The July 4 holiday weekend slate of live TV sports events begins on the football field as the upstart USFL concludes its inaugural season with its Championship Game between the Birmingham Stallions and Philadelphia Stars.

Also on tap for the weekend is WNBA action as ESPN televises the Phoenix Mercury-Chicago Sky contest on Saturday as well as Sunday’s Washington Mystics-Connecticut Sun contest. Also on Sunday, NBA TV will air the Seattle Storm-Atlanta Dream game and CBSSN will televise the New York Liberty-Los Angeles Sparks game.

On the links, CBS and the Golf Channel will offer coverage of the final rounds of the John Deere Classic PGA tournament.

On the racetrack, NBC Sunday will air the Honda Indy 200 IndyCar Series race, while USA Network will televise the NASCAR Cup Series Kwik Trip 250 race and ESPN covers the British Grand Prix Formula One race.

ESPN Plus on Saturday will distribute the UFC 276 pay-per-view bout between Israel Adesanya and Jared Cannonier.

ESPN will continue its Wimbledon tennis tournament coverage throughout the three-day holiday weekend. On Monday, ESPNNews will telecast live the annual Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest.

Peacock’s Sunday afternoon baseball game will feature the Kansas City Royals against the Detroit Tigers, while ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball matchup pits the St. Louis Cardinals against the Philadelphia Phillies.

NBC, Peacock and USA Network on Saturday will offer live coverage of the Tour de France cycling event, with USA and Peacock offering third-round coverage on Sunday.

MLB Network will offer a full day of Independence Day baseball games featuring five regional telecasts scheduled to begin as early as 11 a.m., according to the network. ■

A new film, We Are the W, is set to have its debut Tuesday before a WNBA doubleheader on NBA TV.

The film features three players at different stages of their careers. Angel McCoughtry is already certified as one of the W25, the 25 greatest and most influential players in WNBA history. Isabelle Harrison of the Dallas Wings is in the middle of her career. Didi Richards of the New York Liberty is a rookie in the league.

The players are shown off the court, focusing on their roles as daughters, sisters, scholars, athletes, leaders, activists and survivors, the WNBA said.

We Are the W was directed by Shibon Kennedy and Katie McCurdy, who have been directed projects for Apple, Nike, Puma, and Adidas previously. 

Cousins, female-led production studio, served as the production partner for the film after producing works for Kehinde Wiley, Lifetime, PBS, and short films for ESPN and Nike.

We Are The W will air Tuesday, June 21 on NBA TV at 6:30 p.m. ET leading into the NBA TV doubleheader with the Atlanta Dream hosting the Dallas Wings followed by the Minnesota Lynx visiting the Phoenix Mercury. The film will also be available on WNBA League Pass starting Tuesday. ■

Disney's ESPN and ABC will nationally televise 101 National Basketball Association games during the 2021-22 season for the NBA, which released its full schedule on Friday.

AT&T's Turner Sports will have 65 NBA on TNT games, including an opening night game doubleheader leading off with the champion Milwaukee Bucks and the Brooklyn Nets. TNT will also have a Martin Luther King Day doubleheader with the Bucks playing the Atlanta Hawks and the Chicago Bulls taking on the Memphis Grizzlies.

NBA TV will televise 107 games during the regular season, starting Oct. 23. 

On Nov. 1 NBA TV will feature a meeting between the New York Knicks and the Toronto Raptors to mark the 75th Anniversary of the NBA's first game in 1946.

ESPN, in its 20th straight season with the NBA, will televise 82 games and ABC will broadcast 19 games. 

Also Read: ESPN To Cover NBA Summer League Games

ESPN will have a regular season doubleheader on Oct. 20, a Thanksgiving prime-time doubleheader and it will present five games on Christmas Day, highlighted by what should have been last season’s finals with the Brooklyn Nets taking on the Los Angeles Lakers.

ABC will have primetime games on seven Saturday nights and the ABC Sunday Showcase will air five afternoons, with four doubleheaders.

The NBA Friday released the television schedule for the first half of its 2020-21 season, including its Christmas and Martin Luther King Jr. holiday lineup of games.

ESPN and ABC will televise a total of 49 games during the first half of the season, which begins Dec. 22. The schedule includes five Christmas Day games --  New Orleans Pelicans-Miami Heat; Golden State Warriors-Milwaukee Bucks; Brooklyn Nets-Boston Celtics; Dallas Mavericks-Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers-Denver Nuggets. ABC will air five primetime Saturday night games through Feb. 27, beginning Jan. 30 with the Lakers-Celtics game.

TNT will air 36 games through Feb. 27, including a Dec. 22 opening night doubleheader featuring the Warriors and Nets, followed by Lakers-Clippers. TNT’s three-game Martin Luther King Jr. holiday lineup includes Warriors-Lakers, Phoenix Suns-Memphis Grizzlies and Bucks-Nets.

Related: NBA to Start New Season in September

NBA TV will air 61 live games during the first half of the season, beginning with a Dec. 26 tripleheader featuring the Grizzlies-Atlanta Hawks, Philadelphia 76ers-New York Knicks, Houston Rockets-Portland Trailblazers games. 

The schedule for the second half of the season will be released at a later date, according to the league, which will play a truncated 72 game schedule due to the pandemic. 

The NBA playoff game between the Milwaukee Bucks and Orlando Magic Wednesday afternoon was postponed as Buck’s players boycotted following the shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisc.

The game had been scheduled to be televised by NBA TV and regional sports networks in the two cities.

Players on the other teams scheduled to play Wednesday were discussing boycotting those games as well, according to published reports. Those games were set to appear on AT&T’s TNT network.

The NBA later announced that those games were postponed as well.

"The NBA and the National Basketball Players Association today announced that in light of the Milwaukee Bucks' decision not to take the floor today for game five against the Orlando Magic, today's three games--Bucks vs. Magic, Houston Rockets vs. Oklahoma City Thunder and Los Angeles Lakers vs. Portland Trailblazers--have been postponed. Game five of each series will be rescheduled," the league said in a statement.  

It was unclear when the league's playoffs would resume.

The Milwaukee Brewers and the Cincinnati Reds also decided not to play their Wednesday evening baseball game because of the Kenosha shooting.

In Orlando, where the NBA has been playing its games to avoid spreading COVID-19, the Magic players waited on the court until just before game time before returning to their locker room. 

Since returning, NBA players are wearing Black Lives Matter slogans on their uniforms to protest police violence against Black Americans as exemplified by the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25.

