NBA on TBS
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The NBA on TBS debuted in the 1984-1985 season (replacing the USA Network as the National Basketball Association's national cable television partner) under a four year contract, where they shared the NBA package along with CBS.
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[edit] Coverage
TBS carried numerous NBA Playoff games as well as the NBA Draft from 1985-1989.
- See also: 1985 NBA Draft, 1986 NBA Draft, 1987 NBA Draft, 1988 NBA Draft, and 1989 NBA Draft
During the 1989 NBA Playoffs, only 13 of the 24 Games 1-3 in Round 1 appeared on TBS or CBS. For example, none of the four games from the Seattle-Houston first round series appeared on national television.
[edit] Atlanta Hawks
Some Atlanta Hawks (also owned by Ted Turner at the time) games were shown on TBS until the TBS telecasts became subject to blackout within 35 miles of the home-team's arena (this restriction was dropped when TNT gained the right to be the exclusive broadcaster of any game it chose to carry).
[edit] All-Star Weekend
Beginning in 1986, TBS televised the NBA's All-Star Weekend festivites. In 1987, the slam dunk contest was televised live for the very first time.
- See also: Three-point Shootout and Slam Dunk Contest
[edit] Partnership with TNT
- See also: NBA on TNT
In the summer of 1987, TBS decided to sign a new deal along with TNT before TBS' final year went out. In 1988, both TBS and TNT held broadcast rights to air NBA games. Whereas TNT held the NBA Draft and most NBA regular season and playoff games, TBS only aired games one day out of the week.
[edit] 1990s
Both networks continued to expand in the late 1990s[1][2], when TBS only had Wednesday night games, while TNT got Monday, Tuesday and Friday night games.
[edit] 1999-2001
For the 1999-2000 NBA season, TBS shifted their Wednesday games to Monday[3]. For the 2000-2001 NBA season, they moved games to Tuesday's while TNT had games Wednesday and Thursdays.
Starting in 2000, the NBA spread out playoff series so that only two series would play per day (so as to avoid TNT and TBS competing for ratings). TNT would air doubleheaders on most weekdays, while TBS would air one doubleheader per week
[edit] 2001-2002
2001-2002 season would ultimately mark TBS' final year of NBA coverage. For the next NBA television contract, it was decided that TNT would continue to run the NBA package while TBS will discontinue their coverage altogether, effectively replaced by ESPN. In 2002, TBS aired doubleheaders every Tuesday night of the playoffs until the Conference Finals. The final NBA game that TBS televised was on May 14, 2002, when the San Antonio Spurs faced the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 5 of the Western Semifinals. In that last game, Robert Horry hit a key 3 pointer that won the series for the Lakers 4-1 to move on to the Western Conference Finals.
[edit] Coverage anomalies
On isolated occasions (typically during the playoffs) since the new TV deal, TBS has aired NBA games. In 2003, TBS aired a doubleheader of first round Game 6 matchups (Indiana vs. Boston, followed by San Antonio vs. Phoenix). On May 22, 2006, due to the San Antonio Spurs-Dallas Mavericks Game 7 going overtime, TBS aired part of the Los Angeles Clippers-Phoenix Suns Game 7. On May 14, 2004, the same situation arose, as Game 5 of the New Jersey Nets-Detroit Pistons playoff series went three overtimes. However, due to scheduling conflicts with TBS, TNT had to air part of the Sacramento Kings-Minnesota Timberwolves game that was supposed to follow on NBA TV.
[edit] Ratings
The first game in Michael Jordan's second comeback (a game against the New York Knicks that aired on TBS opposite the 2001 World Series) scored a rating between a 3.0 and 4.0.
[edit] Commentators
- See also: List of NBA on TNT announcers, List of NBA Eastern Conference Final broadcasters, and List of NBA Western Conference Final broadcasters
[edit] Play-by-play
- Kevin Calabro
- Skip Caray
- Jim Durham
- Kevin Harlan
- Verne Lundquist
- Bob Neal
- Mel Proctor
- Dick Stockton
- Pete Van Wieren
[edit] Color commentators
- John Andariese
- Rick Barry
- Hubie Brown
- Doug Collins
- Chuck Daly
- Walt Frazier
- Jack Givens
- Rod Hundley
- Steve Jones
- John MacLeod
- Doc Rivers
- Oscar Robertson
- Bill Russell
- John Thompson
- Dick Versace
[edit] Contributors
- Bryan Burwell
- Jim Huber
[edit] Studio hosts
[edit] Studio analysts
[edit] Sideline reporters
- Cheryl Miller
- Charlie Neal
- Craig Sager
[edit] Music
TBS used Run-DMC to sing and create its theme during the early part of the 2000s. The song included a version of the Stevie Wonder song "Higher Ground."
[edit] Contract history[4]
| Seasons | Network | Amount |
| 1984-85 to 1985-86 | TBS | $20 million/2 years |
| 1986-87 to 1987-88 | TBS | $25 million/2 years |
| 1988-89 to 1989-90 | TBS/TNT | $50 million/2 years |
| 1990-91 to 1993-94 | TNT | $275 million/4 years |
| 1994-95 to 1997-98 | TNT/TBS | $397 million/4 years |
| 1998-99 to 2001-02 | TNT/TBS | $840 million/4 years |
[edit] References
- ^ NBA Schedule on TBS Superstation (1997-1998)
- ^ NBA Schedule on TBS Superstation (1998-1999)
- ^ TBS NBA Monday 2000 Schedule
- ^ NBA TV Contracts
[edit] External links
| American Football: TNT Sunday Night Football | College Football on TBS |
| Auto Racing: NASCAR |
| Baseball: Major League Baseball on TBS | Braves TBS Baseball |
| Basketball: The NBA on TBS | The NBA on TNT | The NBA on TNT announcing teams | List of NBA on TNT announcers |
| See Also: United States sports broadcasting lists |
