The NBA on TNT
Encyclopedia
The NBA on TNT is Turner Network Television
's coverage of the National Basketball Association
, produced by Turner Sports
. TNT's basketball broadcasts, which include a weekly doubleheader known as TNT NBA Thursday, the Inside the NBA
studio show, as well as playoff coverage, are perhaps that channel's signature programs. TNT began airing NBA games in 1988
, and aired games on multiple nights of the week (usually twice a week with sister network TBS
airing another game on another night) until 2002
. In the video game NBA 07
, made by Sony Computer Entertainment
for the PlayStation 2
, PlayStation Portable
and PlayStation 3
consoles, graphics for TNT's NBA games is seen when playing an exhibition, playoff, preseason, or seasonal game. A direct copy of TNT's graphics can also be seen on Cartoon Network
's weekly basketball program, Run It Back.
The NBA on TNT is the network's longest-running program, as well as the current longest-running NBA game coverage program in the league (ABC and ESPN did not start airing games until 2002).
, Opening Night games, and the vast majority of playoff games), and is regarded by many NBA fans as the equivalent of what NBC was during their coverage of the league. TNT would seem to be the preferred carrier to the NBA as well; from 2003 to 2005, TNT aired the Conference Final with the most interest from the national media (Spurs
-Mavericks
in 2003
, Lakers
-Wolves
in 2004
and Pistons
-Heat
in 2005
). TNT also airs most of the big games during the regular season (TNT aired a Lakers-Heat game for the third straight year in 2007
), and TNT studio content is streamed to NBA.com via the TNT Overtime section.
Currently, Johnson is joined by Kenny "The Jet" Smith
and Charles Barkley
. The NBA postgame show which features the three, Inside the NBA, has gained popularity in recent years for the chemistry and banter they have. Occasionally, Johnson, Smith and Barkley are joined by Chris Webber
, Kevin McHale
, David Aldridge
or Reggie Miller
.
).
TNT also carries exclusive coverage of one NBA Conference Final. From 2005 on, TNT has aired the Eastern Conference Finals in odd-number years and the Western Conference Finals in even-number years. They aired, or will air, the 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013 and 2015 Eastern Conference Finals, and the 2003, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014 and 2016 Western Conference Finals. ESPN airs the other Conference Final, with weekend coverage of the ESPN covered series and the Finals being broadcast on ABC.
For the first round, TNT's coverage of the playoffs is not exclusive; local sports networks can still air the game. Only during the second round and the conference finals does TNT's coverage become exclusive.
, the NBA spread out playoff series so that only two series would play per day (so as to avoid TNT and TBS competing for ratings). TNT would air doubleheaders on most weekdays, while TBS would air one doubleheader per week (in 2002, TBS aired doubleheaders every Tuesday night of the playoffs until the Conference Finals).
With the advent of the new NBA television deal in 2003
(which ended TBS' coverage), TNT has aired playoff games alone, including (in 2003 only) some weekday tripleheaders. The tripleheaders, which were criticized by both fans and many in the media, consisted of one game at 6:00 p.m., another at 8:30 p.m., and a final game at 11:00 p.m. After 2003, the NBA and TNT discontinued the tripleheaders, instead settling for a doubleheader on TNT and a single game on NBA TV
simultaneously. However, when Turner Sports
acquired NBA TV in 2008, the network abandoned airing the lone non-national Thursday game, instead leaving it up to the local sports networks.
Other than their regular Thursday schedule, TNT also airs NBA regular season games on Martin Luther King Day
, during which tripleheaders were still used. However in 2011, ESPN opted to air one matinee game on MLK Day, and NBA TV on the second matinee, leaving TNT to air the remaining two night games. In 2008, TNT broadcast on Christmas Day
for the first time as Marv Albert
, Mike Fratello
and Craig Sager
broadcast the game between Washington
and Cleveland
in Cleveland
and Kevin Harlan
, Reggie Miller
and Cheryl Miller broadcast the game between Dallas
and Portland
in Portland.
Due to TNT's part in coverage
of the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
beginning in March 2011
, the league shifted over what would have been the Thursday night games in the third week of that month to Monday nights and they aired as part of ESPN's coverage instead.
Normally the studio crew of Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley would stay in the TNT Atlanta studios for all of the regular season and the first two rounds of the playoffs. However, in the 2010-11 NBA season the studio crew started taking their pre-game, halftime and Inside the NBA shows on the road in the regular season, specifically select games involving the Miami Heat
on TNT, due to the heightened media coverage surrounding the Heat's acquisitions of LeBron James
and Chris Bosh
. The substitute studio hosts will also be on hand for Inside the NBA and the other game's pre-game and halftime presentations; the crew consists of Matt Winer
, Chris Webber
and Kevin McHale
.
On May 11, 2011, Turner Sports (this includes TBS
) broadcast its 1,000 playoff telecast.
In July 2011, It was announced that Shaquille O'Neal will join as an analyst and signed a multi-year agreement.
, the NBA's lone non-United States based franchise. This is because the Toronto market lies outside the network's saleable broadcast zone (TNT is not available in Canada, and Canadian viewership would not affect TNT's U.S. ratings even if it was available in that country).
Virtually all TNT games, regular season or postseason, are now simulcast in Canada via either TSN
/TSN2
, Rogers Sportsnet
/Sportsnet One, or NBA TV Canada. However, any TNT coverage of Raptors postseason games is not aired in favour of team-produced coverage, as has been the case with all Raptors games in Canada since the early 2000s.