With no games on, TNT aired a special episode of Inside the NBA and Kenny Smith walked out.

"As a Black man and a former player, I think its best for me to support the player and not be here tonight and figure out what happens after that," Smith said.

"I respect that," responded host Ernie Johnson.

As the NBA prepares to return to the court, NBA TV will preview each of the 22 NBA teams set to participate in the league’s restart beginning July 30, the network said Monday.

The daily Team Restart series will showcase each of the 22 NBA teams headed to Orlando for the league's season comeback beginning July 1 with the Los Angeles Lakers, the network said. The series will look at each team by recapping their season to-date, with highlights of the top moments as well as keys for the playoff push. NBA.com will have corresponding coverage for each team throughout the series.

The series coincides with the NBA’s June 26 release of its regular season schedule in which the 22 teams will play eight regular-season games at Walt Disney Resort in Orlando to determine the seeding of the 16 playoff teams.

TNT will air 18 restart games, including a July 30 doubleheader featuring the New Orleans-Utah Jazz and the Los Angeles Lakers-Los Angeles Clippers games. ESPN and ABC will combine to televise 20 live NBA seeding games beginning July 31.

NBA TV’s Team Restart schedule is as follows: (July 1) Los Angeles Lakers; (July 2) Milwaukee Bucks; (July 3) Los Angeles Clippers; (July 6) New Orleans Pelicans; (July 7) Boston Celtics; (July 8) Houston Rockets; (July 9) Philadelphia 76’ers; ( July 10) Toronto Raptors; (July 13) Denver Nuggets; (July 14) Dallas Mavericks; (July 15) Oklahoma City Thunder; (July 16) Miami Heat; (July 17) Utah Jazz; (July 20) Portland Trailblazers; (July 21) Indiana Pacers; (July 22) Memphis Grizzlies; (July 23) Brooklyn Nets; (July 24) Sacramento Kings; (July 26) San Antonio Spurs; (July 27) Orlando Magic; (July 28) Phoenix Suns; (July 29) Washington Wizards. 

NBA TV will live stream Monday's (Feb. 24) memorial service for Los Angeles Lakers basketball star Kobe Bryant.

Coverage on NBA TV will be streamed on NBA.com and via the NBA app, with additional clips posted to the NBA's official social media channels.

The service is being held at the Staples Center, where Bryant led the team to five championships, beginning at 1 p.m. ET.

Bryant, along with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, six other passengers and a pilot,  were killed in a helicopter accident in Calabasas, California January 26.

The NBA and Turner Sports made a fast break to the direct-to-consumer consumer court Tuesday with the debut of NBA TV as a subscription-based streaming service.

NBA fans can now access the linear channel through NBA.com and the NBA app for $6.99 per month and $59.99 annually, according to Turner Sports executives. The service, which includes more than 100 exclusive live games, original programming and on-demand content, will continue to be available on an authenticated basis for fans who get NBA TV from a pay TV provider.

“Innovation has always been at the core of our NBA Digital partnership and the launch of this direct to consumer product, paired with new content initiatives, will provide NBA fans even greater opportunities to engage with NBA TV and our collective portfolio of brands,” said Tina Shah, executive vice president and general manager, Turner Sports in a statement. “As sports consumption continues to evolve, we will continue to develop new opportunities for fans to access and engage with premium NBA content.”

Along with its current lineup of content, NBA TV will also feature “Center Court,” a series of 20 live NBA games with enhanced viewing options including new camera angles, in-depth analytics and statistical graphics, and social media integration. Alternative streaming options for “Center Court” games including “Backcourt” streams featuring statistical overlays on the game feed, and “Frontcourt” streams incorporating alternative audio options with rotating groups of NBA influencers, according to the league.

“NBA TV is the ultimate destination for around-the-clock access to premium NBA games and programming,” said Chris Benyarko, NBA senior vice president, Direct to Consumer. “We are thrilled to offer more ways than ever to access NBA TV and provide a preview of the future live game viewing experience.”

Sling TV, Dish Network’s OTT-TV service, has added NBA TV, a service that delivers more than 95 league games as well as originals like Game Time, to its Sports Extras add-on pack.

Sling TV noted that Sports Extra remains $5 per month for customers on Sling Orange (25-plus channels for $20), and is $10 per month for  Sling Blue (40-plus channels, including live local feeds of NBC and Fox in select markets, for $25 per month).

The addition of NBA TV to Sling TV isn't a surprise. Roger Lynch, Sling TV's CEO, tweeted on November 9 that it was coming to the OTT service soon: 

You want more @NBA? You got it! @NBATV is on its way to @Sling very soon. Check back at https://t.co/QYnS5oyhm4 for launch details.

— Roger Lynch (@RogerLynch) November 9, 2016

Sports Extra also includes NHL Network, beIN Sports, outside Television, Univision Deportes, Golf Channel,  Campus Insiders, SEC Network, SEC Network +, and Motors TV North Am.

Sling TV noted that additional NBA games are offered on the service via ESPN, ABC/ESPN3 (Sling Orange only), TNT and Fox Sports Networks (Sling Blue, in select areas).

PlayStation Vue, Sony’s OTT service, recently dropped Viacom-owned channels but is adding some other channels, including NBA TV.

 NBA TV’s coverage of the USA Basketball National Team exhibition games will air live on Facebook, the league said Thursday.

Nine NBA TV telecasts of USA men’s and women’s games will be simulcast on USA Basketball and NBA Facebook pages beginning July 22 with the USA Men’s National Team/Argentina game.

The deal marks the second big social media announcement for the league following its Twitter deal earlier this week that will deliver a free live stream of new weekly NBA pregame show.

Facebook Simulcast Schedule of NBA TV’s USA Basketball Exhibition Game Telecasts

Fri., July 22, at 9 p.m. ET                USA Men’s National Team vs. Argentina

Sun., July 24, at 8 p.m. ET               USA Men’s National Team vs. China

Mon., July 25, at 10 p.m. ET             USA Women’s National Team vs. USA Basketball Select Team

Tue., July 26, at 10 p.m. ET              USA Men’s National Team vs. China

Wed., July 27, at 7:30 p.m. ET           USA Women’s National Team vs. France

Fri., July 29, at 7 p.m. ET                  USA Women’s National Team vs. Canada

Fri., July 29, at 9 p.m. ET                  USA Men’s National Team vs. Venezuela

Sun., July 31, at 4 p.m. ET                USA Women’s National Team vs. Australia

Mon., Aug. 1, at 8 p.m. ET                 USA Men’s National Team vs. Nigeria

The undefeated, NBA world champion Golden State Warriors are helping NBA TV garner slam dunk ratings during the first month of the season.

