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| starring = ''Various personalities'' (see [[List of NBA on ESPN commentators|below]])
| country = United States
*[[ESPN]] {{small|(1982–1984, 2002–present)}}
▲| first_aired = {{Plainlist|
*[[ESPN2]] {{small|(2002–present)}}
* {{Start date|1982}}–{{End date|1984}}▼
*[[NBA on ABC|ABC]] {{small|(2006–present)}}
* {{Start date|2002}}–{{End date|present}}▼
*[[ESPN3]] {{small|(alternate camera angles and ABC game streams)}}
*[[ESPNews]] and [[ESPNU]] {{small|(alternate channels, mainly for [[NBA playoffs|playoffs]])}}
*[[ESPN Deportes]] {{small|(2005–present)}}
*[[ESPN+]] {{small|(2018–present, simulcasts)}}
}}
| first_aired = {{Start date|1982}}
| first_aired2 = {{Start date|2002|10|30}}
}}
The '''''NBA on ESPN''''' is the branding used for the presentation of [[National Basketball Association]] (NBA) games on the [[ESPN]] family of networks. The ESPN cable network first televised NBA games from [[1982–83 NBA season|1982]] until [[1983–84 NBA season|1984]], and has been airing games currently since the [[2002–03 NBA season]]. [[ESPN2]] began airing a limited schedule of NBA games in 2002. [[
== History ==
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=== 2002–present ===
On January 22, 2002, the NBA signed an initial six-year agreement with [[The Walt Disney Company]] that allowed ABC and its sister network [[ESPN]] (of which Disney owned
In June 2007, the NBA renewed its television agreement with ESPN and ABC through 2016, which included expanded digital rights and an increased number of playoff games on ABC and ESPN.<ref>{{cite web |title=NBA's
==Commentators==
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In August 2023, as part of a shakeup following the company's layoffs of many of its employees and personalities,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2023/07/espn-layoffs-list-talent-fired-1235428485/|title=ESPN Layoffs: Here's Updated The List Of On-Air Talent Who Were Let Go|website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|date=July 31, 2023|access-date=August 16, 2023}}</ref> ESPN announced major changes in its commentator lineup for the [[2023–24 NBA season|2023–24 season]]. The new lead broadcast team consists of Mike Breen, Doris Burke, and former NBA coach [[Doc Rivers]]. Burke will become the first female TV analyst in a major men's championship round.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2023/08/espn-new-on-air-nba-announcers-doris-burke-1235519292/|title=ESPN Revamps No. 1 On-Air NBA Announcing Team & Sets Up History-Making Finals Run For Doris Burke|first=Tom|last=Tapp|website=Deadline Hollywood|date=August 14, 2023|access-date=August 15, 2023}}</ref> Burke and Rivers replace lead analysts Jeff Van Gundy and Jackson, who were laid off by the network after the [[2023 NBA Finals]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Reedy|first=Joe|date=August 14, 2023|url=https://apnews.com/article/nba-espn-abc-doris-burke-doc-rivers-5f60c90e7bce1573dabd1692131830a0|title=Doris Burke and Doc Rivers named to ESPN and ABC’s top NBA crew|agency=Associated Press|access-date=October 14, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Chavkin|first=Daniel|title=ESPN Lets Go of NBA Analyst Jeff Van Gundy, per Report|url=https://www.si.com/media/2023/06/30/espn-lets-go-jeff-van-gundy-layoffs-report|publisher=Sports Illustrated|website=SI.com|date=June 30, 2023|access-date=June 30, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Marchand|first=Andrew|title=ESPN’s NBA succession plan: Hiring Doc Rivers, laying off Mark Jackson and promoting Doris Burke |url=https://nypost.com/2023/07/31/espn-hiring-doc-rivers-demoting-mark-jackson-promoting-doris-burke/|publisher=New York Post|website=NYPost.com|date=July 31, 2023|access-date=July 