2016 NBA Finals Tip Off June 2 Exclusively on ABC: Golden State Warriors vs. Cleveland Cavaliers

BasketballNBA

2016 NBA Finals Tip Off June 2 Exclusively on ABC: Golden State Warriors vs. Cleveland Cavaliers

  • Mike Breen, Jeff Van Gundy, Mark Jackson & Doris Burke Longest-Tenured NBA Finals Broadcast Team
  • Jeff Van Gundy’s Record 10th NBA Finals – Most For TV Analyst
  • Extensive On-Site Presence: SportsCenter, NBA Countdown, Mike & Mike & The Jump
  • NBA Finals in Spanish on ESPN Deportes

The 2016 NBA Finals – the defending NBA Champion Golden State Warriors and Stephen Curry vs. the Cleveland Cavaliers and LeBron James – will tip off Thursday, June 2, at 9 p.m. ET exclusively on ABC. Weeknight NBA Finals broadcasts will begin at 9 p.m. ET, while Sunday broadcasts will start at 8 p.m. Every game will be preceded by a 30-minute, on-site edition of the NBA Countdown pre-game show on ABC. The NBA Finals will be available on ABC, ESPN Deportes, ESPN Radio and via WatchESPN. (The full game and telecast schedule is in the table below). This is the 14th NBA Finals on ABC, dating back to 2003.

NBA Finals broadcast team makes history

The team of Mike Breen, analysts Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson and reporter Doris Burke will call their record seventh NBA Finals as a full broadcast team – the most for an NBA Finals quartet on TV. Additionally, Jeff Van Gundy will call his record 10th NBA Finals, the most ever for a Finals TV game analyst. Breen, who set the NBA Finals record for a play-by-play voice in 2015, will call his 11th Finals this year. Former NBA official Steve Javie will also provide analysis from the NBA replay center in Secaucus, N.J. Tim Corrigan, ESPN senior coordinating producer, will produce the NBA Finals on ABC.

2016 NBA Finals on ABC schedule

Date Time (ET) Telecast
Thu, June 2 6 p.m. SportsCenter
8:30 p.m. NBA Countdown
9 p.m. NBA Finals Game 1
Sun, June 5 6 p.m. SportsCenter
7:30 p.m. NBA Countdown
8 p.m. NBA Finals Game 2
Wed, June 8 6 p.m. SportsCenter
8:30 p.m. NBA Countdown
9 p.m. NBA Finals Game 3
Fri, June 10 6 p.m. SportsCenter
8:30 p.m. NBA Countdown
9 p.m. NBA Finals Game 4
Mon, June 13 6 p.m. SportsCenter
8:30 p.m. NBA Countdown
9 p.m. NBA Finals Game 5*
Thu, June 16 6 p.m. SportsCenter
8:30 p.m. NBA Countdown
9 p.m. NBA Finals Game 6*
Sun, June 19 6 p.m. SportsCenter
7:30 p.m. NBA Countdown
8 p.m. NBA Finals Game 7*

*if necessary

ESPN Radio – Hall of Famer Hubie Brown to call 15th NBA Finals ESPN Radio will provide comprehensive coverage of this year’s event. Basketball Hall of Famer and analyst Hubie Brown will make NBA Finals broadcast history when he calls his 15th NBA Finals (combination of radio and television) – the most for any NBA commentator. He will join play-by-play veteran Kevin Calabro and reporters Marc Stein and Shelley Smith for each game. Marc Kestecher and analyst Jon Barry will handle pregame and halftime studio coverage. ESPN Radio’s coverage for NBA Finals broadcasts on ESPN Radio will begin at 8 p.m. for weeknight games and at 7 p.m. for Sunday games.

 ESPN Radio’s Mike & Mike will be on location at Quicken Loans Arena for their 6-10 a.m. show Wednesday, June 8, and Thursday, June 9. Mike & Mike also airs on ESPN2.

 NBA Countdown hits the road, guest analyst Paul Pierce

NBA Countdown will provide on-site pre-game and halftime coverage for every NBA Finals game. The team of host Sage Steele and analysts Doug Collins and Jalen Rose will work their third consecutive Finals together as a trio. The show will emanate from a set inside the arena. Additionally, Paul Pierce, 10-time NBA All-Star and 2008 NBA Finals MVP, will join the Countdown crew as a guest analyst for select games.

 SportsCenter will take its 6 p.m. show, hosted by Lindsay Czarniak, for the majority of the NBA Finals. The show will air from 6-8:30 p.m. on ESPN during weeknight games, and 6-7:30 p.m. for Sunday games. In addition, SportsCenter will provide hourly updates each day from various ESPN commentators and reporters. SportsCenter will also be on site for post-game coverage with Stan Verrett and Neil Everett at Game 1 and a combination of Verrett, John Buccigross and Steve Levy thereafter. The midnight SportsCenter with Scott Van Pelt will also provide post-game NBA Finals coverage from ESPN studios in Bristol and will include news conference, analysis and player interviews.

 The JumpESPN’s new daily NBA show – will also hit the road for the Finals. Rachel Nichols will be joined by various analysts to discuss the series, weekdays at 3:30 p.m. on ESPN.

 ESPN Deportes

All NBA Finals games will air live on ESPN Deportes TV, preceded by a 30-minute NBA Previa pre-game show. The team of Alvaro Martin and Carlos Morales will provide commentary with reporters Claudia Trejos and Sebastian Martinez-Christensen. Studio commentators will include Ernesto Jerez and Fabricio Oberto.

Additionally, ESPNDeportes.com will have extensive news and information, including post-game analysis, highlights, podcasts, columns, features on each team, galleries, blog posts and social media content. The site will also feature a series of webisodes of ESPiaNdo la NBA, La Decisión del Coach – Morales player by player analysis – and Players to Watch (a preview by Sebastian Martinez). Digital reporters Martinez-Christensen and Gonzalo Aguirregomezcorta will be on location for the site.

 ESPN International

The NBA Finals will air on ESPN networks in 59 countries (in addition to the U.S.), including Latin America (Brazil), Caribbean, Pac-Rim and on cruise ships.

 The Undefeated will have a significant on-site presence at the NBA Finals. Marc Spears will be covering the Western Conference team, while Jerry Bembry will cover the Eastern Conference team. In addition, Mike Wise will focus on commentary while Monis Khan will focus on social media.

 -30-

 

Media contacts: Ben Cafardo at 860-766-3496 or [email protected] (@Ben_ESPN);

Gianina Thompson at 860-766-7022 or [email protected] (@Gianina_ESPN).

Ben Cafardo

I lead communications strategy and execution for ESPN’s NBA, MLB, FIBA and Little League World Series properties. I’m also a proud consumer of all things ESPN.
Back to top button