ESPN’s Coverage of the WNBA Finals Presented by YouTube TV Begins Friday, Oct. 2
- Top Seeds Las Vegas Aces and Seattle Storm Go Head to Head
- Ryan Ruocco, Rebecca Lobo and Holly Rowe on the Call; LaChina Robinson leads Halftime Report
ESPN’s coverage of the WNBA Finals Presented by YouTube TV begins Friday, Oct. 2, at 7 p.m., on ESPN2, for Game 1 of the best-of-five series featuring the Los Vegas Aces and the Seattle Storm. Ryan Ruocco and Rebecca Lobo will be on the call from ESPN’s Bristol, Conn. campus, while Holly Rowe continues her one-of-a-kind reporting from inside the Wubble in Bradenton, Fla. LaChina Robinson reprises her role as studio host, leading the Halftime Report Presented by State Farm for each game of the series. Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame Inductee Swin Cash will join Robinson as a guest analyst for Games 1 and 2. Games will be available across ABC, ESPN and ESPN2 and via the ESPN App.
ESPN will continue to provide unique angles during in-game coverage with its extensive camera offerings, including the addition of Above the Rim cameras. Expanded access provided throughout the WNBA Finals will include player interviews after the first and third quarters, a walk-off interview with the leading head coach going into halftime, referee audio on major calls throughout each game and mic’d coaches and players for every game.
This marks the fourth time in the past five seasons that the two teams with the best regular-season records will meet in the WNBA Finals. While the Las Vegas Aces and Seattle Storm each finished with 18-4 records, Las Vegas earned the No. 1 seed with a 2-0 mark in head-to-head competition. The Aces defeated the Storm, 82-74, on Aug. 22 and 86-84 on Sept. 13, the final day of the regular season. The five-game series pits the league’s No. 1 scoring offense against the No. 1 defense. Las Vegas scored a league-best 88.7 ppg in the regular season; Seattle allowed a league-low 76.0 ppg. Conversely, Seattle ranked No. 2 in scoring (87.5) and Las Vegas allowed the third fewest points per game (80.1).
Both Seattle’s and Las Vegas’s rosters are highlighted by multiple No. 1 overall WNBA draft picks. Seattle used the No. 1 selection on Sue Bird in 2002, on Jewell Loyd in 2015 and on Breanna Stewart in 2016. Las Vegas used the No. 1 pick on A’ja Wilson in 2018 and Jackie Young in 2019. The Seattle Storm looks to join the Minnesota Lynx and Houston Comets as the only teams in WNBA History to win four championships, having previously won the title in 2004, 2010 and 2018. This will be the first finals berth for the Las Vegas Aces since the team began play in Las Vegas in 2018. The team has only reached the finals once before, in 2008, when it was still located in San Antonio and known as the Silver Stars.
Wilson is looking to become the fifth straight league MVP to win a championship in the year she won the award. Wilson received 43 of 47 first-place votes and 458 total points from a national panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. Seattle’s Breanna Stewart, the 2018 MVP, finished in second place with 308 points (three first-place votes).
ESPN.com
ESPN.com will continue to track the WNBA Finals with commentary and analysis off each game of the series. Before the games tip off, Lobo and Robinson help break down the Las Vegas-Seattle matchup in a roundtable with ESPN.com’s Mechelle Voepel and Kevin Pelton.
2020 WNBA Finals Schedule
Date | Time (ET) | Game | Network |
Fri, Oct 2 | 7 p.m. | Seattle at Las Vegas | ESPN2 |
Sun, Oct 4 | 3 p.m. | Seattle at Las Vegas | ABC |
Tue, Oct 6 | 7 p.m. | Las Vegas at Seattle | ESPN |
Thu, Oct 8 | 7 p.m. | Las Vegas at Seattle* | ESPN2 |
Sun, Oct 11 | 3 p.m. | Seattle at Las Vegas* | ABC |
*If Necessary
Multiple NBA players have increased their popularity on social media due to successful oncourt performances during the NBA Restart. Below is a list of the Top 15 players who have gained the most social media followers across Instagram and Twitter among those who participated in the restart.