The lead announcing team for the NBA on TNT is Marv Albert
and Steve Kerr
. The 2010-11 NBA season will be their fourth season together; however their first since the 2005-06 NBA season
(Kerr was Phoenix Suns
general manager in between). The second announcing team will be Kevin Harlan
and Reggie Miller
. Dick Stockton
, who has been with TNT since 1995, is currently the third play-by-play man, calling select regular season and playoff games. Stockton usually teams up with Mike Fratello
but has often teamed up with Kerr in select games. In the regular season, TNT's announce teams are not usually permanent; Fratello has occasionally teamed up with Harlan while Miller also teamed up along with Albert and Kerr as a three-piece and vice versa. At times Fratello would also be absent because of his commitment with the New Jersey Nets
on the YES Network
. Another occasional announcer is Matt Devlin
. When not calling Toronto Raptors
games, Devlin is usually filled in as play-by-play man on select games, particularly in the playoffs. Most recently Nets play-by-play man Ian Eagle
also fill in during the playoffs, primarily working with his YES colleague Fratello.
Albert, Harlan and Eagle are all also play-by-play hosts for the NFL on CBS
.
Doug Collins
used to be the secondary analyst on TNT; he was also the lead analyst in his first stint with the network from 1989
to 1995
, pairing with the likes of Bob Neal
, Ron Thulin and Pete Van Wieren
. In his second stint from 2003
to 2010, he is usually paired with Harlan during the regular season, but is also paired with Albert during the NBA All-Star Game and the Conference Finals
. The original voice of the NBA on TNT was Bob Neal, who worked with the network from 1989 to 1995; he was also the original voice of the NBA on TBS
. Other announcers who worked for TNT include Hubie Brown
, Vern Lundquist, Danny Ainge
, Rex Chapman
, John Thompson
, Jeff Van Gundy
, P.J. Carlesimo and Gary Bender
. Several prominent NBA analysts have chosen TNT over ABC or ESPN, such as Doug Collins
and Charles Barkley
(Barkley was not only approached by ABC about an NBA studio job in 2002, but as also rumored to have been approached for a job on Monday Night Football
). Reggie Miller
was also sought out by ABC and ESPN, only to go to TNT. Craig Sager
and Cheryl Miller currently serve as the primary sideline reporters, with David Aldridge
filling in on select games. In the playoffs fill-in sideline reporters, some coming from NBA TV
, are used, with Marc Fein
, Marty Snider
, Jamie Maggio and Lewis Johnson
currently hold the capacity.
The biggest TNT acquisition once sought out by ABC and ESPN was Marv Albert
. After the 2002 NBA Finals
, Albert, essentially a free agent, was a candidate for the lead spot on The NBA on ABC (which ultimately went to Brad Nessler
). Albert, hired by TNT in 1999, decided to stay with the network. Some attributed this to the fact that TNT gave Albert his first chance to be on national television after the embarrassing sex scandal that forced his firing at NBC
. Albert and Mike Fratello—both of whom worked as a team in the NBA on NBCs early years—would ultimately reunite on TNT.
Hubie Brown
and Jeff Van Gundy
are currently the only former TNT announcers working for ABC. Brown, whose role on TNT was going to be significantly reduced starting with the 2002–03 season, left in 2002 to coach the Memphis Grizzlies
. After two seasons of coaching, he left Memphis in early 2004 (leading to the departure from TNT of lead analyst Mike Fratello
, who replaced him in Memphis) and was quickly picked up by ABC. Jeff Van Gundy
, who was fired by the Houston Rockets after they lost in the first round, joined ABC at the beginning of the Western Conference Finals. Part-time TNT broadcaster Mike Breen
is now the lead broadcaster for ABC and one-time TNT analyst Doc Rivers
worked for ABC in 2004
. Meanwhile, Pam Oliver
, the lead sideline reporter for NFL games on FOX Sports
joined Turner Sports in 2004 as she would only be on during the NBA Playoffs
as she still continues that role today.
. Previous themes for TNT were composed by Edd Kalehoff
, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy
, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis
TNT extended its deal with the NBA in 2007. TNT's NBA contract is up at the end of the 2015–16 season, financial terms between the NBA and TNT were not disclosed, although the NBA will receive $930 million per year from all of its broadcasting partners (ESPN, ABC, ESPN Radio, and NBA TV).
Turner Network Television
Turner Network Television is an American cable television channel created by media mogul Ted Turner and currently owned by the Turner Broadcasting System division of Time Warner...
's coverage of the National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
, produced by Turner Sports
Turner Sports
Turner Sports is the division of Turner Broadcasting System responsible for sports broadcasts on Turner channels including TBS, TNT, and TruTV, and for operating the interactive properties , , , and...
. TNT's basketball broadcasts, which include a weekly doubleheader known as TNT NBA Thursday, the Inside the NBA
Inside the NBA
Inside the NBA is the five-time Emmy Award-winning postgame show for NBA on TNT broadcasts. The program features host Ernie Johnson with analysts Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and starting in 2011, they will be joined by Shaquille O'Neal...
studio show, as well as playoff coverage, are perhaps that channel's signature programs. TNT began airing NBA games in 1988
1988-89 NBA season
-Statistics leaders:-NBA awards:*Most Valuable Player: Magic Johnson, Los Angeles Lakers*Rookie of the Year: Mitch Richmond, Golden State Warriors*Defensive Player of the Year: Mark Eaton, Utah Jazz...
