Turner Sports will officially launch Kia NBA Tip-Off '13, the opening week of the 2013-14 NBA regular season, with three consecutive nights of doubleheader coverage across TNT and NBA TV. Entering its 30th consecutive year of NBA coverage, TNT will open the season with a doubleheader Tuesday, Oct. 29, beginning at 7 p.m. ET when the Sports Emmy Award-winning studio team of Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Shaquille O'Neal televise a live pregame show from Flatiron Plaza in New York City. The special NBA on TNT Opening Night 2013 Presented by AutoTrader.com telecast is part of a New York City attraction sponsored by 2K celebrating the start of the NBA season.
Following TNT's special one-hour pre-game show, which also includes live coverage of the championship ring ceremony for the Miami Heat, TNT's opening night doubleheader will feature the defending champion Miami Heat and LeBron James hosting the Chicago Bulls and the highly anticipated return of Derrick Rose at 8 p.m. After the Bulls/Heat matchup,
TNT will feature a battle of Los Angeles with the Clippers and Chris Paul meeting the L.A. Lakers and two-time NBA MVP Steve Nash at 10:30 p.m. Marv Albert will call the Bulls/Heat telecast with analysts Steve Kerr and reporter David Aldridge, with Kevin Harlan providing play-by-play for Clippers/Lakers with analyst Reggie Miller and reporter Craig Sager.
As part of
TNT and NBA TV's comprehensive Opening Night coverage,
NBA TV will televise a special edition of NBA GameTime at 6 p.m. Hosted by Matt Winer with analysts Grant Hill, Steve Smith and Chris Webber, the show will preview the upcoming season while also providing live look-ins to the event taking place in New York City.
For NBA fans in New York City, TNT's critically-acclaimed studio show will be part of an on-site attraction open to the public and sponsored by 2K. The event will take place Tuesday, Oct. 29, at Flatiron Plaza, and will feature a basketball court, NBA 2K14 video game kiosks, and a massive video board perched 30 feet above Broadway and Fifth Avenue serving as a viewing area for fans to watch the live
TNT pre-game show and game coverage. Turner will team up with NBA Cares, the league's social responsibility program, during the day's activities to promote physical fitness and healthy living for kids and families.
Turner Sports will also set up an
NBA on TNT social media vending machine at various locations throughout New York City, giving fans a chance to collect free prizes ranging from copies of the NBA2K14 game, golden tickets for meet and greets with the Inside the NBA studio team and more. Additionally, an NBA 2K14 video game scavenger hunt will take place around Manhattan with clues
Being distributed via the @NBAonTNT and @2K Twitter handles throughout the day.
In addition to the New York-based events, host Winer and analysts Hill, Webber and Smith will provide the Sprint Halftime Report for the Lakers/Clippers game, along with full post-game coverage during the Inside the NBA presented by Kia broadcast from Turner Studios in Atlanta.
Turner Sports' opening week coverage will also include doubleheader action on Wednesday, Oct. 30, and Thursday, Oct. 31.
NBA TV will feature the Cleveland Cavaliers and NBA All-Star Kyrie Irving hosting the Brooklyn Nets with newcomers Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce at 7 p.m., followed by the Lakers visiting the Golden State Warriors and sharpshooter Stephen Curry at 10:30 p.m.
TNT will round out three consecutive nights of NBA opening week doubleheaders with the Bulls hosting the New York Knicks and Carmelo Anthony at 8 p.m., and the Warriors visiting the Clippers at 10:30 p.m. Albert will provide the call for the Knicks/Bulls game with analyst Kerr and reporter Aldridge, with Harlan describing the Warriors/Clippers game with analyst Miller and reporter Sager.
NBA TV, jointly managed by Turner Sports and the NBA, will also televise the Bulls visiting the Philadelphia 76ers and rookie point guard Michael Carter-Williams on Saturday, Nov. 2, at 7:30 p.m. and the Oklahoma City Thunder and Kevin Durant hosting the Phoenix Suns and Eric Bledsoe on Sunday, Nov. 3, at 7 p.m.
TNT &
NBA TV Opening Week Schedule:
Date Time (ET) Game/Commentators Network
Tuesday, Oct. 29
6 p.m. NBA GameTime
NBA TV Matt Winer, Grant Hill, Steve Smith, Chris Webber
7 p.m.
NBA on TNT Opening Night 2013 Presented by AutoTrader.com
TNT Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith, Shaquille O'Neal
*Broadcast live from New York City's Flatiron Plaza
8 p.m. Chicago Bulls at Miami Heat
TNT Marv Albert, Steve Kerr, David Aldridge
10:30 p.m. Los Angeles Clippers vs. L.A. Lakers
TNT Kevin Harlan, Reggie Miller, Craig Sager
Post-game Inside the NBA presented by Kia
TNT Winer, Hill, Smith, Webber
Wednesday, Oct. 30
6 p.m. AutoTrader.com Pregame Show
NBA TV Vince Cellini, Greg Anthony, Rick Fox, Webber
7 p.m. Brooklyn Nets vs. Cleveland Cavaliers NBA TV
10:30 p.m. L.A. Lakers vs. Golden State Warriors NBA TV
Thursday, Oct. 31
8 p.m. New York Knicks vs. Chicago Bulls
TNT Albert, Kerr, Aldridge
10:30 p.m. Golden State Warriors vs. L.A. Clippers
TNT Harlan, Miller, Sager
Post-game Inside the NBA presented by Kia
TNT Johnson, Barkley, K. Smith, O'Neal