Five of the top 15 will compete in the NBA Finals presented by YouTube TV, tipping off tonight at 9 p.m. ET on ABC. LeBron James is at the No. 1 spot after seeing an increase of more than 4M followers during the restart while Miami Heat rookie and breakout star Tyler Herro has landed at No. 2 after seeing an increase of more than 790K followers.
The Top 15 Players by follower growth across Instagram and Twitter since the beginning of the NBA Restart (July 30):
Rank | Player | Followers Added |
1 | LeBron James | 4,186,928 |
2 | Tyler Herro | 792,955 |
3 | Damian Lillard | 728,655 |
4 | Luka Dončić | 694,382 |
5 | Jamal Murray | 475,285 |
6 | Jimmy Butler | 392,072 |
7 | Ja Morant | 363,988 |
8 | Anthony Davis | 357,805 |
9 | Giannis Antetokounmpo | 300,157 |
10 | Russell Westbrook | 289,771 |
11 | Lonzo Ball | 272,441 |
12 | Jayson Tatum | 209,647 |
13 | Devin Booker | 206,154 |
14 | Chris Paul | 196,516 |
15 | Kyle Kuzma | 188,633 |
The Top 5 Players by follower growth across Instagram and Twitter during the Conference Finals (Sept. 15-28):
- LeBron James +573K
- Tyler Herro +522K
- Jamal Murray +220K
- Anthony Davis +201K
- Jimmy Butler +141K
- Tyler Herro saw the biggest increase in followers added (+41%) among all players during the Conference Finals.
- Tyler Herro ranks second in followers added on Instagram since the NBA Restart tip-off. On July 30, Herro had 990K Instagram followers, and as of September 29, the number was 1.7M.
- LeBron James is first in followers added on Instagram. He began the NBA Restart with 69M Instagram followers and sits at 72.6M as of September 29.
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SUE BIRD AND SEATTLE STORM LEAD WNBA JERSEY AND MERCHANDISE SALES AHEAD OF
2020 WNBA FINALS PRESENTED BY YOUTUBE TV
– Orange WNBA Logo Hoodie Becomes Best-Selling WNBA Item Ever Across Fanatics’ Network of E-Commerce Site, Including WNBAStore.com –
NEW YORK, Oct. 2, 2020 – The Seattle Storm and 11-time WNBA All-Star Sue Bird captured the top spots on the WNBA’s Most Popular Team Merchandise and Jerseys lists, respectively, based on WNBAStore.com sales since the start of the 2020 regular season.
In addition to jersey and team merchandise sales, the league also announced that the orange WNBA logo hoodie was the most popular item this season across official online retail partner Fanatics’ network of e-commerce sites, including WNBAStore.com, and the best-selling WNBA item ever.
Rounding out the top five among most popular jerseys are the Phoenix Mercury’s Diana Taurasi (No. 2), the Los Angeles Sparks’ Candace Parker (No. 3), the New York Liberty’s Sabrina Ionescu (No. 4) and the Minnesota Lynx’s Maya Moore (No. 5).
The Storm landed atop the team merchandise list, jumping from No. 3 last season, followed by the Liberty at No. 2, the Sparks at No. 3, the Las Vegas Aces at No. 4 and the Lynx at No. 5.
Additional highlights:
- Bird tops the league’s most popular jerseys list for the first time in her career.
- WNBA rookies Ionescu (No. 4) and Satou Sabally (No. 10), as well as Chicago Sky’s Courtney Vandersloot (No. 9), make their debuts on the list.