, and aired games on multiple nights of the week (usually twice a week with sister network TBS
NBA on TBS
The NBA on TBS debuted in the 1984-1985 season under a four year contract, where they shared the NBA package along with CBS.-Coverage:...
airing another game on another night) until 2002
2001-02 NBA season
-Statistics leaders:-Yearly awards:*Most Valuable Player: Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs*Rookie of the Year: Pau Gasol, Memphis Grizzlies*Defensive Player of the Year: Ben Wallace, Detroit Pistons...
. In the video game NBA 07
NBA 07
NBA '07 is a basketball video game which was released on September 26, 2006. The product features Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant on the cover, with his newly-chosen jersey number of 24....
, made by Sony Computer Entertainment
Sony Computer Entertainment
Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc. is a major video game company specializing in a variety of areas in the video game industry, and is a wholly owned subsidiary and part of the Consumer Products & Services Group of Sony...
for the PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
, PlayStation Portable
PlayStation Portable
The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
and PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
consoles, graphics for TNT's NBA games is seen when playing an exhibition, playoff, preseason, or seasonal game. A direct copy of TNT's graphics can also be seen on Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network is a name of television channels worldwide created by Turner Broadcasting which used to primarily show animated programming. The channel began broadcasting on October 1, 1992 in the United States....
's weekly basketball program, Run It Back.
The NBA on TNT is the network's longest-running program, as well as the current longest-running NBA game coverage program in the league (ABC and ESPN did not start airing games until 2002).
Overview
TNT airs many of the NBA's marquee games (the NBA All-Star Game, a full Conference FinalNBA Conference Finals
The National Basketball Association Conference Finals are the Eastern Conference and Western Conference Championship series of the National Basketball Association , a major professional basketball league in North America. The NBA was founded in 1946 as the Basketball Association of America...
, Opening Night games, and the vast majority of playoff games), and is regarded by many NBA fans as the equivalent of what NBC was during their coverage of the league. TNT would seem to be the preferred carrier to the NBA as well; from 2003 to 2005, TNT aired the Conference Final with the most interest from the national media (Spurs
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....
-Mavericks
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks are a professional basketball team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association , and the reigning NBA champions, having defeated the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals.According to a 2011...
in 2003
2003 NBA Playoffs
The 2003 NBA playoffs was the postseason of the National Basketball Association's 2002-03 NBA season. This postseason was notable for being the first time all series were conducted in a best-of-7 format. It was also the only time in playoff history that no team was swept in a first-round series....
, Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
-Wolves
Minnesota Timberwolves
The Minnesota Timberwolves are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . Founded in 1989, the team is currently owned by Glen Taylor...
in 2004
2004 NBA Playoffs
The 2004 NBA Playoffs were the postseason of the National Basketball Association's 2003–04 season. Consisting of 16 teams in two conferences, the playoffs involved about two months of play. The playoffs were conducted in seven-game series, with the team with the better record holding home court...
and Pistons
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...
-Heat
Miami Heat
The Miami Heat is a professional basketball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. The team is a member of the Southeast Division in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . They play their home games at American Airlines Arena in Downtown Miami...
in 2005
2005 NBA Playoffs
The 2005 NBA Playoffs was the postseason of the National Basketball Association's 2004–05 season.The San Antonio Spurs, the number two ranked team in the Western Conference, won the 2005 NBA Playoffs by defeating the defending champions, the Detroit Pistons, 4-3 in the NBA Finals...
). TNT also airs most of the big games during the regular season (TNT aired a Lakers-Heat game for the third straight year in 2007
2006-07 NBA season
The 2006–07 NBA season was the 61st season of the National Basketball Association. The regular season began on October 31, 2006 and ran through April 18, 2007. The league fielded 30 teams, each playing an 82 game regular season schedule. The top eight seeds from each conference reached the NBA...
), and TNT studio content is streamed to NBA.com via the TNT Overtime section.
Studio team
The host of the NBA on TNT since its inception is Ernie Johnson Jr.Ernie Johnson Jr.
Ernest Johnson, Jr. is a sportscaster for Turner Sports coverage on TNT and TBS.-Childhood:Johnson went to Mother of Good Counsel for his grade school...
Currently, Johnson is joined by Kenny "The Jet" Smith
Kenny Smith
Kenneth "The Jet" Smith is a retired National Basketball Association player and current TV basketball analyst, primarily for Inside the NBA on TNT.-Early life:...
and Charles Barkley
Charles Barkley
Charles Wade Barkley is a former American professional basketball player. Nicknamed "Sir Charles" and "The Round Mound of Rebound", Barkley established himself as one of the National Basketball Association's most dominating power forwards...
. The NBA postgame show which features the three, Inside the NBA, has gained popularity in recent years for the chemistry and banter they have. Occasionally, Johnson, Smith and Barkley are joined by Chris Webber
Chris Webber
Mayce Edward Christopher "Chris" Webber, III , nicknamed C-Webb, is a retired American professional basketball player. He is a five-time NBA All-Star, a former All-NBA First Teamer, a former NBA Rookie of the Year, and a former #1 overall NBA Draftee...
, Kevin McHale
Kevin McHale
Kevin Edward McHale is a retired American professional basketball player and current head coach of the Houston Rockets. After his playing career, he worked for the Minnesota Timberwolves as the team's general manager and later its coach. He was fired as coach in June 2009...