The network has aired five Warriors games so far this season, including Tuesday night’s Warriors-Indiana Pacers contest, which drew 823,000 viewers – the network’s most viewed game of the season and fourth most watched of all time among regular season NBA telecasts, according to network officials.

The Warriors-Pacers “Fan Night” game is also tops all time for the network among men 18-34 (273,000 viewers) and Men 18-49 (428,000 viewers).  

Overall, the network is averaging 310,000 viewers for the 2015-16 season, up 3% from the 2014-15 season to date, according to network officials.

Three weeks into his first season heading NBA Digital, Albert “Scooter” Vertino likes what he sees across the league’s multiplatform properties.

Vertino, who in August was named NBA Digital general manager with oversight of NBA TV, NBA.com, WNBA.com, NBADLeague.com, NBA League Pass, as well as the league’s broadband and wireless businesses, says the varied storylines from the San Antonio Spurs winning the 2014 title in convincing fashion to moves made throughout the summer season are coalescing to fuel the business.

“We’re very excited about the first few weeks,” he said in an interview “From LeBron [James] returning to Cleveland, Derrick Rose and Kobe [Bryant] coming back from injuries and Steve Kerr moving from the [Turner] booth to leading the Golden State Warriors, there was plenty of off-season action. Now, the [Toronto] Raptors, [Sacramento] Kings and [Washington] Wizards are all doing well. There are plenty of stories around the league that are driving interest.”

That engagement is translating on various scorecards – with 11% being a key ratio for NBA TV.

The league’s in-house service averaged 368,000 total viewers through its first 11 telecasts, up 11% from the same stage of last season, according to Nielsen data. Moreover, the contests were also up 11% among persons 18 to 49 and men of the same age.  

NBA TV’s “Fan Night” telecasts have thrived. The first two telecasts – a fan vote determines which game will air on the network that now counts some 60 million subscribers – averaged 659,000 watchers, a 129% jump from the first two contests in 2013.

The 836,000 watchers who tuned in the Cleveland Cavaliers-Portland Trail Blazers on Nov. 3 represented the network’s second-most-viewed Fan Night telecast and third-most-viewed regular season game ever. That delivery has helped the network ring up respective gains of 188%, 201% and 227%, respectively, among persons 18 to 49, men 18 to 49 and guys 18 to 34.

In addition to Cleveland-Portland, Fan Night has also featured Golden State-San Antonio and on Nov. 18, Sacramento-New Orleans, as NBA aficianados have pointed West in the early going.

“We certainly don’t have an East Coast bias. It doesn’t matter to us. We’re only looking for exciting, close basketball,” said Vertino, who also oversees the programming and scheduling for all sports content for the division including the NBA on TNT, MLB on TBS, NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship and PGA Championship.  

Game action aside, NBA TV is also scoring with its original programming. Since the start of the 2014-15 regular season, the network's 13 premiere episodes of The Starters were up 52% in viewership over last year, while weekly roundtable show The Beat grew 4% in total audience. However, the demo deliveries have leaped 35% among persons 18 to 49, 18% against men of that age and 40% with males 18 to 34.

The first four installments of this season’s Open Court opened well, advancing 77% among viewers, 89% with men 18 to 49 and 87% with the set Madison Avenue covets most over the same period last year. The reminisce and assessment show features Ernie Johnson leading discussions among the likes of Charles Barkely, Kenny Smith, Shaq O’Neal, Grant Hill, Rick Fox, Reggie Miller, Isiah Thomas and Steve Smith, among others.

“The idea was that if we got the guys in a casual environment and let the cameras roll, the conversation would flow and we would get some great stories and anecdotes,” explained Vertino. “‘I remember that game against Phoenix in 1994.' ‘That’s right, but I remember you did this against Washington four years later.’ It’s good, fun stuff.”

More is on the way: Vertino said four episodes will be shot in January, with the installments parsed over time, including one premiere near All-Star weekend.

Vertino, who succeeded Christina Miller, now the president and general manager of Cartoon Network, Adult Swim and Boomerang, said his job is relatively simple.

“Christina did a great job for three-plus years. My job is not to screw things up,” he said with a laugh.

More seriously, under Vertino’s watch, NBA Digital is placing more of an emphasis on news and updates. “We’re not necessarily breaking news, but we need to react and provide a voice,” he said, noting the information from the likes of David Aldridge appear on the network, its app, NBA.com and social outlets.

As for NBA League Pass, net subscriptions to the pay-per-view package, which this year is sporting enhanced video quality and is available on more platforms than ever before, including the Xbox One, were up 21% through Nov. 16, capped by a 48% surge for its premium version.

 For the NBA's opening week of Oct. 27 through Nov. 2, NBA.com page views and unique visitors were up 20% and 7%, respectively, compared to last season's tip.

After 22 years with the National Basketball Association in five different positions, Adam Silver assumed the role of the league’s commissioner on Feb. 1, succeeding David Stern. Over the course of his tenure, including eight-year stints as deputy commissioner and chief operating officer and as president of NBA Entertainment, Silver played an integral role in growing pro basketball’s worldwide presence and in negotiating the league’s last three collective bargaining agreements with the NBA Players Association, as well as its last two TV pacts. He also helped with the development and launch of the WNBA and the NBA Development League, the creation of NBA China and the partnership with Turner Broadcasting System to jointly manage the league’s myriad digital assets.

Silver began his time atop the league presiding over February’s All-Star Game festivities in New Orleans. In April, as the playoffs tipped off, he was thrust into the thicket of controversy emanating from racial remarks by Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling. His decisive leadership defused the highly charged situation that ultimately resulted in the sale of the team to former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer for a record $2 billion.

Earlier this month, Silver secured the league’s national media rights into the middle of the next decade via extensions with Disney’s ESPN and Time Warner Inc.’s Turner Sports. Not only do the deals expand linear game and digital rights for the partners, but the $24 billion pacts represent the largest rate of increase for any of the major North American sports leagues.

As part of the deal with ESPN, the NBA, long at the forefront of technological and digital development, will hold an equity stake in an over-the-top service melding pro basketball and other properties.

And as the NBA tips off its 2014-15 campaign this week, it is poised to become the first league in which regional sports networks will live-stream in-market games on a widescale basis.

