TNT to Tip Off 2022-23 NBA Season with Exclusive Opening Night Doubleheader Featuring Stephen Curry & Defending NBA Champion Warriors Hosting LeBron James & Los Angeles Lakers
Boston Celtics, with Jayson Tatum & Jaylen Brown, to Host Philadelphia 76ers, with
Joel Embiid & James Harden, in TNT's 27th Straight NBA Opener, at 7:30 p.m. ET
Expanded Pregame Show - with Inside the NBA Team Live from San Francisco -
to Begin at 5 p.m., Featuring Special Bill Russell Tribute
Candace Parker to Provide Game Analysis for Select Live TNT Telecasts throughout Season, Starting with Clippers vs. Lakers on Thursday, Oct. 20
NBA on TNT will tip off the 2022-23 NBA season, Tuesday, Oct. 18, with an exclusive blockbuster Opening Night doubleheader headlined by the NBA Champion Golden State Warriors and Stephen Curry hosting the Los Angeles Lakers and LeBron James at 10 p.m. Combined, the two stars have led their teams to eight of the past 11 NBA titles.
Earlier in the night, a star-studded Eastern Conference matchup will mark the 27th consecutive year that TNT will tip off the season as the defending Eastern Conference Champion Boston Celtics - with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown - host the Philadelphia 76ers, led by Joel Embiid and James Harden, at 7:30 p.m.
The network's special night of programming will feature an expanded 2.5-hour TNT NBA Tip-Off presented by CarMax pregame show live from the NBA on TNT American Express Road Show hosted on the UCSF Health Mission Bay Campus in San Francisco beginning at 5 p.m., along with the Warriors' ring ceremony later in the evening.
Tuesday's pregame coverage, led by the Sports Emmy Award-winning studio team of Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Shaquille O'Neal and Kenny Smith, will feature a speciallook at Bill Russell and the profound impact the Celtics legend had on society throughout his lifetime. The piece will include interviews with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Jerry West, Isiah Thomas, Julius Erving and Adam Silver.
Inside the NBA presented by Kia - winner of four straight Sports Emmys for Outstanding Studio Show, Weekly - will cap the night with postgame coverage.
The network's NBA on TNT Tip-Off Week presented by Kia coverage will continue with the Milwaukee Bucks and two-time Kia NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo visiting the 76ers on Thursday, Oct. 20, at 7:30 p.m. followed by the Lakers with James and Anthony Davis hosting the LA Clippers, with Paul George, Kawhi Leonard and offseason addition John Wall at 10 p.m. Pregame coverage will start at 6:30 p.m.
Special programming leading up to tip off will include a feature with two-time NBA Champion Slava Medvedenko. The Ukrainian native has served in his country's defenses against Russia, and earlier this summer returned briefly to the United States to auction off his two championship rings. The rings, which Medvedenko won with the Lakers, sold for around $250,000 and will help rebuild basketball gyms across the war-torn country once the fighting is over.
Ian Eagle will provide play-by-play alongside Stan Van Gundy (analyst) for 76ers/Celtics and later Bucks/76ers, while Kevin Harlan, Reggie Miller (analyst), and Stephanie Ready (reporter) will call Lakers/Warriors and Clippers/Lakers. Two-time WNBA champion and Warner Bros. Discover Sports NBA analyst Candace Parker will also join the game crew for Clippers/Lakers, marking her first time on the call for live regular season games, and she will contribute game analysis to additional select TNT telecasts throughout the season. Chris Haynes will report from 76ers/Celtics, while Jared Greenberg will be onsite for Bucks/76ers.
In addition to best-in-class linear coverage on TNT, WBD Sports will be offering NBA Twitter Live - a complementary live stream experience on Twitter. Now in its fifth season, NBA Twitter Live offers fans unique opportunities to follow their favorite players during each game. A live poll will be available via @NBA throughout the entire first half of select games, whereby fans can vote for the player they want the iso-cam to follow during the second half. Taylor Rooks, Jamal Crawford and Channing Frye will host NBA Twitter Live on location for Lakers/Warriors on Tuesday and Clippers/Lakers on Thursday.
Live streaming coverage of all NBA on TNT games will be available via http://www.tntdrama.com/watchtnt and the Watch TNT app and participating TV providers' websites and apps. Fans will be able to access the games whenever and wherever they desire by logging in with the username and password provided by their TV service provider.