Bang! 2024 NBA Finals Presented By YouTube TV on ABC: Boston Celtics vs. Dallas Mavericks Tips Off June 6
· Doris Burke to Become First Woman to Serve as Television Game Analyst for Any Major Men's Professional Championship Event
· Mike Breen Extends Record by Calling 19th Consecutive NBA Finals; Joined by Burke, Analyst JJ Redick and Reporter Lisa Salters to Form New NBA Finals Broadcast Team
· Malika Andrews Hosts NBA Countdown Pregame Show for First Time at NBA Finals; New York Knicks Guard Josh Hart to Serve as Guest Analyst for Games 1 and 2; Expanded four-hour pregame coverage for Game 1 in Boston
· Hoop Streams Digital Pregame Show with Cassidy Hubbarth on Site; Plus National ESPN Radio and ESPN Deportes Coverage
· NBA Unplugged With Kevin Hart Alternate Cast For Game 3
The 2024 NBA Finals Presented By YouTube TV, exclusively on ABC, tips off on Thursday, June 6, at 8:30 p.m. ET with Game 1 as the Eastern Conference Champion Boston Celtics - led by Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown - host the Dallas Mavericks with Luka Dončić and former Celtic Kyrie Irving. NBA Finals game broadcasts on Sundays begin at 8 p.m. while all other game broadcasts start at 8:30 p.m.
Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame commentator Doris Burke will make history by becoming the first woman to serve as a television game analyst for any major men's professional championship event when she calls the NBA Finals. Burke has previously called the NBA Finals on ESPN Radio as an analyst for the past four years. Previously, she served as NBA Finals on ABC sideline reporter for nine years.
Mike Breen, the voice of the NBA Finals and Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame commentator, will extend his record by calling his 19th consecutive championship event. Breen has called 100 NBA Finals games to date.
ESPN NBA analyst JJ Redick, a 15-year NBA veteran, will join Breen and Burke to round out the new NBA Finals on ABC broadcast team. Redick joined the pair of Hall of Famers on ESPN's lead NBA broadcast team in February. Lisa Salters will serve as sideline reporter for the team.
Expanded NBA Finals Studio Coverage, Josh Hart as Special Guest Analyst
Malika Andrews, the host of ESPN's NBA studio coverage, will lead NBA Countdown Presented By Door Dash from the NBA Finals for the first time. Andrews will host pregame and halftime shows throughout the NBA Finals on ABC and ESPN. New York Knicks guard Josh Hart will serve as a guest analyst on NBA Countdown for Games 1 and 2. This season's new-look NBA Countdown team also includes analysts Stephen A. Smith and two-time NBA Executive of the Year Bob Myers, Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame sportswriter Michael Wilbon and senior NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski.
ESPN is expanding its NBA Finals pregame studio coverage to four hours on Thursday, June 6, leading into NBA Finals Game 1. NBA Finals Special Presented By ESPN BET will air from 3-5 p.m. on ESPN and from 5-6 p.m. on ESPN2. The first half of the show will emanate from outside of the TD Garden in Boston, Ma. Following SportsCenter from 6-7:30 p.m., NBA Countdown Presented By Door Dash will air from 7:30-8 p.m. on ESPN, before transitioning to ABC from 8-8:30 p.m. Malika Andrews will host all of the pregame festivities from Boston with Kendrick Perkins, Richard Jefferson, Chiney Ogwumike, Zach Lowe, Brian Windhorst and Adrian Wojnarowski. NBA Countdown Presented By Door Dash will air from 7:30-8 p.m. on ESPN and from 8-8:30 p.m. on ABC on NBA Finals game nights, with the exception of Sundays when it will air from 7-7:30 p.m. on ESPN and 7:30-8 p.m. on ABC.
Hoop Streams, hosted by Cassidy Hubbarth, will hit the road for on-site pregame shows for the NBA Eastern Conference Finals. Hoop Streams - ESPN's digital NBA pregame show - generally begins 30 minutes before the game and is available on ESPN's YouTube and Facebook platforms and the ESPN App. Hubbarth will be joined by a rotating cast of NBA experts and personalities, including Brian Windhorst, Kendrick Perkins, Monica McNutt, Gary Striewski and Christine Williamson.
NBA Unplugged with Kevin Hart Presented By Microsoft Copilot, ESPN's NBA alternate presentation, will return for NBA Finals Game 3, on Wednesday, June 12, at 8:30 p.m. It will air on ESPN, alongside the traditional game broadcast on ABC. NBA Unplugged with Kevin Hart features the actor and comedian, along with the Plastic Cup Boyz and a variety of special guests from the worlds of sports and entertainment. The guest list will be announced prior to Game 3.
ESPN Radio will also nationally broadcast the NBA Finals with audio available on the ESPN App. Marc Kestecher will describe the action with analyst P.J. Carlesimo and reporter Jorge Sedano.
NBA Today, ESPN's weekday NBA show, will document the NBA Finals from site. Malika Andrews hosts NBA Today with a variety of analysts and writers, including Kendrick Perkins, Richard Jefferson, Chiney Ogwumike, Ramona Shelburne and Zach Lowe.
NBA Finals Presented By YouTube TV schedule:
Date Time (ET) Game Platform(s)
Thu, June 6 8:30 p.m. Game 1: Dallas Mavericks vs. Boston Celtics ABC, ESPN Radio, ESPN Deportes, ESPN App
Sun, June 9 8 p.m. Game 2: Dallas Mavericks vs. Boston Celtics ABC, ESPN Radio, ESPN Deportes, ESPN App
Wed, June 12 8:30 p.m. Game 3: Boston Celtics vs. Dallas Mavericks ABC, ESPN2, ESPN Radio, ESPN Deportes, ESPN App
Fri, June 14 8:30 p.m. Game 4: Boston Celtics vs. Dallas Mavericks ABC, ESPN Radio, ESPN Deportes, ESPN App
Mon, June 17 8:30 p.m. Game 5*: Dallas Mavericks vs. Boston Celtics ABC, ESPN Radio, ESPN Deportes, ESPN App
Thu, June 20 8:30 p.m. Game 6*: Boston Celtics vs. Dallas Mavericks ABC, ESPN Radio, ESPN Deportes, ESPN App
Sun, June 23 8 p.m. Game 7*: Dallas Mavericks vs. Boston Celtics ABC, ESPN Radio, ESPN Deportes, ESPN App
*If necessary
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