For these and other reasons, Silver is the Multichannel News sports executive of the year. He touched on these and other subjects during a recent interview with online news editor Mike Reynolds and programming editor R. Thomas Umstead. An edited transcript follows.

MCN: You’ve been with the league a long time and with [former commissioner] David [Stern] for many years. The incident with Donald Sterling aside, are there things you can only realize by having the job?

Adam Silver: In addition to some of those particular instances that you just referenced, like Donald Sterling, like the situation we had in Atlanta, I'd say just day to day there is a huge difference between being the number one and the number two guy.

I think someone in basketball once said the longest distance in sports is the distance between the coach and the assistant coach. I worked for David in five different jobs before I became commissioner.

MCN:  Became the sixth man, in a manner of speaking.

AS:  Precisely. I'm the sixth man and the fifth commissioner of the NBA. And I think it’s just very different at the end of the day when you are the one making the ultimate decisions -- big decisions and small decisions -- most of which never become public but in terms of dealing with 30 disparate teams and 30 independent owners, many of whom have a different point of view from other owners on certain issues, that it's a constant balancing of priorities and. I would just say being the CEO of the organization poses very different challenges than in my five prior positions.

MCN: Do you speak to David often? Can he stay away from things?

AS: David (laughter) he remains a consultant to the League and a very close personal friend. We talk now and again and in fact, David came to Berlin last week where the San Antonio Spurs played Alba Berlin.

MCN: And lost in the final moments…

AS: And lost in the final moments. But I don't think it was because David was there.  And it was great to spend time with him and his wife, Diane. David caught up with a lot of old friends there, including [San Antonio Spurs general manager R.C. Buford and his favorite coach, Gregg Popovich of the Spurs. So it was nice to have David there.

David has an office down the street from the NBA's offices in New York and he's doing some consulting and some speaking and is doing very well. And for me, obviously in a new role and it's been a really exciting first few… I guess nine months now.

MCN:  We’ll go a little international since you just came back from Berlin, other stops and China. You've just announced a new curriculum program, with the Ministry of Education there.  Obviously China's the biggest country in the world.  Does it still represent the largest opportunity for the league? Is India coming up on its heels?

AS: Let's start with China, which is our biggest market outside of the United States right now. And having just finished the 10th anniversary of the first set of preseason games we played in China, what we now brand the Global Games, the growth has exceeded expectations in terms of basketball in China.

We now have, it's now estimated that over 300 million people playing basketball in China, more people than live in the United States. It's a sport that's being embraced by the Chinese government. You just referenced the announcement we made the other day with the Ministry of Education in China, where basketball is going to become part of the school curriculum.

I believe the reason for that is that it is a game that's easy to learn. It can be played by both boys and girls and it doesn't require much space and can be played practically anywhere. And even more important in China, the core values of the game are in line with the principles that are being taught to their children, including hard work, teamwork  and discipline. And lastly, it's fun. And I think that makes a big difference as well.

And we're beginning to see a similar pattern in India. We have a program in place with Mukesh Ambani, a leading industrialist in India, who runs the Reliance Corporation.  And we're working with his foundation on a program to get 3 million boys and girls, bouncing basketballs.

In fact, we have an owner now, Vivek Ranadive of the Sacramento Kings, who was born in Mumbai, India. Vivek and I are traveling there at the end of November, when we’re going to meet with the Prime Minister and Mr. Ambani to continue to build the NBA and basketball infrastructure in India. So while China is way ahead of India in terms of basketball development, we are seeing similar patterns emerging in India.

Lastly, we're seeing a tremendous growth of basketball in Africa as well. I was in Johannesburg last summer for our Basketball Without Borders program. Basketball has become so popular that we are going to stage our first ever summer All-Star game in Johannesburg next August. There is a long list of NBA players, who have volunteered to be part of that trip because it was so important to them to be part of the program. We'll be releasing those names later, but it's truly an All-Star list of players who are going to be playing in this game next summer.

MCN: The league has presence in Europe as well.  [National Football League commissioner] Roger Goodell has talked a lot about London. Do you want to expand there, or will you go stateside first?

AS: There are no plans to expand anywhere at this time. Europe expansion is something we'll continue to look at.  It's a long-term project, but we're seeing the emergence of true state-of-the-art facilities in Europe. Under the leadership of Phil Anschutz at AEG, there is now a state-of-the-art facility in London, the 02 Arena, where once again this year we're going to play a regular season game in January, with the Milwaukee Bucks against the New York Knicks.

The arena I was just in last week in Berlin, 02 World, also an AEG facility, is another state-of-the-art facility in Europe. And there are now plans on the table for new arenas in Madrid and Barcelona and in addition, the long- time arena in Paris, the Bercy Arena, is in the process of being renovated. So the necessary first step is happening. We're seeing the infrastructure being put in place for state-of-the-art arenas in Europe. But there are still economic issues in southern Europe that are an impediment to expanding in Europe.

The league right now, we're in the process of sort of solidifying the 30 franchises that we have in the U.S.; we're seeing the benefits of the new collective bargaining agreement, plus revenue sharing, kick in where we're moving to the point where every franchise is in a position where it can compete for championships and hopefully run profitable franchises. Expansion is not on the front burner right now. It's something we'll continue to look at both in Europe and domestically, but there’s nothing imminent.

MCN: How do you see the season going this year?

AS: The state of the league is terrific. I can't remember a time when there were more interesting and exciting franchises that fans were hotly anticipating watching. I mean I can't wait to see the new Cleveland Cavaliers, the new Chicago Bulls, Phil Jackson's New York Knicks, the impact that Luol Deng will have on Miami. What's Kobe [Bryant] got left in the tank. The Clippers under Steve Ballmer.

The Spurs, let's not count them out. I don't want to sell them short. They brought that same team back so we'll be watching to see whether they can repeat as champions, see if Tim Duncan can get his sixth ring before he retires.

We have a really healthy combination of young stars coming in, experienced all-stars.

What we're seeing too, as part of the new collective bargaining agreement, it's not just financial. It's not just creating a better financial environment in the league, but also we're seeing greater parity and we're seeing every team, regardless of market size, in a position to potentially compete and I think that's really healthy for the league.

MCN: Does that translate into higher ratings.

AS: Absolutely. I know ESPN and Turner are anticipating ratings growth this year. Again, I think it's a function of more so-called national teams, more exciting teams that people throughout the country are interested in watching. I mean even a team like the Minnesota Timberwolves, I think everyone's anxious to see how Andrew Wiggins will play with Anthony Bennett.