The Storm and Aces will face off in the 2020 WNBA Finals presented by YouTube TV beginning with Game 1 of a five-game series tonight at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
Top 10 Most Popular WNBA Jerseys:
- Sue Bird, Seattle Storm
- Diana Taurasi, Phoenix Mercury
- Candace Parker, Los Angeles Sparks
- Sabrina Ionescu, New York Liberty
- Maya Moore, Minnesota Lynx
- A'ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces
- Breanna Stewart, Seattle Storm
- Elena Delle Donne, Washington Mystics
- Courtney Vandersloot, Chicago Sky
- Satou Sabally, Dallas Wings
Top 5 Most Popular Team Merchandise:
- Seattle Storm
- New York Liberty
- Los Angeles Sparks
- Las Vegas Aces
- Minnesota Lynx
NATIONAL BASKETBALL COACHES ASSOCIATION
PRESENTS THE 2020 CHUCK DALY LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD TO
NBA COACHING LIFER DEL HARRIS
NEW YORK, October 2, 2020—Del Harris, a highly successful NBA Coach for 32 seasons and one of the earliest contributors to the growth of basketball internationally, is the recipient of the 2020 Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award, the National Basketball Coaches Association announced today.
“Del Harris’ impact on basketball extends beyond the NBA and transcends national borders,” said Dallas Mavericks Head Coach and National Basketball Coaches Association President Rick Carlisle. “His success in both the NBA and international competition reflects a lifetime commitment to the global game. Del has been a trusted friend to the game of basketball for over 6 decades. Our sincerest congratulations to Del on this well-deserved and prestigious recognition.”
“It is truly a special honor to be recognized by fellow Coaches and to be added to the list of outstanding Coaches and men who have had the privilege of being recognized along with the great Chuck Daly,” said Del Harris. “Chuck was a master Coach who combined style with technical command, but beyond that was his ability to lead with a firm but soft hand, it seemed to me. He was a tough opponent, but a friend—we even lost money on an oil deal. Wasn’t funny at the time.
“Being honored by my peers is particularly meaningful to me because I coached in an era that many regard to be one with the highest level of the art. Most are in the Hall of Fame and/or have been honored similarly by the Coaches that coached in the 1970s and 1980s with a smaller number of teams. You had to go against a veteran, well-prepared team every game. There were no nights off against inexperienced Coaches; you could never expect to outsmart anyone. Players tended to stay on teams longer; divisional teams played one another many more times and that made up for less film availability as players and Coaches knew tendencies and strategized around it. Several great ones have gone on before, but the committee is full of those from that time that remain. Thanks to you all.
“These Coaches helped form the National Basketball Coaches Association. I was at the meeting when we voted to hire the late and great Michael Goldberg. Lenny Wilkens and several other veterans were leaders in this. We didn’t even have Coaches’ retirement benefits at the time. Now the NBCA, through the leadership of David Fogel and Coach Rick Carlisle, does so many great things as a result of those and succeeding Coaches and the lasting impact of Michael.
“I never imagined I could have been put in a position to be thanking you all for this Award. I didn’t work harder than everyone and I wasn’t smarter. But here I am, deeply thankful for the blessings that have been given me.”
Harris has been involved in basketball for over 61 years and has coached at every level—jr. high school, high school, small college, major college, NBA D (now G) League, ABA, NBA and over 400 FIBA games including the Olympics and two World Championships.
He began his collegiate coaching career in 1965 as Head Coach at Earlham College. In nine seasons he had a 175-70 record and led the Quakers to three conference championships and the 1971 NAIA tournament. It was while he was at Earlham that he made his first foray into international coaching. In 1969, Harris was invited to coach in the Superior League, Puerto Rico’s premier professional league where the majority of Coaches were NBA, ABA or NCAA veterans. He was the first and only Coach in league history to win three championships, and he compiled a 176-71 record in six summer seasons.
This success opened the ABA/NBA door and Harris was hired by Tom Nissalke to be his Assistant Coach with the Utah Stars, and then the Houston Rockets before he was named Head Coach of the Rockets in 1979.
