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ESPN's NBA Season-Opening Doubleheader Friday: Heat/Knicks, Lakers/Clippers
New-Look KIA NBA Countdown to Debut; Flip Saunders, Antonio Davis Join ESPN
ESPN will tip off its 2012-13 NBA regular-season schedule Friday, Nov. 2, with the defending NBA Champion Miami Heat and reigning MVP LeBron James visiting the New York Knicks and Carmelo Anthony at 8 p.m. ET. Mike Breen will provide commentary with analyst Jeff Van Gundy and reporter Doris Burke. In the nightcap, ESPN will televise a "Battle for L.A." game as the Los Angeles Lakers - led by Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard - take on the Los Angeles Clippers and their superstar duo of Chris Paul and Blake Griffin at 10:30 p.m. Mike Tirico and analyst Hubie Brown will call the game with Chris Broussard reporting. ESPN's NBA season-opening games are part of the KIA NBA Tip Off.
New-Look KIA NBA Countdown to Debut
The new-look KIA NBA Countdown pre-game show will debut prior to the Nov. 2 doubleheader with a special one-hour telecast at 7 p.m. The new Countdown quartet - NBA Hall of Famer Earvin "Magic" Johnson, Bill Simmons, Jalen Rose and Michael Wilbon - will discuss and debate the NBA's most compelling stories in a lively, free-flowing roundtable format. Simmons, Rose on ESPN media call.
Flip Saunders, Antonio Davis Join ESPN
Former NBA head coach Flip Saunders and former NBA All-Star Antonio Davis have reached multiyear agreements with ESPN. Saunders and Davis will serve as NBA studio analysts contributing to SportsCenter, NBA Coast to Coast, NBA Tonight and additional news and information programming. Saunders is scheduled to first appear Wednesday, Oct. 31, during NBA Coast to Coast, and make his official debut Thursday, Nov. 1, during the 9 a.m. SportsCenter. Davis will debut Thursday, Nov. 8, during the 9 a.m. SportsCenter.
ESPN Season-Opening Schedule/Commentator Assignments
Date Time (ET) Telecast Commentators Network(s)
Wed, Oct. 31 9 p.m. NBA Coast to Coast Kevin Connors, Bruce Bowen, Chris Broussard, Steve Javie, Tim Legler, Flip Saunders, J.A. Adande ESPN, WatchESPN
1:30 a.m. NBA Tonight Todd Grisham, Bowen ESPN2, WatchESPN
Fri, Nov. 2 7 p.m. KIA NBA Countdown Magic Johnson, Jalen Rose, Bill Simmons, Michael Wilbon ESPN, WatchESPN
8 p.m. KIA NBA Tip Off:
Miami Heat at New York Knicks presented by State Farm Mike Breen, Jeff Van Gundy, Doris Burke ESPN, WatchESPN
10:30 p.m. KIA NBA Tip Off:
Los Angeles Clippers at Los Angeles Lakers presented by State Farm Mike Tirico, Hubie Brown, Broussard ESPN, WatchESPN
1 a.m. NBA Tonight Jonathan Coachman, Flip Saunders ESPN2, WatchESPN
ESPN Classic: NBA Tip Off Week schedule
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