I think to me, just as I look at the schedule, I can't tell you how excited I am to see these new matchups. And you can go right down the list. I can't wait to see that new combination of players and see new coaches in the league.  And there is new ownership in Milwaukee, two hard-charging guys trying to turn around the culture of that team. What are we going to see there? So I'm very excited.

MCN: How important is the NBA's move into more digital technology in terms of getting games and content to the consumer?

AS: I think it's really important. We're seeing now, with the announcements of HBO and CBS going over the top…I think we were early adopters in that we recognized we had to take the games to whatever platform our fans wanted to consume them on.

Some of the [regional sports networks] have been experimenting with authenticated subscribers. And so, if somebody is already paying their distributor for the games and wants to watch those games on his or her tablet or whatever mobile device, we think it makes a lot of sense to deliver them the games in that fashion.

So if you're not able to be home in front of your large screen HDTV, but you're on the go or at a friend's house, you're able to just take out your mobile device and watch the game. So we think that's critical important for our fans.

MCN: Can you give us a sense for the OTT service ESPN is going to launch with the league?

AS: It’s early stages. It's going to be a 24/7 streamed service to mobile devices. It will contain a full package of NBA games, and will likely include other lives sports as well. It'll be a package that is going to be made available directly to the consumer and possibly paid through their mobile provider, with potentially some sort of surcharge on top of whatever their monthly fee is in order to get that additional programming.

Depending on the technology, it may be an always-on service based on the new technology we hear is coming to cellphones.  There potentially will be a surcharge for the content, but there won't be an additional charge for the additional bandwidth that that service is using on a monthly basis, making it more affordable.

We think it'll be a very attractive offering and we see ESPN sort of dipping their toes into the over-the-top waters and at the same time balancing that against the fact that they are very much part of the traditional bundle of sports, traditional bundle of channels being sold to consumers.

MCN: You mentioned the HBO and CBS announcements. [Both programmers conveyed plays for OTT TV services earlier this month.] Can the service launch earlier than 2016-17?

AS: I think there's a possibility. We wanted to get our core television agreement done and then we agreed we'd quickly turn back to the OTT service. So we have an agreement in principle with ESPN, but in fact I just spoke to [ESPN president] John Skipper earlier today about continuing our discussions so we can firm up exactly how we're going to launch this OTT service. There is certainly no reason that we're going to wait two years in order to do something.

MCN: Given the expansion again of the RSNs and the OTT service, won’t they compete head-to-head with [out-of-market] NBA League Pass service?

AS: No, I don't think it will compete head-to-head with the League Pass service because these likely will be games that are included in both the League Pass service and the over the top service. I think for those fans, customers, that want League Pass, I think it's a different customer that wants a larger selection of games, or wants to get all of the games of a particular team, or get the full complement of games every night that aren't offered on a national service. So I think the services will be complementary.

MCN: How is NBA TV performing?

AS: We're very happy with NBA TV. We love the production being supplied by Turner and the use of their talent down in Atlanta. And in fact, as part of our new television relationships, Turner has agreed to now take on the affiliate sales for NBA TV as well. So rather than the league office selling NBA TV to the distributors as a one-off, we'll now be part of the sales team that's providing TNT, TBS, Cartoon [Network], CNN and other networks, which we think will give us a much stronger position in the marketplace. We're very excited about that development as well.

MCN: The new deal is $24 billion over nine seasons, with the highest rate of increase among the major sports leagues in the states. Is that a function of you guys being the last to the table, the league is in a great position or you guys are the best negotiators?

AS: (Laughter) I think it’s a testament to the fantastic long-term partnerships we've had with Disney and Time Warner.

MCN: During the press conference you said you held discussions, but not negotiations with Fox and Comcast/NBCUniversal. Were you and the media committee unanimous in this decision? You also said you didn’t leave any money on the table…

AS: Yes, we were unanimous in this was the way to go. I will say that we have very close relationships with Comcast and Fox. Fox has 17 of our team's RSN deals and Comcast has eight.

MCN: That may be seven shortly, but that’s another story...[CSN Houston, home to the Rockets, is nearing the end of Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings.]

AS: That’s true. We have very strong relationships up and down in those organizations. So we're far from strangers to each other. So it's fair to say while we did not leave the exclusive negotiating period, certainly I have close business and personal relationships with the leaders of those organizations and we did talk to them.

As to whether we could've gotten more had we went to market, I guess, we'll never know. But we feel very good about the deals we did.

MCN: Two other points about the new deal. There will be a 12-game package that Turner will have in addition to its Thursday night doubleheaders. [Turner Broadcasting System president] David Levy said he was looking at Sunday or Monday. Do you have a preference?

AS:  No, I don't have a preference right now. That's something that goes to how strong our relationships are with Turner and with David Levy. That's something we'll sit down and discuss together and see where we can optimize the schedule. It would be dependent sometimes on the matchups and building availabilities and those kinds of issues. I know those are things that we'll work out together.

MCN: Was Turner ever in the mix for The finals in some capacity, on a shared, or an alternating year basis?

AS: I can say that over the course of many months of negotiations we discussed several different permutations in terms of The Finals and All-Star and the other marquee properties. But where we ultimately landed was the status quo. I think all sides agreed that in order to get these deals done on the timeframe that we had set out, that we weren't going to be able to do it if we rejuggled where all the properties went. Ultimately, it made sense to keep The Finals where they are on ABC.

MCN: In hindsight, how do you view the Clippers and the Donald Sterling situation?

AS: In the moment, I didn't have the luxury of thinking long-term. But now to me what that incident represents is the NBA’s ability to defend the values we share as a league and as a community member of a larger sports community. For me, it was enormously impactful as an early experience in learning how to be a leader. Again, I can only say that I did the best I could under what was a very, very trying circumstance at the time.

MCN: Most of us think you did extraordinarily well and we applaud you for that.

AS:  Thank you.

MCN: The [Atlanta] Hawks situation [Principal team owner Bruce Levenson has voluntarily agreed to sell his stake in the Hawks after the leak of an email that urged club officials to make changes to attract more white fans to games]. Did the league get a bit of pass because when the news surfaced the media was focused on the NFL’s Ray Rice problem? Could new ownership be in place by year-end?

AS:  To your first question I’d say I don't think we got a pass on Atlanta and I credit Bruce Levinson for the way he handled the situation. His situation was completely different than the situation we had in Los Angeles. Mr. Levinson self-reported that he made that mistake to the league office and he decided completely on his own to sell his stake in the team. So I think all the credit goes to him for the way it was handled and why it wasn't necessary for it to be an ongoing story. He brought closure to it almost immediately.

