List of NBA Finals broadcasters
The following is a list of the television and radio networks and announcers that have broadcast NBA Finals games over the years.
Television
2010s
- Per the current broadcast agreements, the Finals will be broadcast by ABC through 2016.
2000s
Notes
- Although the 2007 NBA Finals aired on ABC (as had been the case since 2003), they were the first to carry the "ESPN on ABC" branding instead of the ABC Sports branding.
- 2006: Lisa Salters was the main sideline reporter alongside Stuart Scott with Michele Tafoya on maternity leave. She was the main ABC sideline reporter for that season before sliding back to secondary reporter with Tafoya's return.
- 2003: The series between the San Antonio Spurs and the New Jersey Nets was the lowest rated NBA Final (6.5 percent over six games) until 2007. This was also the only year that ABC broadcast both the NBA and the Stanley Cup Finals that involved teams from one city in the same year, as both the New Jersey Nets and the New Jersey Devils were in their respective league's finals. During ABC's broadcast of Game 3 between the San Antonio Spurs and the Nets in New Jersey on June 8, Brad Nessler, Tom Tolbert, and Bill Walton said that ABC was in a unique situation getting ready for both that game and Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals between the Devils and the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim the following night, also at Continental Airlines Arena. Gary Thorne, Bill Clement, and John Davidson mentioned this the following night and thanked Nessler, Tolbert, and Walton for promoting ABC's broadcast of Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals.[1]
- During the 2002 NBA Finals, Ahmad Rashad had told The Los Angeles Times before the 2002 NBA Finals began that he would be ending his 20-year run on NBC Sports with Game 3 of the NBA Finals on the pregame show. A feature in which he interviewed Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Byrant would be his last assignment for the network. He and Hannah Storm were replaced by Bob Costas as host of the pregame show for the Finals, and Rashad declined to join Hannah Storm on the post-game show carried by CNBC.[2]
- 2001: NBC studio host Hannah Storm did not anchor the NBA Finals due to her being on maternity leave, so Ahmad Rashad replaced her. She returned to cover the NBA Finals in 2002, but as post-game host.
1990s
Notes
- During the 1997 NBA Finals, Hannah Storm became the first woman to serve as pre-game host of the NBA Finals after serving as a sideline reporter for NBC in the past four years. But she wasn't the first female broadcaster to cover the NBA Finals (that honor goes to Lesley Visser).
- 1993: Magic Johnson was unavailable for NBC's coverage of Game 6 (the series clincher) because he was attending his brother Larry's wedding.
1980s
Notes
- 1987: James Brown was the sideline reporter for Games 3 and 4 (the latter being the Magic junior skyhook game) because Pat O'Brien attended the birth of son Sean Patrick. O'Brien called Games 1, 2, 5 and 6.
- Game 3 of the 1986 NBA Finals in Houston was played during the midst of an electrical storm that knocked the picture out for the approximately, the first six minutes of the fourth quarter. Although the video was already on the fritz towards the end of the third, CBS announcer Dick Stockton waited for nearly three minutes before adjusting to a radio play-by-play.
- 1983: CBS joined Game 1 in progress with 7:37 left in the first period (meaning, there was no standard pregame coverage). Following the introduction montage (which was notable as it marked premiere of the intercutting, Bill Feigenbaum created CGI rendering of Boston Garden, used by CBS through the start of the 1989 Finals) with narration by anchor Brent Musburger, things were quickly passed off to play-by-play man Dick Stockton.
- 1981: The series between the Boston Celtics and the Houston Rockets was the lowest rated NBA Finals in history (6.7 rating over six games), until the 2003 NBA Finals drew only 6.5 percent of American television households. Four games of the 1981 series (Games 1, 2, 5 and the climatic Game 6) were telecast on tape delay.
- From 1979-1981, CBS aired weekday NBA Finals games on tape delay if they were not played on the West Coast. Games were televised after the late local news (11:30 p.m.) in the CBS Late Movie time slot. In some cases, games were seen live in the cities whose local NBA teams were playing. In 1981 for example, WNAC-TV Boston and KHOU-TV Houston carried Games 1, 2, 5 and 6 live, although most viewers around the country had to wait until after the late local news to see them.
1970s
Notes
- 1977: The post-game trophy presentation following Game 6 was never aired because CBS decided to air the Kemper Open following the game. Initially CBS wanted a 10:30 a.m. PT start to accommodate the golf tournament but the NBA refused, instead settling for the 12:00 p.m. PT start time.
- 1976: There were three days of rest between Game 1 Sunday, May 23 and Game 2 Thursday, May 27, so that CBS would not have to count an NBA game in the Nielsen ratings for the May sweeps period. The 1976 May sweeps period ended Wednesday, May 26.
- Game 3 tipped off at 10:30 a.m. MST to allow CBS to cover The Memorial golf tournament following the game. Church attendance that Sunday was sharply lower across Arizona, drawing an angry response from many clergy throughout the state.
- 1970: The first NBA Finals to be nationally televised in full.
