NBA Finals to Tip Off June 6 on ABC

The Finals on ESPN Radio, ESPN Deportes; KIA NBA Countdown, First Take & SportsCenter On Site

The NBA Finals - the defending NBA Champion Miami Heat and LeBron James vs. the San Antonio Spurs and Tim Duncan - will tip off exclusively on ABC this Thursday, June 6, at 9 p.m. ET. For the seventh consecutive year, Mike Breen - the voice of The Finals - will provide commentary with analyst Jeff Van Gundy. Doris Burke will provide sideline reports and former referee and ESPN NBA analyst Steve Javie will be courtside throughout the series to offer insights. The Finals will also be available on ESPN Radio, ESPN3, WatchESPN and in Spanish on ABC via SAP. In addition, ESPN Deportes will be the exclusive Spanish-language home of The Finals with live coverage of all games.

The Finals on ABC production highlights:

· new broadcast open celebrating the greatest players and moments from The Finals;

· in-game interviews with coaches, along with each coach being "wired" for sound;

· pre-game and halftime locker room access;

· I-MOVIX cameras presenting dramatic slow motion replays from unparalleled vantage points;

· 36 high-definition video cameras;

· SkyCam" providing aerial views of the action;

· utilization of eight Super Slo Mo cameras.

ESPN Radio - the exclusive national radio home of The Finals in its 18th year of NBA postseason coverage - will nationally broadcast The Finals with Mike Tirico and Basketball Hall of Famer and analyst Hubie Brown describing the action. ESPN NBA Insider Marc Stein will serve as the sideline reporter.

ESPN Deportes - For the first time, ESPN Deportes will present exclusive Spanish-language coverage of The Finals with the commentary of Alvaro Martin, and the analysis of Coach Carlos Morales and special guest, former Argentina National Team Point Guard Alejandro Montecchia. Sebastian Christensen will serve as sideline reporter for all games while Claudia Trejos will anchor the coverage from the ESPN Deportes Miami studios. ESPN Deportes.com and ESPN Deportes' news and information programming will present special reports from site including segments on SportsCenter and Los Capitanes.

ESPN3 & WatchESPN: Fans will have access to special simulcasts of The Finals on ABC live on ESPN3 - as well as live coverage of NBA Countdown and post-game press conferences - online at WatchESPN.com, on smartphones and tablets via the WatchESPN app and through ESPN on Xbox LIVE to Gold members. The live multi-screen sports network is currently available to more than 85 million households nationwide through an affiliated Internet or video provider.

The Finals schedule

Date Time (ET) Game / Show Networks

Tues. Jun 4 9 p.m. NBA Finals Preview ESPN, WatchESPN

Thurs. Jun 6 9 p.m. San Antonio Spurs at Miami Heat (Gm. 1) ABC, ESPN Radio, ESPN3, WatchESPN, ESPN Deportes

Sun. Jun 9 8 p.m. San Antonio Spurs at Miami Heat (Gm. 2) ABC, ESPN Radio, ESPN3, WatchESPN, ESPN Deportes

Tues. Jun 11 9 p.m. Miami Heat at San Antonio Spurs (Gm. 3) ABC, ESPN Radio, ESPN3, WatchESPN, ESPN Deportes

Thurs. Jun 13 9 p.m. Miami Heat at San Antonio Spurs (Gm. 4) ABC, ESPN Radio, ESPN3, WatchESPN, ESPN Deportes

Sun. Jun 16 8 p.m. Miami Heat at San Antonio Spurs (Gm. 5) * ABC, ESPN Radio, ESPN3, WatchESPN, ESPN Deportes

Tues. Jun 18 9 p.m. San Antonio Spurs at Miami Heat (Gm. 6) * ABC, ESPN Radio, ESPN3, WatchESPN, ESPN Deportes

Thurs. Jun 20 9 p.m. San Antonio Spurs at Miami Heat (Gm. 7) * ABC, ESPN Radio, ESPN3, WatchESPN, ESPN Deportes

*if necessary

More coverage:

· KIA NBA Countdown - ABC and ESPN's NBA pre-game show - will be on site throughout The Finals previewing every game with half hour shows on ABC (8:30 p.m. for weeknight games, 7:30 p.m. for Sunday games). The Countdown quartet - Basketball Hall of Famer Earvin "Magic" Johnson, Jalen Rose, Bill Simmons and Michael Wilbon - will also appear during halftime and post-game and contribute to SportsCenter segments prior to the games.

· ESPN's First Take - with host Cari Champion and commentators Stephen A. Smith and Skip Bayless - will be on site during The Finals with shows airing from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

· SportsCenter on ESPN will provide comprehensive coverage throughout The Finals, beginning during the 6 p.m. show on Wednesday, June 5. On-site SportsCenter coverage will be hosted by Sage Steele and will include appearances from several ESPN NBA analysts: Jon Barry, P.J. Carlesimo, Bruce Bowen, Chris Broussard and more.

ESPN International will present The Finals throughout Latin America, Brazil, the Caribbean, Africa, the Middle East and Australia and New Zealand. The Spanish- and Portuguese language coverage, including analysts Alvaro Martin and Carlos Morales, along with Alejandro Montecchia, former Argentina National Team Point Guard in Latin America, and Everaldo Marques, Everaldo Agra and Jose Renato Ambrosio in Brazil, will reach more than 38 million households. Claudia Trejos will also anchor a special Spanish-language 30 minute pre-game show for all seven games.

Upcoming announcement

· ESPN.com's NBA Finals coverage - June 5