Harris was an NBA Head Coach for 14 seasons for the Houston Rockets, Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers, forging a record of 556-457 (.549). In 1981 he led the Rockets to the franchise’s first ever championship series. When he won his 500th NBA game in 1997, he was just the 19th NBA Coach to reach that milestone and his 556 wins currently ranks 29th in NBA history. He was voted NBA Coach of the Year in 1995 in his first year with the Lakers. He was an Assistant Coach for 18 seasons and his teams averaged over 55 wins a year during his last 11 seasons as an assistant. Eight of Harris’ Assistant Coaches went on to become NBA Head Coaches and two others became NBA General Managers.
An author of numerous books on basketball which have been translated in five languages, Harris has coached five different national teams in FIBA competition. In 1974 he led Puerto Rico to a Silver Medal in the Copa Americas and the country’s first ever Gold Medal at the CentroBasket Championship (Caribbean and Central America). In 1994 he assisted Ken Shields with the Canadian national team at the World Championships. He was an assistant to Rudy Tomjanovich’s Bronze Medal winning Team USA at the World Championships in Greece in 1998. In 2004 Harris was the first foreign born Head Coach of the Chinese national team, leading their squad to their best ever finish at the Olympic Games. And in 2011 and 2012 he assisted John Calipari with the Dominican Republic’s national team, winning a Bronze Medal at the Copa Americas in 2011 and a Gold Medal at the 2012 CentroBasket Championships.
Harris was also the Head Coach of the Milwaukee Bucks for the inaugural McDonald’s Championship in 1987, beating a talent-laden Soviet national team in the championship game.
In 2019 Harris was honored by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame with the John Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award, the most prestigious award presented by the HOF outside of Enshrinement. He is a member of six Halls of Fame, including the NAIA HOF, Indiana Basketball HOF and Earlham College HOF. He has won numerous other awards, including the Naismith Foundation’s James Naismith Legacy Award in 2019, the NABC Lifetime International Award in 2017, the John Wooden “Keys to Life” Award in 2014 and the Jerry Colangelo Award for Leadership from Athletes in Action in 2010.
“Del Harris has been successful at every level of basketball and in every country in which he’s coached,” said David Fogel, National Basketball Coaches Association Executive Director. “He has done it with a quiet dignity, tremendous respect for the game and admiration of his fellow coaching competitors. This honor is well deserved.”
The National Basketball Coaches Association’s Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award honors the memory of Hall of Famer Chuck Daly, who over an outstanding NBA coaching career set a standard for integrity, competitive excellence and tireless promotion of NBA basketball. This year’s Award recognizes the extraordinary contributions Del Harris has made to the sport throughout his NBA career. Through building a body of work that has had a positive and powerful impact on the NBA coaching profession, Harris has embodied the high standards and leadership philosophies that Coach Daly brought to the game.
The National Basketball Coaches Association’s Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award recipient is selected annually by the Award Selection Committee, comprised of some of the most respected Coaches and basketball executives in the game, including Bernie Bickerstaff, Billy Cunningham, Joe Dumars, Phil Jackson, Gregg Popovich, Pat Riley, Donnie Walsh and Lenny Wilkens.
Prior recipients are Frank Layden (2019), Doug Moe (2018), Al Attles and Hubie Brown (2017), K.C. Jones and Jerry Sloan (2016), Dick Motta (2015), Bernie Bickerstaff (2014), Bill Fitch (2013), Pat Riley (2012), Lenny Wilkens (2011), Tex Winter and Jack Ramsay (2010) and Tommy Heinsohn (2009).
About the NBCA: The National Basketball Coaches Association (NBCA) is the labor association that represents basketball coaches in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Founded in 1976 by legendary Boston Celtics player and coach, Tommy Heinsohn, the NBCA consists of all NBA Head Coaches, Assistant Coaches and alumni, and works closely with the NBA on all matters that pertain to the coaching profession.
VINCE CARTER WINS 2019-20 NBA SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD
NEW YORK, Oct. 1, 2020 – NBA players have selected Vince Carter as the recipient of the 2019-20 NBA Sportsmanship Award, the NBA announced today.