- ABC's coverage of Game 7 was blacked out on WABC-TV in the New York area. Play-by-play man Chris Schenkel made an announcement during the broadcast that the game would be rebroadcast in New York at 11:30 p.m. ET. The game was shown live on the MSG Network in New York City, which was then only available in about 25,000 cable households in Manhattan.
1960s
| Year |
Network |
Games |
Play-by-play announcer |
Color analyst(s) |
| 1969 |
ABC |
3, 5-7 |
Chris Schenkel |
Jack Twyman |
| Synd. |
4 |
Bob Wolff |
Ed Macauley |
| 1968 |
ABC |
1, 4 |
Chris Schenkel |
Jack Twyman |
| 1967 |
ABC |
2, 5 |
Chris Schenkel |
Jack Twyman |
| 1966 |
ABC |
1, 5 |
Chris Schenkel |
Bob Cousy |
| Synd. |
7 |
Bob Wolff |
Jack Twyman |
| 1965 |
ABC |
1, 5 |
Chris Schenkel |
Bob Cousy |
| 1964 |
SNI |
4 |
Marty Glickman |
Fred Schaus |
| 1963 |
SNI |
6 |
Bob Wolff |
|
| 1962 |
NBC |
1, 2 |
Bob Wolff |
Bud Palmer |
| 1961 |
NBC |
1, 3, 4 |
Lindsey Nelson |
Bud Palmer |
| 1960 |
NBC |
1, 3-4, 7 |
Lindsey Nelson |
Curt Gowdy |
Notes
- In Game 4 of the 1965 Finals, the Boston Celtics beat the Los Angeles Lakers 112 to 99. In the closing minutes of the game, ABC cut away to a previously scheduled program. This event was likened to NBC cutting away from the World Series with the home team ahead 10 runs in the ninth inning.
- For the majority of the 1960s, ABC only televised Sunday afternoon games, including the playoffs. ABC did not have to televise the deciding game if it occurred on a weeknight.
- 1962 - All of the games from Boston were televised in Los Angeles on Channel 9 (then called KHJ-TV) with Chick Hearn on play-by-play. For Game 7, Jack Drees joined the broadcast team. In addition, Chick Hearn indicated that Game 7 was being syndicated around the nation to a variety of cities. The game was broadcast in Boston by WHDH-TV, but the station originated its own broadcast with Don Gillis as the commentator.
1950s
Radio
2010s
- Expected announcer, subject to change.
2000s
1990s
1980s
References
- ^ NHL on ABC: Game 7 of the 2003 Stanley Cup Finals (television). ABC Sports. June 9, 2003.
- ^ Stewart, Larry (June 10, 2002). "Walton Delivers the Jabs, O'Neal the Knockout". Los Angeles Times. http://articles.latimes.com/2002/jun/10/sports/sp-tvcolumn10. Retrieved 2009-09-15.
- ^ Greenstein, Teddy (May 21, 1997). "HOT HEAT FACES COOLING BREEZE PUNDITS THINK JORDAN, PIPPEN MAY BE TOO MUCH FOR MIAMI". Chicago Tribune: p. 8.
- ^ Martzke, Rudy (December 22, 1995). "Musburger gets NBA radio gig". USA Today: p. 2C.
- ^ Florence, Mal (June 11, 1993). "Fan of Bonds? Only if Bonds Should Fan". Los Angeles Times: p. 2.
- ^ Banks, Lacy J. (June 7, 1992). "Good road show by generous Reinsdorf". Chicago Sun-Times: p. 5.
- ^ Sandomir, Richard (June 19, 1992). "TV SPORTS: BOXING; Holyfield-Holmes: Match of 2 Bumps on a Log?". New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/1992/06/19/sports/tv-sports-boxing-holyfield-holmes-match-of-2-bumps-on-a-log.html?pagewanted=print.
- ^ Martzke, Rudy (June 1, 1990). "Valvano near deal to be analyst on ABC, ESPN". USA Today: p. 3C.
- ^ Martzke, Rudy (June 5, 1990). "Stockton approaches twilight of NBA career". USA Today: p. 3C.
- ^ Martzke, Rudy (June 14, 1990). "Hubie what's-his-name takes criticism in stride". USA Today: p. 3C.
- ^ Martzke, Rudy (June 6, 1989). "Stockton: NBA Finals emerging as top interest". USA Today: p. 3C.
- ^ Baker, Chris (June 14, 1989). "NBA CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES Notes `Bad Boy' Pistons Make Good on Daly's Dream". Los Angeles Times: p. 5.
- ^ Herwig, Carol (June 8, 1989). "Former NBA player Haywood picks Detroit". USA Today: p. 2C.
- ^ a b Shuster, Rachel (June 9, 1988). "Pistons in Finals push CBS into new territory". USA Today: p. 3C.
- ^ Shuster, Rachel (June 16, 1987). "HEINSOHN HURRAH". USA Today: p. 3C.
- ^ Martzke, Rudy (June 2, 1987). "Even with Celtics hurt, series might be surprise". USA Today: p. 3C.
- ^ Stewart, Larry (June 13, 1986). "Bid for 300th Win by Sutton Fits Right Into NBC's Plans". Los Angeles Times: p. 3.
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