, David Aldridge
David Aldridge
David Aldridge is a reporter for the Turner television networks TNT, TBS and TBD.-Education and early career:...
or Reggie Miller
Reggie Miller
Reginald Wayne "Reggie" Miller is a retired American professional basketball player who played his entire 18-year National Basketball Association career with the Indiana Pacers...
.
Playoff coverage
TNT's playoff coverage is nicknamed 40 Games in 40 Nights. In previous years, TNT and TBS aired doubleheaders opposite each other each night of the first round of the playoffs, with one network airing a doubleheader at 7:00 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. and the other network airing a doubleheader at 8:00 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. (all times EasternNorth American Eastern Time Zone
The Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time...
).
TNT also carries exclusive coverage of one NBA Conference Final. From 2005 on, TNT has aired the Eastern Conference Finals in odd-number years and the Western Conference Finals in even-number years. They aired, or will air, the 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013 and 2015 Eastern Conference Finals, and the 2003, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014 and 2016 Western Conference Finals. ESPN airs the other Conference Final, with weekend coverage of the ESPN covered series and the Finals being broadcast on ABC.
For the first round, TNT's coverage of the playoffs is not exclusive; local sports networks can still air the game. Only during the second round and the conference finals does TNT's coverage become exclusive.
2000-2002
Starting in 20002000 NBA Playoffs
The 2000 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1999–2000 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers win their first championship in twelve years by defeating the Eastern Conference champion Indiana Pacers...
, the NBA spread out playoff series so that only two series would play per day (so as to avoid TNT and TBS competing for ratings). TNT would air doubleheaders on most weekdays, while TBS would air one doubleheader per week (in 2002, TBS aired doubleheaders every Tuesday night of the playoffs until the Conference Finals).
Since 2003
2002-03 NBA season
The 2002–03 NBA season was the 57th season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the San Antonio Spurs beating the New Jersey Nets 4-2 in the 2003 NBA Finals.-Notable occurrences:...
(which ended TBS' coverage), TNT has aired playoff games alone, including (in 2003 only) some weekday tripleheaders. The tripleheaders, which were criticized by both fans and many in the media, consisted of one game at 6:00 p.m., another at 8:30 p.m., and a final game at 11:00 p.m. After 2003, the NBA and TNT discontinued the tripleheaders, instead settling for a doubleheader on TNT and a single game on NBA TV
NBA TV
NBA TV is a television specialty channel that is dedicated to showcasing the sport of basketball in the United States. The network is financially backed by the National Basketball Association , which also uses NBA TV as a way of advertising their out of market package NBA League Pass, and partner...
simultaneously. However, when Turner Sports
Turner Sports
Turner Sports is the division of Turner Broadcasting System responsible for sports broadcasts on Turner channels including TBS, TNT, and TruTV, and for operating the interactive properties , , , and...
acquired NBA TV in 2008, the network abandoned airing the lone non-national Thursday game, instead leaving it up to the local sports networks.
Other than their regular Thursday schedule, TNT also airs NBA regular season games on Martin Luther King Day
Martin Luther King Day
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is a United States federal holiday marking the birthday of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. It is observed on the third Monday of January each year, which is around the time of King's birthday, January 15. The floating holiday is similar to holidays set under the Uniform...
, during which tripleheaders were still used. However in 2011, ESPN opted to air one matinee game on MLK Day, and NBA TV on the second matinee, leaving TNT to air the remaining two night games. In 2008, TNT broadcast on Christmas Day
NBA on Christmas Day
The National Basketball Association's Christmas Games is a series of games played on Christmas Day. It has been an annual occurrence since the league's inception in 1946, like their National Football League's November holiday counterparts, the Thanksgiving Classic games...
for the first time as Marv Albert
Marv Albert
Marv Albert is an American television and radio sportscaster. Honored for his work as a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame, he is commonly referred to as "the voice of basketball." From 1967–2004, he was also known as "the voice of the New York Knicks."Including Super Bowl XLII, Marv has called...
, Mike Fratello
Mike Fratello
Michael Robert "Mike" Fratello is an American color analyst and a professional basketball coach. He previously coached the Atlanta Hawks, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Memphis Grizzlies of the NBA, and is currently the head coach of the Ukraine national basketball team.-Background:Fratello was born in...
and Craig Sager
Craig Sager
Craig Sager , is currently a sportscaster for TNT and TBS. Sager is a graduate of Northwestern University. He has previously covered sports for CBS and CNN. His nickname is "America's Sideline Reporter"....
broadcast the game between Washington
2008–09 Washington Wizards season
The 2008–09 Washington Wizards season was the 48th season of the franchise in the National Basketball Association .-Key dates:*June 26: The 2008 NBA Draft took place in New York City, New York.*July 1: The free agency period will start....
and Cleveland
2008–09 Cleveland Cavaliers season
The 2008–09 Cleveland Cavaliers season was the 39th season of the franchise in the National Basketball Association .-Key dates:*June 26: The 2008 NBA Draft took place in New York City, New York.*July 1: The free agency period started....
in Cleveland
Quicken Loans Arena
Quicken Loans Arena , is a multi-purpose arena, in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States....
and Kevin Harlan
Kevin Harlan
Kevin Harlan is an American television sports announcer. The son of former Green Bay Packers executive Bob Harlan, he currently broadcasts NFL and college basketball games on CBS. Harlan is also a play-by-play announcer for the NBA on TNT...
