The NBA Finals On ABC, Now With More Kimmel!
Monday, June 02, 2008
I've been a big fan of Jimmy Kimmel for quite some time now, but I'm not sure if I want him permeating into my NBA Finals broadcasts. Well that's going to be the case for at least Game One as ESPN/ABC has given the late night host a 30-minute spot at 8pm before airing NBA Countdown. While it might be a fun bit, it's a far cry from how ESPN felt about Kimmel last October when they renounced his name after comments he made as a guest in the MNF booth. Anywho, you know who the broadcasters are but here's a refresher in case you forgot...
Each ABC broadcast of the best-of-seven NBA Finals will be called by Mike Breen with analysts Mark Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy and reporter Michele Tafoya. Stuart Scott will host the pre-game show, originating from the site of each game, with analysts Jon Barry and Michael Wilbon. Mike Tirico will describe the games on ESPN Radio with analyst Hubie Brown and reporter Ric Bucher. Marc Kestecher will be the ESPN Radio on-site studio host with analyst Will Perdue. Alvaro Martin and Carlos Morales will provide Spanish-language SAP commentary for ABC.Also, be sure to look for the NBA Finals watermark that will be on all of ABC's daytime and evening programming and enjoy the intro for this year's Finals. It's the same as years past but it still gives me goosebumps.
(Via ESPN PR)
13 Comments:
Uh, the Finals involve a West Coast team? We who work 9-5 appreciate and then have to deal with the LA traffic, appreciate the 6:15 p.m. Local Time start. A 5p.m. start would be pretty East Coast centric of you.
Why the NBA reject ESPN International bid for broadcast the Finals in Latin America?
I live out West, and I fully agree with anon 5:45. Last year in the Stanley Cup Finals, NBC started the games in Anaheim close to 5pm PT. The Honda Center seemed like 80% empty at gametime because so many fans were stuck on the freeway. And getting to Staples for 6pm is going to be almost as bad. I used to live on the East Coast, so I 100% sympathize with their sentiment, but you need to be fair to everyone, *especially* considering LA is in the finals.
Will Kimmel bring Ben Affleck with him? Just wondering...
Too bad the Detroit Pistons didn't make the NBA Finals.
Jimmy Kimmel would have been a perfect analysis for that series.
I get that LA is in the Finals, but the game were scheduled to start after 9 even if it were Boston and New Orleans or something.
No disrespect was intended to anyone on the West coast.
What stuns me more: The fact that Jon Barry was in the NBA for 16 seasons, or that ABC pays this non-entity for his opinion given that he averaged 5.7 PPG during his inconsequential run as a pro ball player. This guy lends very little in the way of in-depth analysis, unless you were among those who weren't sure if the Celtics needed Ray Allen to start shooting the ball better to be succsessful. Someone needs to be fired over this!
We now return you to the arts.
Am I the only one who thinks it's funny that the only appearence of the Miami Heat's championship on the ABC intro is a short radio call near the end. But I can watch that video 100 times and still get chills.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYjrSYRIxVQ
So 5:45, you would have no problem if the games in Boston were to start at 7:30 or 8? Just askin'.
Can hardly wait .. an early evening installment of Jimmy Kimmel, followed by the haunting sounds of Van Gundy-Jackson all night. Whopee.
I guess it's a new rule in TV that games have to end after midnight on the east coast. I understand that TV ratings are important, and that over the years TV start times have changed for the benefit of the west coast, but it wasn't that long ago when Finals games started at 8, and now it will be well after 9.