TNT to Exclusively Present Live Coverage of NBA All-Star 2018 Marquee Events from Los Angeles, Feb. 15-18
Editor’s note: NBA TV’s All-Star programming plans can be found by visiting http://bit.ly/2BghiD8
2018 NBA All-Star Game to Feature Captain-Drafted Teams Meeting for First Time in Event’s History – Team LeBron vs. Team Stephen – on Sunday, Feb. 18, at 8 p.m. ET on TNT and TBS
Players Only: Shaq & Kobe presented by Autotrader One-Hour Interview to Premiere Saturday, Feb. 17;
Sports & Society Roundtable Show with Dwyane Wade & Chris Paul to Air Sunday, Feb. 18
TNT’s Sports Emmy Award-Winning Inside the NBA presented by Kia to be Televised Live from Los Angeles Beginning Thursday, Feb. 15
TNT will be the exclusive home for extensive live coverage of NBA All-Star 2018 in Los Angeles, Feb. 15-18, featuring all of the league’s premium events and unparalleled access to its biggest stars. Turner Sports, marking its 33rd year of All-Star coverage, will televise more than 24 hours of NBA All-Star programming on TNT culminating with the 67th NBA All-Star Game presented by Kia from Staples Center on Sunday, Feb. 18, at 8:20 p.m. ET with TNT NBA Tip-Off presented by Autotrader pregame coverage beginning at 7 p.m. Additionally, coverage of the NBA All-Star Game will be simulcast on TNT and TBS beginning at 8 p.m.
Sunday’s NBA All-Star Game presented by Kia will showcase captain-drafted teams for the first time in the event’s history. LeBron James and Stephen Curry, the leading vote-getters in their respective conferences, selected their teammates, beginning with the remaining eight starters and continuing with the reserves. James will be joined by Anthony Davis, Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and a starter to be designated by the coach. They will face Curry and fellow starters Giannis Antetokounmpo, DeMar DeRozan, Joel Embiid and James Harden.
Marv Albert, calling his 23rd NBA All-Star Game, will provide play-by-play commentary for the game with analysts Reggie Miller and Chris Webber, along with reporters David Aldridge and Kristen Ledlow.
Pregame coverage on Sunday at 7 p.m. will include a special Sports & Society roundtable show featuring Dwyane Wade, Chris Paul and special guests, moderated by Angela Rye.
TNT will premiere All-Star specific event coverage with the 2018 Mtn Dew Kickstart Rising Stars on Friday, Feb. 16, at 9 p.m. The league’s most dynamic young players will be participating, including Embiid, Ben Simmons and Dario Saric of the 76ers and Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma and Brandon Ingram of the Lakers. Analysts Grant Hill and Webber, along with reporter Andre Iguodala of the Golden State Warriors, will join play-by-play announcer Kevin Harlan on the call. TNT’s multiple-time Sports Emmy Award-winning Inside the NBA team of Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Shaquille O’Neal will provide halftime and postgame coverage live from Los Angeles. Area 21 presented by MetroPCS host Kevin Garnett will add commentary and analysis with special sports and entertainment guests throughout the weekend.
On the eve of the NBA All-Star Game, TNT will feature State Farm All-Star Saturday Night, Feb. 17, at 8 p.m., with some of the league’s most exciting dunkers, three-point shooters and multi-faceted skills players on display, including defending JBL Three-Point champion Eric Gordon and 2016 champion Klay Thompson, defending Taco Bell Skills champion and All-Star Kristaps Porzingis and All-Stars Joel Embiid, Paul George, Al Horford, Bradley Beal and Kyle Lowry. The TNT Players Only broadcast team will bring their unique perspective to the night’s festivities, with Brent Barry, Webber, Miller and Dennis Scott joined by Smith. Two-time champion Zach LaVine will join the announce team during Verizon Slam Dunk. The TNT NBA Tip-Off presented by Autotrader pregame show with Johnson, Barkley, Smith and O’Neal will begin at 6 p.m. Garnett will host a special Area 21 with Barkley and three-time contest champion Nate Robinson on Facebook during Verizon Slam Dunk.
Players Only: Shaq & Kobe presented by Autotrader, a one-hour interview, will premiere at 7 p.m., leading into State Farm All-Star Saturday Night. The two living legends and former teammates sat down for a one-hour conversation, covering everything from their three consecutive championships with the Lakers to their relationship over the years.