, Reggie Miller
Reggie Miller
Reginald Wayne "Reggie" Miller is a retired American professional basketball player who played his entire 18-year National Basketball Association career with the Indiana Pacers...
and Cheryl Miller broadcast the game between Dallas
2008–09 Dallas Mavericks season
The 2008–09 Dallas Mavericks season is the 29th season of the franchise in the National Basketball Association .-Key dates:*June 26: The 2008 NBA Draft will take place in New York City, New York.*July 1: The free agency period will start....
and Portland
2008–09 Portland Trail Blazers season
The 2008–09 Portland Trail Blazers season is the 39th season of the franchise in the National Basketball Association .-Key dates:*June 26: The 2008 NBA Draft took place in New York City, New York.*July 1: The free agency period started....
in Portland.
Due to TNT's part in coverage
NCAA March Madness (CBS/Turner)
NCAA March Madness is the title of the coverage of the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament jointly produced by CBS Sports and Turner Sports, with coverage airing on CBS, TBS, TNT and truTV, beginning with the 2011 tournament.Initially, CBS will continue to have coverage during most rounds,...
of the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
beginning in March 2011
2011 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The following sites were selected to host each round of the 2011 tournament:First Four*March 15 and 16**University of Dayton Arena, Dayton, OhioSecond and third rounds*March 17 and 19**Verizon Center, Washington, D.C....
, the league shifted over what would have been the Thursday night games in the third week of that month to Monday nights and they aired as part of ESPN's coverage instead.
Normally the studio crew of Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley would stay in the TNT Atlanta studios for all of the regular season and the first two rounds of the playoffs. However, in the 2010-11 NBA season the studio crew started taking their pre-game, halftime and Inside the NBA shows on the road in the regular season, specifically select games involving the Miami Heat
Miami Heat
The Miami Heat is a professional basketball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. The team is a member of the Southeast Division in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . They play their home games at American Airlines Arena in Downtown Miami...
on TNT, due to the heightened media coverage surrounding the Heat's acquisitions of LeBron James
LeBron James
LeBron Raymone James is an American professional basketball player for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association . Nicknamed "King James", he was a three-time "Mr. Basketball" of Ohio in high school, and was highly promoted in the national media as a future NBA superstar while a...
and Chris Bosh
Chris Bosh
Christopher Wesson Bosh is an American professional basketball player who plays power forward for the Miami Heat in the National Basketball Association ....
. The substitute studio hosts will also be on hand for Inside the NBA and the other game's pre-game and halftime presentations; the crew consists of Matt Winer
Matt Winer
Matthew Ward Winer is an American television personality for Turner Sports and formerly with ESPN.-Career:Turner Sports signed Winer in 2010 to contribute to coverage of sports across its networks. He became the primary studio host for Major League Baseball on TBS, replacing Ernie Johnson Jr., who...
, Chris Webber
Chris Webber
Mayce Edward Christopher "Chris" Webber, III , nicknamed C-Webb, is a retired American professional basketball player. He is a five-time NBA All-Star, a former All-NBA First Teamer, a former NBA Rookie of the Year, and a former #1 overall NBA Draftee...
and Kevin McHale
Kevin McHale
Kevin Edward McHale is a retired American professional basketball player and current head coach of the Houston Rockets. After his playing career, he worked for the Minnesota Timberwolves as the team's general manager and later its coach. He was fired as coach in June 2009...
.
On May 11, 2011, Turner Sports (this includes TBS
NBA on TBS
The NBA on TBS debuted in the 1984-1985 season under a four year contract, where they shared the NBA package along with CBS.-Coverage:...
) broadcast its 1,000 playoff telecast.
In July 2011, It was announced that Shaquille O'Neal will join as an analyst and signed a multi-year agreement.
Canadian coverage
TNT rarely shows regular season games from the Toronto RaptorsToronto Raptors
The Toronto Raptors are a professional basketball team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1995, along with the Vancouver Grizzlies, as part of the NBA's re-expansion...
, the NBA's lone non-United States based franchise. This is because the Toronto market lies outside the network's saleable broadcast zone (TNT is not available in Canada, and Canadian viewership would not affect TNT's U.S. ratings even if it was available in that country).
Virtually all TNT games, regular season or postseason, are now simulcast in Canada via either TSN
The Sports Network
The Sports Network, commonly abbreviated as TSN, is a Canadian English language Category C specialty channel and is Canada's leading English language sports TV channel. TSN premiered in 1984, in the first group of Canadian specialty cable channels...
/TSN2
TSN2
TSN2 is a secondary feed of the Canadian English language Category C specialty channel TSN, owned by CTV Specialty Television Inc., a joint venture of Bell Media and ESPN...
, Rogers Sportsnet
Rogers Sportsnet
Sportsnet was launched on October 9, 1998 as CTV Sportsnet. The name was chosen to match the regional "Fox Sports Net" operations across the United States...
/Sportsnet One, or NBA TV Canada. However, any TNT coverage of Raptors postseason games is not aired in favour of team-produced coverage, as has been the case with all Raptors games in Canada since the early 2000s.
