ESPN NBA Wednesday
NBA Wednesday is a weekly presentation of the National Basketball Association on ESPN. Debuting in 2002, NBA Wednesday starts the first Wednesday of the NBA season and runs throughout the entire regular season. Games typically air at 9:30 p.m. EST, following the network's presentation of ACC Wednesday college basketball. NBA Wednesday is occasionally preempted by ACC Wednesday or other college basketball doubleheaders.(otherwise it will air doubleheaders like NBA Friday at 7:30 and 10 pm et respectfully)
ESPN NBA Wednesday | |
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![]() NBA Wednesday Logo from 2011-16 | |
Starring | Mike Breen Jeff Van Gundy Mark Jackson and others (see below) |
Country of origin | United States |
Production | |
Running time | 2 hours, 35 minutes (approximate) |
Release | |
Original network | ESPN (2002-2003, 2007-present) |
Original release | 2002, October 2007 – present |
Related | |
NBA Friday |
NBA Wednesday, like NBA Friday, is not exclusive; local sports networks may still air the game in their market. In that case, the ESPN broadcast on these markets is subject to blackout and ESPNEWS programming is usually aired instead.
History
Originally, NBA Wednesday was broadcast by Brad Nessler and Bill Walton each week. After the 2002-2003 NBA season, ESPN ceased having a consistent broadcast team for NBA Wednesday until 2007–08, in which they used Dan Shulman and Jon Barry.
Studio features
Unlike other NBA on ESPN games, a version of Sports Center hosted by Stephen A. Smith is used as the pregame studio program for ESPN's Wednesday NBA games.
Scott Van Pelt hosts the halftime show. Van Pelt's full Sports Center is also used as a defacto post game show and lead out.[1]
Personalities
In the 2022 season, ESPN introduced several new personalities to the network's weekday NBA programming. There are several broadcast teams but no one group is assigned specifically to NBA Wednesday. The network's "A-team" consists of Mike Breen, Mark Jackson, and Jeff Van Gundy, a trio that is usually assigned to the more "premiere" matchup in a doubleheader.[2]
Play-by-play announcers
Color commentators
Sideline reporters
References
- "SportsCenter with Stephen A. Smith to Serve as ESPN NBA Pregame Show on Wednesdays - ESPN Press Room U.S." 21 October 2019.
- Booth, Trevor (18 October 2021). "ESPN NBA broadcast lineup: Schedule, play-by-play, analysts and hosts for 2021-22 season". Sporting News. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
- Sherman, Ed (October 30, 2002). "ESPN jumps through hoops to do NBA right". Chicago Tribune. p. 2.