And in terms of the time line for sale, you know, Bruce Levinson remains the owner of that franchise. It's his process that he's running to sell the team. I know that [Hawks president and former Turner executive] Steve Koonin said he was hopeful that the team gets sold by the end of the year. I'm not sure how realistic that timeline is…And while there's not a set timeframe, I know on the other hand they're moving as quickly as they can.

MCN: Did you speak to Roger Goodell about the Ray Rice incident? Did he or you reach out?

AS: Roger and I did speak and it would not be appropriate for me to comment on those conversations.

MCN: We wanted to wind down with a little bit of fun here. We’re fantasy players: Any inside scoop from the commissioner about when Kevin Durant comes back?

AS: I don't have any inside scoop. I mean he is a wonderful young man and the league is going to miss him almost as much as OKC will when he's out. And I just wish him all the best and I hope he's back on the court as soon as possible.

MCN:  You tested a Brooklyn-Boston preseason game with 11-minute quarters. All these years of history with 12-minute quarters? Why are you doing this?

AS: It's an experiment. What I like about it is that when we try an experiment like this we get a lot of free advice over the transit.

MCN: Sure.

AS: So, we play one 44-minute game and I get a lifetime of very thoughtful proposals from the media, from fans, from every one I can possibly think of as to what changes we should potentially be making to our format.

And in all seriousness, this came about as a result of the coaches being intrigued in looking at the international format at potentially playing fewer minutes. I'm not sure an 11-minute quarter is the answer. I do think it's important that we try new things, especially when we have a preseason and we can try some different things that may attract some attention. There's always unintended effects from…

For example, some coaches are saying that if you shorten the game the stars will play the exact same number of minutes because they can be that much more impactful. Others are saying they'll play fewer minutes. Others are saying that if you shorten the games they will become more competitive because it will increase randomness…It's the difference between one and done and a seven-game series in the extreme.

MCN: Huh…

AS: But so again this was…We're not ready to change the game we know and love. I liked what [Dallas Mavericks owner]Mark Cuban said the other day, which was, ‘I love this game so much I want to see the teams play more minutes.’

MCN: That's what we're thinking. The All Star Game is at MSG. The Saturday night festivities are at Barclays Center.  Was this a Solominic or Silver-esque compromise?

AS: Yes. It's Friday and Saturday in Barclays. We've got the rookie/sophomore game Friday night and All-Star Saturday Night events. And this was something [Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov and [Knicks owner James] Dolan came to an agreement that it made sense. I think they both wanted the All-Star Game for this season and both, in essence, had a claim to it. You had a new building in Brooklyn and you had a transformed, as they call it, building in Manhattan. Given that it's already such an incredible basketball Mecca, let's make it the center of the world for basketball, so that we can amplify that impact by using two arenas instead of one. And I think they both thought it was a great idea and are working together very cooperatively.

MCN: So when New York comes up in the rotation next time it changes?

AS: We'll see for next time. I mean I think it's a good question. We'll see how it works using two buildings. I know that with The Garden getting the game on Sunday, we told the Nets that they would remain in line to get an All-Star Game themselves and then it would be up to The Garden to see whether they wanted to reverse positions. But it's not necessary. I mean certainly we'll be coming back to New York to play an All-Star Game in Brooklyn in the not-so-distant future.

MCN: Phil Jackson and Derek Fisher are here with The Triangle. Is Carmelo Anthony going to work this? Are the Knicks making the playoffs? Or you can't comment because you're a neutral guy now?

AS:  You know, I am a neutral guy. You know I grew up a Knick fan, but I had to park that fandom when I came to the league office in 1992. So it's been a while since I've been able to cheer for the Knicks. But I'm excited. I think this is my season to once and for all understand the triangle, after all these years at the league.

MCN: You dunking the ball or getting out of Shaq's grip, what's more realistic?  [Silver was hoisted at the NBA Legends Brunch during All-Star weekend in New Orleans]. The big Aristotle/Cactus/Shamrock, that must have been something…

AS: He kept coming closer and he kept coming closer and I thought he was about to whisper to me and all the sudden I was being levitated. And the only way I'm going to dunk, frankly, is if Shaq picks me up. I have no hops these days.

MCN: You mentioned earlier you're off to Mumbai at the end of November. What's your roadie to start the season?

AS: I know I'm starting on Tuesday night the 28th. I'll be in San Antonio where I'll be giving out the rings. Wednesday night, the 29th, I'm going to Utah and then Thursday of opening week I'm going to the Clippers. And then I'm going to hit Knicks and Nets games when I get home. So I'm getting to five games in the first week and then I'm sure I'll be doing a lot of traveling beyond that, but one week at a time. But it's one of the real perks of this job that I get to travel around and see fantastic basketball.

After 22 years with the National Basketball Association in five different positions, Adam Silver assumed the role of the league’s commissioner on Feb. 1, succeeding David Stern. Over the course of his tenure, including eight-year stints as deputy commissioner and chief operating officer and as president of NBA Entertainment, Silver played an integral role in growing pro basketball’s worldwide presence and in negotiating the league’s last three collective bargaining agreements with the NBA Players Association, as well as its last two TV pacts. He also helped with the development and launch of the WNBA and the NBA Development League, the creation of NBA China and the partnership with Turner Broadcasting System to jointly manage the league’s myriad digital assets.

Silver began his time atop the league presiding over February’s All-Star Game festivities in New Orleans. In April, as the playoffs tipped off, he was thrust into the thicket of controversy emanating from racial remarks by Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling. His decisive leadership defused the highly charged situation that ultimately resulted in the sale of the team to former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer for a record $2 billion.

Earlier this month, Silver secured the league’s national media rights into the middle of the next decade via extensions with Disney’s ESPN and Time Warner Inc.’s Turner Sports. Not only do the deals expand linear game and digital rights for the partners, but the $24 billion pacts represent the largest rate of increase for any of the major North American sports leagues.

As part of the deal with ESPN, the NBA, long at the forefront of technological and digital development, will hold an equity stake in an over-the-top service melding pro basketball and other properties.

And as the NBA tips off its 2014-15 campaign this week, it is poised to become the first league in which regional sports networks will live-stream in-market games on a widescale basis.