31, 2023}}</ref> Additionally, a second core broadcast team consisting of [[Ryan Ruocco]], JJ Redick, and [[Richard Jefferson]] was formed. The team calls the ''[[NBA Sunday Showcase]]'' games and works together for other marquee events throughout the season and into the playoffs. The trio debuted during the opening week of the regular season rather than the preseason, due to Ruocco's assignment for the [[2023 WNBA Finals]]. The first game they called was the game between the visiting [[Dallas Mavericks]] and the [[San Antonio Spurs]], notable for [[2023 NBA draft|2023 first draft pick]] [[Victor Wembanyama]]'s regular season debut. That same year, [[Bob Myers]] joined the broadcast team as game analyst.<ref name="New team 2023-24">{{Cite web |last=Rajan |first=Ronce |date=2023-08-14 |title=ESPN's Reimagined NBA Game and Studio Coverage Plans for 2023-24 Season |url=https://espnpressroom.com/us/press-releases/2023/08/espns-reimagined-nba-game-and-studio-coverage-plans-for-2023-24-season/ |access-date=2023-09-20 |website=ESPN Press Room U.S. |language=en-US}}</ref> After Rivers was hired as head coach of the [[Milwaukee Bucks]] in January 2024, Redick joined Breen and Burke on the lead team.<ref name="RedickTopTeam">{{Cite web |last=Rajan |first=Ronce |date=2024-02-15 |title=JJ Redick Joins Mike Breen, Doris Burke and Lisa Salters on ESPN’s Lead NBA Broadcast Team |url=https://espnpressroom.com/us/press-releases/2024/02/jj-redick-joins-mike-breen-doris-burke-and-lisa-salters-on-espns-lead-nba-broadcast-team/|access-date=2024-02-21 |website=ESPN Press Room U.S. |language=en-US}}</ref>
==''
{{Main article|NBA Countdown}}
''[[NBA Countdown]]'', previously ''NBA Shootaround'', is ESPN's main studio program, airing before each game telecast. ESPN's in-game studio programs originally consisted of [[Kevin Frazier]] and [[Tim Hardaway]] on Fridays with [[Stuart Scott]] replacing Frazier on Wednesdays. After horrible reviews for Hardaway, ESPN brought in [[Greg Anthony]] to replace him on Friday nights. Frazier and Anthony became ESPN's main studio team and worked most of the playoffs. For the 2003 Eastern Conference Finals, ESPN used ABC's halftime team of [[Mike Tirico]] and [[Sean Elliott]] for all the games.
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[[2003-04 NBA season|2003–04]] was the first year of the longest-tenured ESPN studio team. Frazier and Anthony were joined by controversial writer [[Stephen A. Smith]] and NBA legend [[Bill Laimbeer]]. Laimbeer, departing to continue coaching in the [[Women's National Basketball Association|WNBA]], was replaced by [[Tim Legler]] during the [[2004 NBA Playoffs]]. Smith, Legler and Anthony were joined by [[John Saunders (journalist)|John Saunders]] (replacing Frazier, who left to host ''[[Entertainment Tonight]]'') from [[2004-05 NBA season|late 2004]] to the end of the [[2005-06 NBA season|2005–2006 season]].
ESPN's studio team was generally more criticized<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20051107051732/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/writers/kelly_dwyer/11/04/announcers/index.html TNT's fun NBA coverage a respite from ESPN's anger]</ref> than praised. After the Pacers–Pistons brawl, ESPN's studio team came under severe criticism, both by the media<ref>[http://cgi1.usatoday.com/mchat/20041123005/tscript.htm NBA: David DuPree]</ref> and by ESPN itself<ref>[https://www.usatoday.com/sports/columnist/martzke/2004-11-23-martzke_x.htm ESPN boss makes right call after announcers blame fans]</ref> for their stance regarding the actions of [[Indiana Pacers|Indiana Pacer]] [[Ron Artest]] (who entered the stands to confront a fan, sparking the melee). Saunders came down hard on Detroit fans, referring to them as "punks," while Anthony and Legler defended Artest.