Announcing teams
The lead announcing team for the NBA on TNT is Marv Albert
Marv Albert
Marv Albert is an American television and radio sportscaster. Honored for his work as a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame, he is commonly referred to as "the voice of basketball." From 1967–2004, he was also known as "the voice of the New York Knicks."Including Super Bowl XLII, Marv has called...
and Steve Kerr
Steve Kerr
Stephen Douglas "Steve" Kerr is a retired American professional basketball player. He shot .454 from three point range over his career and currently holds the record as the most accurate three-point shooter in NBA history...
. The 2010-11 NBA season will be their fourth season together; however their first since the 2005-06 NBA season
2005-06 NBA season
The 2005–06 NBA season was the 60th season of the National Basketball Association. It began on November 1, 2005 and ran through April 19, 2006...
(Kerr was Phoenix Suns
Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association and the only team in their division not to be based in California. Their home arena since 1992 has been the US...
general manager in between). The second announcing team will be Kevin Harlan
Kevin Harlan
Kevin Harlan is an American television sports announcer. The son of former Green Bay Packers executive Bob Harlan, he currently broadcasts NFL and college basketball games on CBS. Harlan is also a play-by-play announcer for the NBA on TNT...
and Reggie Miller
Reggie Miller
Reginald Wayne "Reggie" Miller is a retired American professional basketball player who played his entire 18-year National Basketball Association career with the Indiana Pacers...
. Dick Stockton
Dick Stockton
Dick Stockton is an American sportscaster. He is currently employed by Fox Sports and Turner Sports as a football, baseball, and basketball play-by-play announcer.-Early life and career:...
, who has been with TNT since 1995, is currently the third play-by-play man, calling select regular season and playoff games. Stockton usually teams up with Mike Fratello
Mike Fratello
Michael Robert "Mike" Fratello is an American color analyst and a professional basketball coach. He previously coached the Atlanta Hawks, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Memphis Grizzlies of the NBA, and is currently the head coach of the Ukraine national basketball team.-Background:Fratello was born in...
but has often teamed up with Kerr in select games. In the regular season, TNT's announce teams are not usually permanent; Fratello has occasionally teamed up with Harlan while Miller also teamed up along with Albert and Kerr as a three-piece and vice versa. At times Fratello would also be absent because of his commitment with the New Jersey Nets
New Jersey Nets
The New Jersey Nets are a professional basketball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
on the YES Network
YES Network
The Yankees Entertainment and Sports Network is a New York City-based, regional cable television channel; it broadcasts a variety of sports events, with an emphasis on New York Yankees baseball games, and New Jersey Nets basketball games. YES made its debut on March 19, 2002...
. Another occasional announcer is Matt Devlin
Matt Devlin
Matt Devlin was a Provisional Irish Republican Army volunteer who took part in the 1981 Irish Hunger Strike and was later a leading member of Sinn Féin in County Westmeath.-Background:...
. When not calling Toronto Raptors
Toronto Raptors
The Toronto Raptors are a professional basketball team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1995, along with the Vancouver Grizzlies, as part of the NBA's re-expansion...
games, Devlin is usually filled in as play-by-play man on select games, particularly in the playoffs. Most recently Nets play-by-play man Ian Eagle
Ian Eagle
Ian Eagle is an American sports announcer calling National Football League games on CBS, New Jersey Nets games on the YES Network and hosts Full Court Press, a basketball talk show with former player Kenny Smith on Sirius Satellite Radio...
also fill in during the playoffs, primarily working with his YES colleague Fratello.
Albert, Harlan and Eagle are all also play-by-play hosts for the NFL on CBS
NFL on CBS
The NFL on CBS is the brand name of the CBS television network's coverage of the National Football League's American Football Conference games, produced by CBS Sports.-Market coverage and television policies:...
.
Doug Collins
Doug Collins
Paul Douglas "Doug" Collins is a retired American basketball player, a former four-time NBA All-Star and currently the head coach of the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers.-High school and college:...
used to be the secondary analyst on TNT; he was also the lead analyst in his first stint with the network from 1989
1989-90 NBA season
-Statistics leaders:-NBA awards:*Most Valuable Player: Magic Johnson, Los Angeles Lakers*Rookie of the Year: David Robinson, San Antonio Spurs*Defensive Player of the Year: Dennis Rodman, Detroit Pistons...
to 1995
1994-95 NBA season
-Statistics leaders:-NBA awards:*Most Valuable Player: David Robinson, San Antonio Spurs*Rookies of the Year: Jason Kidd, Dallas Mavericks and Grant Hill, Detroit Pistons*Defensive Player of the Year: Dikembe Mutombo, Denver Nuggets...
, pairing with the likes of Bob Neal
Bob Neal (Atlanta sportscaster)
Bob Neal is an American sportscaster. Currently, he can be seen as anchor of SportsNite, a daily sports show on Comcast Sports Southeast, serving thirteen southern states...
, Ron Thulin and Pete Van Wieren
Pete Van Wieren
Pete van Wieren is a former American sportscaster best known for his long career calling play-by-play for Major League Baseball's Atlanta Braves.-Atlanta Braves:...
. In his second stint from 2003
2003-04 NBA season
-Statistics leaders:-Yearly awards:*Most Valuable Player: Kevin Garnett, Minnesota Timberwolves*Rookie of the Year: LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers*Defensive Player of the Year: Ron Artest, Indiana Pacers...
to 2010, he is usually paired with Harlan during the regular season, but is also paired with Albert during the NBA All-Star Game and the Conference Finals
NBA Conference Finals
The National Basketball Association Conference Finals are the Eastern Conference and Western Conference Championship series of the National Basketball Association , a major professional basketball league in North America. The NBA was founded in 1946 as the Basketball Association of America...