For these and other reasons, Silver is the Multichannel News sports executive of the year. He touched on these and other subjects during a recent interview with online news editor Mike Reynolds and programming editor R. Thomas Umstead. An edited transcript follows.

MCN: You’ve been with the league a long time and with [former commissioner] David [Stern] for many years. Are there things you can only realize by having the job?

Adam Silver: I’d say, just day-to-day, there is a huge difference between being the No. 1 and the No. 2 guy.

I think someone in basketball once said the longest distance in sports is the distance between the coach and the assistant coach … And I think it’s just very different at the end of the day when you are the one making the ultimate decisions — big decisions and small decisions — most of which never become public, but in terms of dealing with 30 disparate teams and 30 independent owners, many of whom have a different point of view from other owners on certain issues, that it’s a constant balancing of priorities. I would just say being the CEO of the organization poses very different challenges than my prior five positions.

MCN: Do you speak to David often? Can he stay away from things?

AS: David (laughter) remains a consultant to the league and a very close personal friend. We talk now and again and in fact, David came to Berlin, where the San Antonio Spurs played Alba Berlin. It was great to spend time with him and his wife, Diane.

David has an office down the street from the NBA’s offices in New York and he’s doing some consulting and some speaking and is doing very well. As for me, obviously in a new role, it’s been a really exciting first few … I guess nine months now.

MCN: The league has a presence in Europe. [National Football League commissioner] Roger Goodell has talked a lot about London. Do you want to expand there, or will you go stateside first?

AS: There are no plans to expand anywhere at this time. Europe expansion is something we’ll continue to look at. It’s a long-term project, but we’re seeing the emergence of true state-of-the-art facilities in Europe … But there are still economic issues in southern Europe that are an impediment to expanding in Europe.

The league right now, we’re in the process of sort of solidifying the 30 franchises that we have in the U.S.; we’re seeing the benefits of the new collective bargaining agreement, plus revenue sharing, kick in where we’re moving to the point where every franchise is in a position where they can compete for championships and hopefully run profitable franchises. Expansion is not on the front burner right now. It’s something we’ll continue to look at both in Europe and domestically, but there’s nothing imminent.

MCN: How do you see the season going this year?

AS: The state of the league is terrific. I can’t remember a time when there were more interesting and exciting franchises that fans were hotly anticipating watching. I can’t wait to see the new Cleveland Cavaliers, the new Chicago Bulls, Phil Jackson’s New York Knicks, the impact that Luol Deng will have on Miami. What’s [Los Angeles Lakers star] Kobe [Bryant] got left in the tank? The Clippers under Steve Ballmer. The Spurs, let’s not count them out. Let’s see if they can repeat and if Tim Duncan can get his sixth ring before he retires.

We have a really healthy combination of young players coming in, experienced all-stars.

What we’re seeing, too, as part of the impact of the new collective bargaining agreement, it’s not just financial. It’s not just creating a better financial environment in the league, but also we’re seeing greater parity and we’re seeing every team, regardless of market size, in a position to potentially compete, and I think that’s really healthy for the league.

MCN: Does that translate into higher ratings?

AS: Absolutely. I know ESPN and Turner are anticipating ratings growth this year. Again, I think it’s a function of more so-called national teams, more exciting teams that people throughout the country are interested in watching.

MCN: How important is the NBA’s move into more digital technology in terms of getting things to the consumer?

AS: I think it’s really important. We’re seeing now, with the announcements of HBO and CBS going over the top … I think we were early adopters in that we recognized we had to take the games to whatever platform our fans wanted to consume them on.

Some of the [regional sports networks] have been experimenting with authenticated subscribers. And so, if somebody is already paying their distributor for the games and wants to watch those games on his or her tablet or whatever mobile device, we think it makes a lot of sense to deliver them the games in that fashion.

So if you’re not able to be home in front of your large-screen HDTV, but you’re on the go or at a friend’s house, you’re able to just take out your mobile device and watch the game. So we think that’s critically important for our fans.

MCN: Can you give us a sense for the OTT service ESPN is going to launch with the league?

AS: It’s going to be a 24/7 streamed service to mobile devices. It will contain a full package of NBA games, and will likely include other live sports as well. It’ll be a package that is going to be made available directly to the consumer and possibly paid through their mobile provider, with potentially some sort of surcharge on top of whatever their monthly fee is in order to get that additional programming.

Depending on the technology, it may be an always-on service based on the new technology we hear is coming to cellphones. There potentially will be a surcharge for the content but won’t be an additional charge for the additional bandwidth that that service is using on a monthly basis, making it more affordable.

But we think it’ll be a very attractive offering, and we see ESPN sort of dipping their toe into the over-the-top waters and at the same time balancing that against the fact that they are very much part of the [cable package].

MCN: You mentioned the HBO and CBS announcements. [Both programmers announced plans for over-the- top subscription-TV services earlier this month.] Can the service launch earlier than 2016-17?

AS: I think there’s a possibility. We wanted to get our core television agreement done and then we agreed we’d quickly turn back to the OTT service. So we have an agreement in principle with ESPN but, in fact, I just spoke to [ESPN president] John Skipper earlier today about continuing our discussions so we can firm up exactly how we’re going to launch this OTT service. There is certainly no reason that we’re going to wait two years in order to do something.

MCN: Given the streaming from the RSNs and the OTT service, won’t they compete head-to-head with [out-of-market package] NBA League Pass?

AS: I think for those fans, customers, that want League Pass, I think it’s a different customer that wants a larger selection of games, or wants to get all games of a particular team that he or she wants to follow, or get the full complement of games every night that aren’t offered on a national service. So I think the services will be complementary.

MCN: How is NBA TV performing?

AS: We’re very happy with NBA TV. We love the production being supplied by Turner and the use of their talent down in Atlanta. And in fact, as part of our new television relationships, Turner has agreed to now take on the affiliate sales for NBA TV as well. So rather than the league office selling NBA TV to the distributors as a one off, we’ll now be part of the sales team that’s providing TNT, TBS, Cartoon [Network], CNN and other networks, which we think will give us a much stronger position in the marketplace.

MCN: The new deal is $24 billion dollars over nine seasons, with the biggest rate of increase among the major sports leagues in the states. Is that a function of being the last to the table, the league’s being in a great position, or are you guys just the best negotiators?

AS: [Laughter.] I think it’s a testament to the fantastic long-term partnerships we’ve had with Disney and Time Warner.

MCN: During the press conference you said you held discussions, but not negotiations, with Fox and Comcast/NBCUniversal. Were you and the media committee unanimous in this decision?

