TNT Gets Ready for the NBA With a Double Dip Tonight

Tonight is Opening Night in the National Basketball Association. I’ll admit, I’m not an avid fan of the Association as I used to be. I find the NBA completely boring and I’ve committed myself to the NHL, college basketball and Hot Stove baseball during the winter months. I know I’m in the minority based on the NBA’s TV ratings, but that’s how I feel. Doesn’t make me a bad person and I do post the NBA press releases as I know many of you watch the games.

So here’s TNT’s press release on tonight’s doubleheader. Read away.

The 2009-10 NBA Season Tips Off on TNT with a Doubleheader and the Los Angeles Lakers’ Championship Ring Ceremony

Season Starts on Oct. 27^th with Celtics @ Cavaliers followed by Clippers @ Lakers and Continues on Oct. 29^th with Spurs @ Bulls followed by Nuggets @ Trail Blazers

Turner Broadcasting tips off its 26^th year of NBA coverage on TNT, the exclusive home of Thursday night NBA doubleheaders, with NBA on TNT Premiere Week featuring two nights of doubleheaders beginning on Tuesday, Oct. 27. NBA Tip-Off, a special one-hour preview show, will get underway at 7 p.m. (ET) featuring studio host Ernie Johnson and analysts Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Chris Webber. Once the pre-game show concludes, the Boston Celtics will visit the Cleveland Cavaliers at 7:30 p.m. (ET). Kevin Harlan (play-by-play), Doug Collins (analyst) and Cheryl Miller (reporter) will call the action. The newest member of the Turner Sports family, three-time NBA Champion and Hall of Famer Kevin McHale will join Johnson, Barkley, Smith and Webber during halftime of Celtics @ Cavaliers. McHale will join NBA TV’s acclaimed Fan Night on Tuesday nights alongside Johnson and Webber and will also make select appearances on TNT throughout the season.

Following the first game, the NBA Champion Los Angeles Lakers will receive their championship rings during a pre-game ceremony before taking on their cross-town rivals, the Los Angeles Clippers at 10:30 p.m. (ET). Complementary coverage of both the ring ceremony and the Clippers @ Lakers game will be available on TNT OverTime Extra on NBA.com. Marv Albert will be alongside Mike Fratello (analyst) and Reggie Miller (analyst) courtside with Craig Sager reporting. TNT’s Emmy® Award-winning studio show, Inside the NBA will air directly following the conclusion of the second game with Johnson, Barkley, Smith and Webber.

NBA on TNT Premiere Week continues on Thursday, Oct. 29 at 8 p.m. (ET) with an exclusive doubleheader featuring the San Antonio Spurs visiting the Chicago Bulls. Calling the action will be Harlan (play-by-play), Collins (analyst) with Cheryl Miller (reporter). The second game will feature the Portland Trail Blazers hosting the Denver Nuggets at 10:30 p.m. (ET). Albert will handle the play-by-play duties with analysts Fratello and Reggie Miller while Sager will report courtside. Inside the NBA will wrap up the night’s action with Johnson, Barkley, McHale and Smith.

TNT will once again provide complementary online coverage on the network’s redesigned broadband channel, TNT OverTime on NBA.com. TNT OverTime Extra, an interactive application that will be available for select games, beginning with the Clippers @ Lakers on Tuesday, Oct. 27, will feature enhanced live complementary video streams that will provide users with an HD-quality experience as well as DVR functionality and alternate camera angles. Fans will also be able to vote on the players that they want the cameras to follow in select games, check stats and chat with other fans from around the country. TNT OverTime on NBA.com will once again provide exclusive free replays of Inside the NBA, as well as special online features and reports from the network’s analysts.

NBA ON TNT NBA SCHEDULE:

Tue., October 27

7 p.m. NBA Tip-Off

Ernie Johnson (host), Charles
Barkley (analyst), Kenny Smith (analyst) and Chris Webber (analyst)

7:30 p.m. Boston Celtics @ Cleveland Cavaliers

Announcers: Kevin Harlan (play-by-play), Doug Collins (analyst) and Cheryl Miller (reporter)

10:30 p.m. Los Angeles Clippers @ Los Angeles Lakers

Announcers: Marv Albert (play-by-play), Mike Fratello (analyst), Reggie Miller (analyst), and Craig Sager (reporter)

Post-game Inside the NBA

Ernie Johnson (host), Charles Barkley (analyst), Kenny Smith (analyst) and Chris Webber (analyst)

TNT NBA THURSDAY UPCOMING SCHEDULE:

Thu., October 29

8 p.m. NBA Tip-Off

Ernie Johnson (host), Charles Barkley (analyst) and Kenny Smith (analyst)

8:15 p.m. San Antonio Spurs @ Chicago Bulls

Announcers: Kevin Harlan (play-by-play), Doug Collins (analyst) and Cheryl Miller (reporter)

10:30 p.m. Denver Nuggets @ Portland Trail Blazers

Announcers: Marv Albert (play-by-play), Mike Fratello (analyst), Reggie Miller (analyst), and Craig Sager (reporter)

Post-game Inside the NBA

Ernie Johnson (host), Charles Barkley (analyst) and Kenny Smith (analyst)

And to be totally honest, I’ll watch maybe a part of two or three games during the regular season, perhaps the last minute of the first round games of the playoffs, after watching the NHL playoff games, then increase that to the last four minutes for the Conference semifinals and finals again following either the Red Sox or the NHL playoffs, and for the NBA Finals it’ll be background noise if the Red Sox aren’t on. I know some of you think I’m crazy, but that’s been my NBA M.O. since the lockout. Yes, it was a long time ago, but when the NBA stopped playing, I lost interest and found other sports to watch and it’s been that way for me ever since.

Ok, enough of me. More later in the morning.