Carter, who spent the 2019-20 season with the Atlanta Hawks, announced his retirement from the NBA in June after playing a league-record 22 seasons. He receives the Joe Dumars Trophy as the winner of the NBA Sportsmanship Award. Dumars, a two-time NBA champion and Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer, played 14 NBA seasons and won the inaugural Sportsmanship Award in the 1995-96 season.
Each NBA team nominated one of its players for the NBA Sportsmanship Award, which is designed to honor a player who best represents the ideals of sportsmanship on the court. From the list of 30 team nominees, a panel of league executives selected one finalist from each of the NBA’s six divisions. Current NBA players selected the winner from the list of six finalists, with more than 250 players submitting their votes through confidential balloting conducted by the league office.
In addition to Carter (Southeast Division), the other finalists were Oklahoma City Thunder center Steven Adams (Northwest), Sacramento Kings forward Harrison Barnes (Pacific), Detroit Pistons guard Langston Galloway (Central), Memphis Grizzlies guard Tyus Jones (Southwest) and Brooklyn Nets guard Garrett Temple (Atlantic).
Carter received 143 of 266 first-place votes and 2,520 total points in balloting of NBA players. Temple (1,746 points) and Adams (1,632 points) finished in second and third place, respectively. The six finalists were awarded 11 points for each first-place vote, nine points for each second-place vote, seven points for each third-place vote, five points for each fourth-place vote, three points for each fifth-place vote and one point for each sixth-place vote.
During his 22-year career, Carter earned eight NBA All-Star selections, was named to the All-NBA Team twice and won the 1998-99 Kia NBA Rookie of the Year Award. He also received the 2015-16 Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award, which honors selfless play, on- and off-court leadership as a mentor and role model to other NBA players, and commitment and dedication to team.
Carter, 43, has played the third-most games in NBA history (1,541) and is the only player to appear in a game in four different decades. He ranks 19th on the NBA’s all-time points list (25,728) and sixth in three-pointers made (2,290).
Below are the voting totals for the 2019-20 NBA Sportsmanship Award and the all-time list of winners.
VOTING RESULTS: 2019-20 NBA SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD | ||||||||||||||||||
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Player (Team) | 1st Place Votes (11 Points) | 2nd Place Votes (9 Points) | 3rd Place Votes (7 Points) | 4th Place Votes (5 Points) | 5th Place Votes (3 Points) | 6th Place Votes (1 Point) | Total | |||||||||||
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Vince Carter (Atlanta) | 143 | 70 | 34 | 13 | 4 | 2 | 2,520 | |||||||||||
Garrett Temple (Brooklyn) | 22 | 78 | 63 | 52 | 25 | 26 | 1,746 | |||||||||||
Steven Adams (Oklahoma City) | 34 | 57 | 41 | 52 | 58 | 24 | 1,632 | |||||||||||
Harrison Barnes (Sacramento) | 24 | 25 | 75 | 48 | 35 | 59 | 1,418 | |||||||||||
Langston Galloway (Detroit) | 23 | 22 | 29 | 60 | 79 | 53 | 1,244 | |||||||||||
Tyus Jones (Memphis) | 20 | 14 | 24 | 41 | 65 | 102 | 1,016 | |||||||||||
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NBA ANNOUNCES OFFICIALS FOR THE NBA FINALS 2020
NEW YORK, Sept. 30, 2020 – The NBA today announced the list of 12 referees who will officiate the NBA Finals 2020 presented by YouTube TV. The championship series between the Miami Heat and Los Angeles Lakers tips off on Wednesday, Sept. 30 at 9 p.m. ET on ABC.
“Congratulations to this outstanding group on a well-deserved honor. A Finals assignment is the pinnacle of the profession for our officials,” said Byron Spruell, NBA President, League Operations. “We are grateful for their dedication to the game and the sacrifices they have made during an unprecedented season.”
Finals officials were selected by the NBA Referee Operations management team based on their performance throughout the first three rounds of the 2020 playoffs. Officials were evaluated after each round to determine advancement in this year’s postseason.
