964. He was named MVP of the NBA Finals each of the three times his teams won.
CHARLES BARKLEY: JAN. 9, 2010 AT 10 P.M. ET
Charles Barkley joins entertainer, former college football player and professional wrestler Dwayne Johnson, as the only athletes to have hosted SNL multiple times. Barkley has hosted SNL from 30 Rock a total of four times – Sep. 25, 1993 (coming off his NBA MVP award-winning season with the Phoenix Suns); Jan. 9, 2010; Jan. 7, 2012; and March 3, 2018 – with the latter two encoring on NBCSN this Friday night. Since 2000, he has been an NBA analyst at Turner Sports, winning numerous awards and accolades.
Barkley, a 2006 Basketball Hall of Fame inductee, established himself as one of the NBA’s most dominant power forwards, playing for the Philadelphia 76ers, Phoenix Suns and Houston Rockets throughout his 16-year NBA career. In 1993, Barkley earned the league’s MVP award and led the Suns to their first NBA Finals appearance since 1976. Along with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain and Karl Malone, Barkley is one of only six players in NBA history to have compiled at least 20,000 points, 10,000 rebounds and 4,000 assists. A two-time Olympic gold medalist, Barkley was also a part of the iconic 1992 Olympic ‘Dream Team.’
Below is each night’s NBCSN highlighted content throughout the week:
| DATE | SNL EPISODE | TIME (ET) |
| Monday, May 25 | Michael Jordan: Sept. 28, 1991 | 8 p.m. |
| LeBron James: Sept. 29, 2007 | 9 p.m. | |
| Charles Barkley: Jan. 9, 2010 | 10 p.m. | |
| Tuesday, May 26 | Tom Brady: April 16, 2005 | 7 p.m. |
| Peyton Manning: March 24, 2007 | 8 p.m. | |
| Eli Manning: May 5, 2012 | 9 p.m. | |
| J.J. Watt: Feb. 1, 2020 | 10 p.m. | |
| Wednesday, May 27 | Dwayne Johnson: March 18, 2000 | 7 p.m. |
| Dwayne Johnson: April 13, 2002 | 8 p.m. | |
| Dwayne Johnson: March 7, 2009 | 9 p.m. | |
| Andy Roddick: Nov. 8, 2003 | 10 p.m. | |
| Thursday, May 28 | Dwayne Johnson: March 28, 2015 | 7 p.m. |
| John Cena: Dec. 10, 2016 | 8 p.m. | |
| Dwayne Johnson: May 20, 2017 | 9 p.m. | |
| Ronda Rousey: Jan. 23, 2016 | 10 p.m. | |
| Friday, May 29 | Michael Phelps: Sept. 13, 2008 | 7 p.m. |
| Derek Jeter: Dec. 1, 2001 | 8 p.m. | |
| Charles Barkley: Jan. 7, 2012 | 9 p.m. | |
| Charles Barkley: March 3, 2018 | 10 p.m. | |
| Michael Jordan: Sept. 28, 1991 | 11 p.m. |
–NBC SPORTS–