AS: Yes, we were unanimous in this was the way to go. I will say that we have very close relationships with Comcast and Fox. Fox has 17 of our teams’ RSN deals and Comcast has eight … As to whether we could’ve gotten more if we went to market, I guess we’ll never know. But we feel very good about the deals we did.

MCN: There will be a 12-game package that Turner will have in addition to its Thursday-night doubleheaders. Was Turner ever in the mix for The Finals in some capacity, on a shared, alternating-years basis?

AS: I can say that over the course of many months of negotiations we discussed several different permutations in terms of The Finals and [the] All-Star [Game] and the other marquee properties. I think all sides agreed that in order to get these deals done on the timeframe, we weren’t going to be able to do it if we rejuggled where all the properties went.

MCN: In hindsight, how do you view the sale of the Los Angeles Clippers and the Donald Sterling situation?

AS: In the moment, I didn’t have the luxury of thinking long-term. But now to me what that incident represents is the NBA’s ability to defend the values we share as a league and as a community member of a larger sports community. For me, it was enormously impactful as an early experience in learning how to be a leader. Again, I can only say that I did the best I could under what was a very, very trying circumstance at the time.

MCN: The [Atlanta] Hawks situation [Bruce Levenson, then-principal owner of the team, voluntarily agreed to sell his stake in the Hawks after the leak of an email that urged team officials to make changes to attract more white fans to games]: Did the league get a bit of a pass because when the news surfaced the media was so focused on the NFL’s Ray Rice problem? Could new ownership be in place by year-end?

AS: To your first question, I’d say I don’t think we got a pass on Atlanta and I credit Bruce Levenson for the way he handled the situation. His situation was completely different than the situation we had in Los Angeles. Mr. Levenson self-reported that he made that mistake to the league office and he decided completely on his own to sell his stake in the team. So I think all the credit goes to him for the way it was handled and why it wasn’t necessary for it to be an ongoing story. He brought closure to it almost immediately.

And in terms of the timeline for sale, you know, Bruce Levenson remains the owner of that franchise. It’s his process that he’s running to sell the team. So I know that [Hawks president and former Turner executive] Steve Koonin said he is hopeful that the team gets sold by the end of the year. I’m not sure how realistic that timeline is … And while there’s not a set timeframe, I know they’re moving as quickly as they can.

MCN: Did you speak to Roger Goodell about the Ray Rice incident?

AS: Roger and I did speak and it would not be appropriate for me to comment on those conversations.

MCN: We wanted to wind down with a little bit of fun. We’re fantasy players: Any inside scoop from the commissioner about when Kevin Durant comes back?

AS: I don’t have any inside scoop. I mean he is a wonderful young man and the league is going to miss him almost as much as [Oklahoma City] will when he’s out. And I just wish him all the best and I hope he’s back on the court as soon as possible.

MCN: The 2015 All-Star Game is at Madison Square Garden. Saturday night is at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center. Was this a Solomonic or a Silver-esque compromise?

AS: Yes. It’s Friday and Saturday in Barclays. We’ve got the rookie/sophomore game Friday night and All-Star Saturday Night events. And this was something [Nets owner Mikhail] Prokhorov and [Knicks owner James] Dolan came to an agreement that it made sense. I think they both wanted the All-Star Game for this season and both, in essence, had a claim to it. You had a new building in Brooklyn and you had a transformed, as they call it, building in Manhattan. Given that New York is already such an incredible basketball Mecca, let’s make it the center of the world for basketball, so that we can amplify that impact by using two arenas instead of one. I think they both thought it was a great idea and are working together very cooperatively.

MCN: You dunking the ball or getting out of Shaq’s grip [Silver was hoisted at an All-Star Game event by O’Neal] — what’s more realistic?

AS: He kept coming closer and closer and I thought he was about to whisper to me and all of a sudden I was being levitated. And the only way I’m going to dunk, frankly, is if Shaq picks me up. I have no hops these days.

NBA TV on Aug. 8 will provide exclusive coverage of the  2014 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony, network officials said Thursday.

 The network will open its coverage with a Hall of Fame Red Carpet Show leading up to its coverage of the annual event. Prior to the telecast, the network will telecast several Hall Of Fame-related specials, including an Aug. 4 special on the career of 2014 Hall OF Fame inductee Alonzo Mourning. On Aug.  5, the network will re-air two games from 2014 Hall Of Fame inductee Mitch Richmond’s career – his 40-point game in 1991 with the Golden State Warriors and his 47-point performance in 1995 with the Sacramento Kings, said network officials.

NBA TV and NBA.com will also provide live coverage of the Aug. 7 Hall of Fame inductees’ press conference. The network will also air two original Hall of Fame themed episodes of The Starters. The Starters: Hall of Fame Class of 2014 will air Aug. 4, while The Starters: Hall of Fame Debate will air Aug. 6.

Along with Mourning and Richmond, other NBA Hall Of Fame inductees include:  

David Stern, former NBA Commissioner

Sarunas Marciulionis, European basketball pioneer; seven-year NBA veteran

Gary Williams, former University of Maryland head coach who led the Terps to the 2002 NCAA championship

Nolan Richardson, former University of Arkansas head coach who led the Razorbacks to three Final Four appearances, including the 1994 NCAA Championship

Nat Clifton, one of the first African-American players to sign an NBA contract; 1957 NBA All-Star

Guy Rogers, four-time NBA All-Star and two-time NBA assists leader

Bob Leonard, former head coach of the American Basketball Association’s Indiana Pacers

Immaculata University’s 1972-74 AIAW National Championship teams, the first women’s college team to play in a nationally televised game

The talent pool in this year’s NBA draft was the strongest in several years, and now that potential all stars like Andrew Wiggins and Jabari Parker have been assigned to professional squads the speculation as to how they will improve their respective teams has begun. Fans eager to watch the league’s rookies play will have a chance to do so a few months early, as NBA Digital will present the all 92 of the 2014 Summer League games across NBA TV, NBA.com and NBA Mobile.

All 25 Orlando Pro Summer League games, which take place from July 5 to July 11 at the Orlando Magic’s practice facility at Amway Center, will be shown across the three platforms. The 67 Samsung NBA Summer League 2014 games, which take place from July 11 to July 21, will play out at the Thomas & Mack Center and Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas.

All told, NBA TV will air 60 of the summer league contests from the two venues. . 

The league semifinals take place on July 20 at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m., with the final game airing July 21 at 9 p.m.