. The original voice of the NBA on TNT was Bob Neal, who worked with the network from 1989 to 1995; he was also the original voice of the NBA on TBS
NBA on TBS
The NBA on TBS debuted in the 1984-1985 season under a four year contract, where they shared the NBA package along with CBS.-Coverage:...
. Other announcers who worked for TNT include Hubie Brown
Hubie Brown
Hubert Jude "Hubie" Brown is a retired American basketball coach and a current television analyst. Brown is a two-time NBA Coach of the Year, the honors being separated by 26 years...
, Vern Lundquist, Danny Ainge
Danny Ainge
Daniel Ray "Danny" Ainge is an American basketball manager and retired professional basketball and baseball player, currently serving as President of Basketball Operations for the Boston Celtics....
, Rex Chapman
Rex Chapman
Rex Everett Chapman is a retired American professional basketball player. Chapman was a college standout at the University of Kentucky and went on to play for four NBA teams through his 12-year career in the league...
, John Thompson
John Thompson (basketball)
John R. Thompson, Jr. is an American former basketball coach for the Georgetown University Hoyas. He is now a professional radio and TV sports commentator...
, Jeff Van Gundy
Jeff Van Gundy
Jeffrey William "Jeff" Van Gundy is a former American basketball head coach. He coached most recently with the National Basketball Association's Houston Rockets...
, P.J. Carlesimo and Gary Bender
Gary Bender
Gary Bender is a retired American sportscaster and 2008 inductee in to the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame. He officially retired, April 13, 2011, from Fox Sports Arizona network after 18 years calling the NBA Phoenix Suns games.-Early career:...
. Several prominent NBA analysts have chosen TNT over ABC or ESPN, such as Doug Collins
Doug Collins
Paul Douglas "Doug" Collins is a retired American basketball player, a former four-time NBA All-Star and currently the head coach of the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers.-High school and college:...
and Charles Barkley
Charles Barkley
Charles Wade Barkley is a former American professional basketball player. Nicknamed "Sir Charles" and "The Round Mound of Rebound", Barkley established himself as one of the National Basketball Association's most dominating power forwards...
(Barkley was not only approached by ABC about an NBA studio job in 2002, but as also rumored to have been approached for a job on Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...
). Reggie Miller
Reggie Miller
Reginald Wayne "Reggie" Miller is a retired American professional basketball player who played his entire 18-year National Basketball Association career with the Indiana Pacers...
was also sought out by ABC and ESPN, only to go to TNT. Craig Sager
Craig Sager
Craig Sager , is currently a sportscaster for TNT and TBS. Sager is a graduate of Northwestern University. He has previously covered sports for CBS and CNN. His nickname is "America's Sideline Reporter"....
and Cheryl Miller currently serve as the primary sideline reporters, with David Aldridge
David Aldridge
David Aldridge is a reporter for the Turner television networks TNT, TBS and TBD.-Education and early career:...
filling in on select games. In the playoffs fill-in sideline reporters, some coming from NBA TV
NBA TV
NBA TV is a television specialty channel that is dedicated to showcasing the sport of basketball in the United States. The network is financially backed by the National Basketball Association , which also uses NBA TV as a way of advertising their out of market package NBA League Pass, and partner...
, are used, with Marc Fein
Marc Fein
Marc Fein is a sports journalist,sports news anchor, and television sports studio host, currently one of the main studio hosts for the NBA TV show, NBA Gametime Live. He is also the host of its show, The Beat, and has been the substitute host for Ernie Johnson on the NBA on TNT...
, Marty Snider
Marty Snider
Marty Snider is an American Sportscaster. Snider is a pit reporter for NASCAR on TNT. He has been a part of Turner Sports' NASCAR coverage since 1998. Snider also served as a NASCAR pit reporter for NBC Sports from 1999-2006. In 2006, Snider was a part of the Emmy award winning NBC/TNT NASCAR...
, Jamie Maggio and Lewis Johnson
Lewis Johnson
Lewis Johnson is a reporter for ESPN, and NBC Sports. He formerly worked for Versus. He was the sideline reporter for Notre Dame football home games and in 2001 and 2002 was a sideline reporter for the NBA Finals on NBC and for the network's Arena Football telecasts from 2003 through 2006...
currently hold the capacity.
The biggest TNT acquisition once sought out by ABC and ESPN was Marv Albert
Marv Albert
Marv Albert is an American television and radio sportscaster. Honored for his work as a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame, he is commonly referred to as "the voice of basketball." From 1967–2004, he was also known as "the voice of the New York Knicks."Including Super Bowl XLII, Marv has called...
. After the 2002 NBA Finals
2002 NBA Finals
The 2002 NBA Finals was the National Basketball Association championship series for the 2001–02 season. The best-of-seven playoff was contested between the Los Angeles Lakers, champions of the Western Conference and two-time defending NBA champions, and the New Jersey Nets, champions of the...
, Albert, essentially a free agent, was a candidate for the lead spot on The NBA on ABC (which ultimately went to Brad Nessler
Brad Nessler
Bradley "Brad" Nessler is an American sportscaster, who currently calls college basketball and college football games for ESPN with occasional appearances on ESPN on ABC. He will also call Thursday Night Football on NFL Network beginning in 2011, and appears annually as a commentator in EA Sports'...