The 12 referees assigned to The Finals are below:
Tony Brothers (9th Finals) | Pat Fraher (1st) |
Tony Brown (1st) | John Goble (4th) |
James Capers (9th) | David Guthrie (3rd) |
Marc Davis (9th) | Eric Lewis (2nd) |
Kane Fitzgerald (2nd) | Josh Tiven (1st) |
Scott Foster (13th) | Zach Zarba (7th) |
Three of the 12 have officiated at least 10 Finals games: Foster (19), Davis (12) and Capers (10). The officiating roster also includes three first-time Finals referees, Tony Brown, Pat Fraher and Josh Tiven.
NBA officials Courtney Kirkland and Kevin Scott have been assigned as Replay Center officials for The Finals 2020.
Individual game assignments for referees are posted at NBA.com/official at approximately 9 a.m. ET each game day.
Tonight, the NBA will host a special group of fans in virtual courtside seats for Game 1 of the 2020 NBA Finals presented by YouTube TV between the Miami Heat and Los Angeles Lakers on ABC at 9 p.m. ET.
The NBA Virtual Fan Experience will feature 40 first-time poll workers, a group of NBA Champions and other special guests, including ABC Good Morning America’s Emmy Award-winning anchor Robin Roberts. All guests will appear live in the “Michelob ULTRA Courtside” virtual fan seats on 17-foot video boards surrounding the new Finals’ court, with the chance to digitally interact with each other during the first game of this historic series.
This virtual fan activation is part of the league’s collective efforts to promote greater civic engagement. Recently, the NBA launched Vote.NBA.com, a new online hub connecting fans with non-partisan voting and Census completion resources. In addition, NBA players are wearing warm-up shirts displaying “VOTE” for the remainder of the NBA Finals.
- The first-time poll workers who will enjoy this unique experience were identified by More Than a Vote – founded by LA’s LeBron James, Miami’s Udonis Haslem and other athletes – as part of their “We Got Next Campaign” with Power the Polls and NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc, which aims to recruit young people to serve as poll workers during the 2020 general election. The NBA has aired the We Got Next spot throughout Playoffs and Finals to help drive recruitment, and since its launch on Sept. 17, We Got Next has recruited over 10,000 people to serve as poll workers across the country.
- Joining the poll workers will be a group of NBA Champions ranging from NBA Legends like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Julius Erving to recent players and champions like Dirk Nowitzki and Dwyane Wade.
Tune in to ABC at 9 p.m. ET to see what other special guests will join! #NBAFinals #WholeNewGame
NBA Champions:
· Bill Walton
· Clyde Drexler
· Dirk Nowitzki
· Dwyane Wade
· Isiah Thomas
· James Worthy
· Julius Erving
· Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
· Manu Ginobili
· Pau Gasol
· Ray Allen
· Robert Horry
· Robert Parish
· Shaquille O’Neal
· Chauncey Billups
· Paul Pierce
LEBRON JAMES AND LOS ANGELES LAKERS LEAD NBA’S MOST POPULAR JERSEY AND TEAM MERCHANDISE LISTS
DURING NBA RESTART
NEW YORK, Sept. 30, 2020 – The National Basketball Association (NBA) and National Basketball Players Association today jointly announced that LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers secured the top spots on the NBA’s Most Popular Jersey and Team Merchandise lists during the 2020 NBA Restart. Results are based on NBAStore.com sales from July 30 through Sept. 28.
The Dallas Mavericks’ Luka Dončić ranked No. 2 on the player list, followed by the Lakers’ Anthony Davis (No. 3), the Boston Celtics’ Jayson Tatum (No. 4) and the Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo (No. 5).
On the team merchandise list, the Lakers are followed by the Celtics (No. 2), Chicago Bulls (No. 3), Miami Heat (No. 4) and Golden State Warriors (No. 5).
Additional highlights:
· Dončić (No. 2), who made a game-winning shot and averaged 31 points in his first career playoff series, earns his highest ranking to date.
