NBA TV — the year-round destination for fans seeking complete coverage of the NBA — will tip off its preseason live game schedule with the highly anticipated debut of Kevin Durant alongside his new Golden State Warriors teammates when the reigning NBA Western Conference Champions visit the Toronto Raptors and DeMar DeRozan on Saturday, Oct. 1 at 7:30 p.m. ET. The network’s 29-game preseason schedule will feature multiple appearances by the defending NBA Champion Cleveland Cavaliers, Warriors, Oklahoma City Thunder and New York Knicks, among others, including an early look at players, coaches and new-look teams.
NBA TV’s first full week of preseason action will feature 11 games in seven days, starting with the Houston Rockets and James Harden hosting Yao Ming’s Shanghai Sharks on Sunday, Oct. 2, at 8 p.m. One day later, the Oklahoma City Thunder and Russell Westbrook will visit Real Madrid on Monday, Oct. 3, at 2:30 p.m., while Dwyane Wade and the Chicago Bulls make their preseason debut against the Milwaukee Bucks and Giannis Antetokounmpo at 8 p.m. The week will also include the preseason opener for LeBron James as the Cavaliers host the Orlando Magic and new acquisition Serge Ibaka on Wednesday, Oct. 5, at 7 p.m.
Additional live and original programming highlights:
Early Look at NBA Rookies
The first full week of preseason coverage will feature eight lottery picks expected to be in action from this past June’s NBA Draft, including two early opportunities to watch 2016 NBA Draft top pick Ben Simmons and the Philadelphia 76ers against the Washington Wizards and John Wall on Thursday, Oct. 6, at 7 p.m., and against the Cavaliers on Saturday, Oct. 8, at 7:30 p.m. The Los Angeles Lakers and second overall pick Brandon Ingram host the Denver Nuggets and seventh overall pick Jamal Murray on Friday, Oct. 7, at 10:30 p.m. Additionally, the Boston Celtics and third overall pick Jaylen Brown will host the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday, Oct. 8, at 3:30 p.m.
NBA Global Games to Showcase Thunder, Rockets & Pelicans
Along with Oklahoma City at Real Madrid, NBA TV’s coverage of NBA Global Games 2016 will include the Thunder visiting FC Barcelona on Oct 5, at 2:30 p.m., and the Rockets and New Orleans Pelicans meeting for games in Shanghai on Sunday, Oct. 9, and again in Beijing, China, on Wednesday, Oct. 12 (both games at 7:30 a.m.).
NBA Real Training Camp
NBA TV’s NBA Real Training Camp will go all-access with the Cavaliers, Warriors and Lakers as they prepare for the upcoming season. The preseason series will provide exclusive access to practice sessions, players, coaches and front office executives, along with interviews and analysis live from training sites around the NBA. The Cavaliers will start at 10 a.m. ET on Wednesday, September 28 and will be simulcast on Facebook LIVE. The Lakers will follow on Friday, September 30, at 3 p.m., followed by the Warriors on Saturday, Oct. 8 (time to be announced). All times are subject to change.
Coverage of NBA Media Day on Monday, Sept. 26
NBA TV and NBA.com will feature live coverage of NBA Media Day, today, Monday, Sept. 26, beginning at 1 p.m. with on-site reports from around the league. Matt Winer will host the day’s coverage with analysts Brent Barry and Steve Smith. Vince Cellini will contribute as a reporter in studio, while David Aldridge (Knicks), Steve Aschburner (Bulls), Rosalyn Gold-Onwude (Warriors), Jared Greenberg (San Antonio Spurs), Kristen Ledlow (Cavaliers), Dennis Scott (Celtics) and Sekou Smith (Atlanta Hawks) will contribute on location at team sites.
Team Previews Start Tuesday, Oct. 4
NBA TV will offer in-depth coverage of all 30 NBA teams with back-to-back 30-minute NBA Team Previews airing nightly at 6 and 6:30 p.m. beginning Tuesday, Oct. 4 with the Cavaliers and Raptors. The first week’s schedule will also include the Warriors and Thunder on Wednesday, Oct. 5, the San Antonio Spurs and Bulls on Thursday, Oct. 6, the L.A. Clippers and Knicks on Friday, Oct. 7 and the Celtics and Rockets on Saturday, Oct. 8.
“72 Burning Questions” with The Starters
The Starters will preview the regular season as they answer “72 Burning Questions” with a series of nine special preseason episodes airing weekdays beginning Tuesday, Oct. 13, at 5:30 p.m. J.E. Skeets, Tas Melas, Trey Kerby and Leigh Ellis will cover a wide range of topics ranging from whether the Cavaliers will repeat as champions to who will be this year’s social media MVP.
Popular Open Court Series Returns with Three News Shows including Current Coaches and GMs
NBA TV will premiere three new Open Court shows starting with a roundtable of current NBA coaches on Wednesday, Oct. 5 at 9:30 p.m., followed by general managers on Wednesday, Oct. 12 at 8 p.m. The third new episode will preview the upcoming NBA season with a collection of NBA TV and TNT commentators on Tuesday, Oct. 18 at 10 p.m.
NBA GameTime Throughout the Preseason
The league’s signature studio show, NBA GameTime, will continue to provide insight and commentary throughout the preseason including analysis from the show’s deep roster of contributors.