). Albert, hired by TNT in 1999, decided to stay with the network. Some attributed this to the fact that TNT gave Albert his first chance to be on national television after the embarrassing sex scandal that forced his firing at NBC
NBC Sports
NBC Sports is the sports division of the NBC television network. Formerly "a service of NBC News," it broadcasts a diverse array of programs, including the Olympic Games, the NFL, the NHL, MLS, Notre Dame football, the PGA Tour, the Triple Crown, and the French Open, among others...
. Albert and Mike Fratello—both of whom worked as a team in the NBA on NBCs early years—would ultimately reunite on TNT.
Hubie Brown
Hubie Brown
Hubert Jude "Hubie" Brown is a retired American basketball coach and a current television analyst. Brown is a two-time NBA Coach of the Year, the honors being separated by 26 years...
and Jeff Van Gundy
Jeff Van Gundy
Jeffrey William "Jeff" Van Gundy is a former American basketball head coach. He coached most recently with the National Basketball Association's Houston Rockets...
are currently the only former TNT announcers working for ABC. Brown, whose role on TNT was going to be significantly reduced starting with the 2002–03 season, left in 2002 to coach the Memphis Grizzlies
Memphis Grizzlies
The Memphis Grizzlies are a professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. The team is part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . Along with the Toronto Raptors, the Grizzlies were established in 1995 as part of the NBA's...
. After two seasons of coaching, he left Memphis in early 2004 (leading to the departure from TNT of lead analyst Mike Fratello
Mike Fratello
Michael Robert "Mike" Fratello is an American color analyst and a professional basketball coach. He previously coached the Atlanta Hawks, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Memphis Grizzlies of the NBA, and is currently the head coach of the Ukraine national basketball team.-Background:Fratello was born in...
, who replaced him in Memphis) and was quickly picked up by ABC. Jeff Van Gundy
Jeff Van Gundy
Jeffrey William "Jeff" Van Gundy is a former American basketball head coach. He coached most recently with the National Basketball Association's Houston Rockets...
, who was fired by the Houston Rockets after they lost in the first round, joined ABC at the beginning of the Western Conference Finals. Part-time TNT broadcaster Mike Breen
Mike Breen
Michael "Mike" Breen is a play-by-play commentator for the NBA on ABC and the lead commentator for New York Knicks games on the MSG network...
is now the lead broadcaster for ABC and one-time TNT analyst Doc Rivers
Doc Rivers
Glenn Anton "Doc" Rivers is a former professional basketball player and the current head coach of the NBA's Boston Celtics. Rivers was known for his defense while playing in the NBA...
worked for ABC in 2004
2003-04 NBA season
-Statistics leaders:-Yearly awards:*Most Valuable Player: Kevin Garnett, Minnesota Timberwolves*Rookie of the Year: LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers*Defensive Player of the Year: Ron Artest, Indiana Pacers...
. Meanwhile, Pam Oliver
Pam Oliver
Pamela Donielle "Pam" Oliver is an American sportscaster known for her work on the sidelines for various NBA and NFL games.-Early life:...
, the lead sideline reporter for NFL games on FOX Sports
NFL on FOX
NFL on Fox is the brand name of the Fox Broadcasting Company's coverage of the National Football League's National Football Conference games, produced by Fox Sports...
joined Turner Sports in 2004 as she would only be on during the NBA Playoffs
NBA Playoffs
The National Basketball Association Playoffs is a best-of-seven elimination tournament among sixteen teams in the Eastern Conference and Western Conference , ultimately deciding the final four teams who will play in the NBA Conference Finals.-Format:Following the NBA regular season, eight teams in...
as she still continues that role today.
Music
TNT's current NBA game theme was written by composer Trevor RabinTrevor Rabin
Trevor Charles Rabin is a South African born musician, best known as a guitarist, vocalist and songwriter for the British progressive rock band Yes from 1983–1994, and since then, as a film composer.- Early years :...
. Previous themes for TNT were composed by Edd Kalehoff
Edd Kalehoff
Edward Woodley "Edd" Kalehoff is a music composer who specializes in compositions for television.-Notable pieces:Composer of about 1,000 pieces, mainly for television, his credits include the majority of cues used on The Price is Right as well as the Nickelodeon game show Double Dare, a music...
, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy
Big Bad Voodoo Daddy
Big Bad Voodoo Daddy is a contemporary swing revival band from southern California. Their notable singles include "Go Daddy-O", "You & Me & the Bottle Makes 3 Tonight ", and "Mr. Pinstripe Suit". The band played the Super Bowl XXXIII half-time show in 1999.The band was originally formed in Ventura,...
, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis
Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis
James Samuel "Jimmy Jam" Harris III and Terry Steven Lewis are an American R&B and pop-music songwriting and record production team...
Contract history
| Seasons | Contracts Amount United States dollar The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies.... |
| 1988-89 to 1989-90 | $50 million/2 years |
| 1990-91 to 1993-94 | $275 million/4 years |
| 1994-95 to 1997-98 | $397 million/4 years |
| 1998-99 to 2001-02 | $840 million/4 years |
| 2002-03 to 2007-08 | $2.2 billion/6 years |
TNT extended its deal with the NBA in 2007. TNT's NBA contract is up at the end of the 2015–16 season, financial terms between the NBA and TNT were not disclosed, although the NBA will receive $930 million per year from all of its broadcasting partners (ESPN, ABC, ESPN Radio, and NBA TV).