TNT’s Saturday coverage will begin with the third year of the NBA Talent Challenge, a competition featuring NBA players demonstrating their off-the-court talents, at 5 p.m. The talent show, produced by Turner Sports in association with Juma Entertainment, will feature eight finalists showing off their special skills, including defending champion and Indiana All-Star Victor Oladipo singing with a choir, Utah rookie Donovan Mitchell playing the drums and Charlotte’s Dwight Howard performing standup comedy. The telecast will be hosted by Johnson with special guest Snoop Dogg joining Barkley, Smith and O’Neal to serve as judges. Fan voting will determine the winner from a pool of five finalists.
The network’s coverage will tip off from Los Angeles on Thursday, Feb. 15, with Inside the NBA presented by Kia. Host Johnson and analysts Barkley, Smith and O’Neal along with Garnett will provide a one-hour TNT NBA Tip-Off presented by Autotrader pregame show at 8 p.m., with American Express Halftime Show updates and postgame coverage following the network’s game telecast featuring the Los Angeles Lakers vs. Minnesota Timberwolves at 9 p.m.
Daily highlights for TNT’s NBA All-Star coverage include:
Thursday, February 15
- TNT’s Sports Emmy Award-winning Inside the NBA presented by Kia studio team of Johnson, Barkley, Smith and O’Neal will provide pregame coverage at 8 p.m. ET, American Express Halftime Show updates and a post-game show live from Los Angeles.
- Thursday’s NBA on TNT primetime telecast will feature the Timberwolves with All-Stars Karl-Anthony Towns and Jimmy Butler hosting the Lakers and rising stars Kyle Kuzma and Lonzo Ball at 9 p.m. Kevin Harlan will call the game with Greg Anthony (analyst) and David Aldridge (reporter).
Friday, February 16
- TNT will exclusively televise live coverage of the Mtn Dew Kickstart Rising Stars from Staples Center at 9 p.m. For the third straight year, the event will feature a USA vs. World format with some of the league’s top young talent in action including Philadelphia’s Embiid, Ben Simmons and Dario Saric, the Lakers’ Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma and Brandon Ingram, Boston’s Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum and Utah’s Donovan Mitchell. Harlan will call the event with analysts Grant Hill and Chris Webber and reporter Andre Iguodala of the Warriors.
- The Inside the NBA presented by Kia studio team of Johnson, Barkley, Smith and O’Neal will provide updates and post-game analysis.
Saturday, February 17
- Tipping off the night’s coverage, TNT will televise a series of original programming beginning with the NBA Talent Challenge at 5 p.m., a one-hour show capturing NBA players demonstrating some of their hidden off-the-court talents.
- At 6 p.m., the network will feature a one-hour TNT NBA Tip-Off presented by Autotrader pregame show with Johnson, Barkley, Smith and O’Neal.
- Players Only: Shaq & Kobe presented by Autotrader will premiere at 7 p.m. During the one-hour sit-down interview, the legends and former teammates discuss everything from their three consecutive championships with the Lakers to their relationship over the years.
- State Farm All-Star Saturday Night, including the Taco Bell Skills Challenge, JBL Three-Point Contest and Verizon Slam Dunk, will tip off at 8 p.m. Brent Barry will provide play-by-play commentary with analysts Miller and Webber and guests throughout the evening, along with reporting from Dennis Scott and commentary from the Inside the NBA team of Johnson, Barkley and O’Neal.
Sunday, February 18
- TNT will exclusively televise NBA All-Star Game 2018 presented by Kia with the night’s coverage beginning at 7 p.m. with TNT NBA Tip-Off presented by Autotrader pregame coverage. A special roundtable conversation featuring Dwyane Wade, Chris Paul and other guests, moderated by Angela Rye, will air during the pregame show.
- Albert will call the game with analysts Miller and Webber and reporters Aldridge and Ledlow.
- NBA All-Star Game coverage will be simulcast on TNT and TBS beginning at 8 p.m.
- Following the NBA All-Star Game, Inside the NBA presented by Kia will be televised on NBA TV.
TNT Overtime
TNT Overtime will continue to offer fans a unique video companion experience throughout NBA All-Star 2018 – including the Mtn Dew Kickstart Rising Stars, State Farm All-Star Saturday Night and the NBA All-Star Game presented by Kia.
Live streaming of NBA All-Star coverage airing on TNT will also be available via www.tntdrama.com/watchtnt and the Watch TNT app. Fans are able to access the content whenever and wherever they desire by logging in with the user name and password provided by their TV service provider.
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.
Visit the Turner Sports online pressroom for additional press materials; follow Turner Sports on Twitter at @TurnerSportsPR
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