NBA on TNT to Support Hurricane Relief Efforts with Special Auction Beginning Opening Night, Tuesday, Oct. 17
All Proceeds from Auctioned Game Worn Jerseys to Benefit the One America Appeal
The NBA on TNT will tip off the 2017-18 NBA regular season with a special initiative to raise funding and awareness to benefit ongoing recovery efforts in areas most affected by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria. As part of this initiative, Turner Sports and the NBA have partnered to support an auction of official game worn jerseys for the four teams competing on Opening Night – the Houston Rockets, Golden State Warriors, Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics – with all proceeds donated to the One America Appeal.
Details for the auction – beginning tonight, Tuesday, Oct. 17, at 7 p.m. ET – including how to participate and/or donate direct funds are available via Bleacher Report at http://bleacherreport.com/hurricanerelief. The auction, operated by the NBA’s auction partner MeiGray, will continue throughout the first two weeks of the season with bidding closing Thursday, Oct. 26 at 9 p.m. ET.
In partnership with the NBA and the four teams, the NBA on TNT Opening Night initiative will create a platform throughout the night to drive engagement on behalf of hurricane relief efforts, raising awareness for the auction and other ways for fans to donate to the cause. In addition to game-worn jerseys, the auction will include select items such as game-worn sneakers and autographed items donated by Turner commentators.
“It’s heartbreaking to see the devastation caused by these recent natural disasters and the millions of people that have been impacted,” said David Levy, President of Turner. “Turner, alongside our NBA partners, will use our Opening Night platform to help raise awareness and funding for the One America Appeal and the valuable contributions they make on behalf of disaster relief.”
TNT’s Opening Night coverage will include the Celtics visiting the Cavaliers at 8 p.m. ET, followed by the Warriors hosting the Rockets at 10:30 p.m. The Inside the NBA studio team of Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Shaquille O’Neal will present a pre-game show beginning at 7 p.m., along with halftime and post-game coverage.
About the One America Appeal
The One America Appeal is a joint appeal that was originally launched by all five living former American Presidents – Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush and Jimmy Carter – to encourage their fellow citizens to support recovery efforts from Hurricane Harvey — which inundated the Texas Gulf Coast with unprecedented flooding. This special appeal has been expanded to include areas most affected by Hurricanes Irma and Maria.
About Turner Sports
Turner Sports, a division of Turner, is an industry leader in the delivery of premium sports content across all multimedia screens. Turner Sports’ television coverage includes the NBA, Major League Baseball, NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship, ELEAGUE and professional golf, along with the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League beginning in Summer 2018. The company also manages some of the most popular sports destinations across digital and social platforms including Bleacher Report and its top-rated app, NCAA.com and the critically-acclaimed NCAA March Madness Live suite of products, PGA.com and the Sports Emmy Award-winning PGA Championship LIVE, as well as an accompanying collection of mobile sites and connected device apps. Turner Sports and the NBA jointly manage NBA Digital, a robust collection of offerings including NBA TV, NBA.com, NBA League Pass, the NBA App and NBAGLEAGUE.com. Turner Sports has announced plans to launch a premium sports OTT platform in 2018.
-30-