For the [[2006-07 NBA season]], Saunders was replaced by [[Fred Hickman]], with the remaining team left intact.<ref>[http://media.espn.com/ESPNToday/2006/Oct_06/NBAcommentators.htm 2006–07 NBA SEASON ON ESPN BEGINS NOV. 1]</ref> Previous reports by The Big Lead.com and ''[[The New York Post]]'' indicated that Anthony, Legler and Smith along with Saunders would be replaced by [[Dan Patrick (sportscaster)|Dan Patrick]], [[Michael Wilbon]] and [[Mark Jackson (basketball)|Mark Jackson]].<ref>[http://www.nypost.com/sports/espn_gets_a_re_phil_sports_andrew_marchand.htm ESPN GETS A RE-PHIL]</ref> Smith's role was significantly reduced, as he would no longer appear in studio with Hickman, Legler and Anthony, instead appearing during "The A List", a segment during the pregame show.
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ESPN2 NBA coverage is mostly made up of studio shows, notably ''[[NBA Coast to Coast]]''. ''NBA Coast to Coast'', formerly known as ''NBA Fastbreak Tuesday'' and ''NBA Nation'', is a two-hour long Tuesday night studio show that features live cut-ins to games throughout the league. In addition to ''Coast to Coast'', ESPN2 airs several editions of ''[[NBA Fastbreak]]'', ESPN's NBA oriented highlight show.
Despite airing fewer than forty NBA games in its eleven years of existence, ESPN2 did televise NBA legend [[Michael Jordan]]'s final game in [[2002-03 Chicago Bulls season|Chicago]] in January 2003.
ESPN2 also aired [[Kobe Bryant]]'s final game against the [[2015-16 Utah Jazz season|Utah Jazz]] on April 13, 2016.
ESPN2 also aired a [[LeBron James]] potential record breaking game on February 3, 2023<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gostomelsky |first=Adam |date=2023-02-02 |title=News: Brady, YouTube TV, LeBron, and more |url=https://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2023/02/tom-brady-broadcasting-fox-youtube-tv-drops-mlb-network-lebron-scoring-record/ |access-date=2023-02-05 |website=Sports Media Watch |language=en-US}}</ref>
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ESPN2 is the primary outlet for ESPN [[WNBA on ESPN2|WNBA coverage]], televising regular season games, the [[WNBA Finals]] and the [[WNBA draft]]. ''WNBA Shootaround'', the WNBA equivalent of ESPN's NBA pregame show, airs sporadically on the network, typically before presentations of ''WNBA Tuesday''.
Beginning with the [[2022–23 NBA season|2022–23 season]], ESPN2 began airing [[ESPN Megacast|alternate presentations]] of select NBA games in a similar vein to ''[[Manningcast]]'' and ''KayRod Cast'' during ''[[Monday Night Football]]'' and ''[[Sunday Night Baseball]]'' respectively, with [[Stephen A. Smith]] as host. The series was titled ''NBA in Stephen A.'s World''.
==See also==
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==External links==
*{{Official website|http://www.espn.com/nba/}}
{{s-start}}
{{succession box|before=None|title=NBA pay television carrier (with [[NBA on CBS|CBS]]) in the United States|years=[[1982–83 NBA season|1982]]–[[1983–84 NBA season|1984]]|after=[[NBA on TBS|TBS]]}}
{{succession box|before=TBS|title=NBA pay television carrier (with [[NBA on TNT|TNT]]) in the United States|years=[[2002–03 NBA season|2002]]–present|after=–}}
{{s-end}}
{{NBA on ABC}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Nba On Espn}}
[[Category:
[[Category:ESPN original programming]]
[[Category:ESPN2 original programming]]
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