· Miami’s Jimmy Butler (No. 10) returns to the most popular jerseys list for the first time since the 2018-19 regular season.
· The Heat (No. 4) cracks the top five in team merchandise sales for the first time since 2014, which followed Miami’s last appearance in the NBA Finals.
· 2019-20 Kia NBA Rookie of the Year Ja Morant (No. 15) of the Memphis Grizzlies makes his debut on the most popular jerseys list.
The Lakers and Heat will face off in the NBA Finals 2020 presented by YouTube TV beginning tonight at 9 p.m. ET on ABC.
Top 15 Most Popular NBA Jerseys:
1. LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers
2. Luka Dončić, Dallas Mavericks
3. Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers
4. Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics
5. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks
6. Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
7. Kevin Durant, Brooklyn Nets
8. Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers
9. Kawhi Leonard, LA Clippers
10. Jimmy Butler, Miami Heat
11. Kemba Walker, Boston Celtics
12. Kyrie Irving, Brooklyn Nets
13. Russell Westbrook, Houston Rockets
14. Nikola Jokić, Denver Nuggets
15. Ja Morant, Memphis Grizzlies
Top 10 Most Popular Team Merchandise:
1. Los Angeles Lakers
2. Boston Celtics
3. Chicago Bulls
4. Miami Heat
5. Golden State Warriors
6. Toronto Raptors
7. Dallas Mavericks
8. Milwaukee Bucks
9. Portland Trail Blazers
10. Denver Nuggets
The NBA has officially unveiled the Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat team outfitting schedule for the NBA Finals 2020 presented by YouTube TV.
Through LockerVision.nba.com, fans can get an advanced look into the locker rooms for each NBA Finals game. The portal outlines the NBA Finals schedule, Nike uniform Edition and coordinated oncourt accessories players will wear in Orlando starting tomorrow. See below for a preview of the Game 1 oncourt looks.
The 2020 NBA Finals presented by YouTube TV tips off on Wednesday, Sept. 30, at 9:00 p.m. ET on ABC.
A WHOLE NEW FINALS: NBA RESTART BY THE NUMBERS
– NBA Finals to Be Played at a Single Location for First Time in League’s 74-Year History –
ORLANDO, Sept. 29, 2020 – The Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat and the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers will tip off the NBA Finals 2020 presented by YouTube TV on Wednesday, Sept. 30 at 9 p.m. ET on ABC and ESPN Radio in the United States. The NBA Finals will reach fans live in 215 countries and territories in 48 languages.
Here is a by-the-numbers look at the NBA Restart and NBA Finals 2020 presented by YouTube TV.
Miami Heat vs. Los Angeles Lakers
- 4 – Miami is seeking its fourth NBA championship.
- 5 – The Heat is the first fifth seed to reach the NBA Finals since the current playoff format was implemented in the 1983-84 season.
- 10 – Miami and Los Angeles both finished in 10th place in their respective conferences last season, making this the first NBA Finals to feature two teams that did not qualify for the playoffs the previous season.
- 17 – The Lakers are trying to win their 17th NBA championship, which would tie the Boston Celtics for the most in league history.
Players, Coaches and Executives
- 4 – Heat President Pat Riley coached the Lakers to four NBA championships during the 1980s.
- 5 – Miami’s Erik Spoelstra is making his fifth NBA Finals appearance as a head coach.
- 10 – LeBron James will play in his 10th NBA Finals, joining Bill Russell (12), Sam Jones (11) and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (10) as the only players with 10 or more appearances.
- 15 – Fifteen players competing in this season’s NBA Finals have played in the NBA G League, including six Lakers and nine members of the Heat.
- 29.6 – Los Angeles’ Anthony Davis is averaging 29.6 points in his playoff career. Only two players have a higher playoff scoring average (minimum 25 games): Michael Jordan (33.4 ppg) and Allen Iverson (29.7 ppg).
- 2000 – Miami rookie Tyler Herro will be the first player born in the 2000s to play in the NBA Finals.
The NBA Campus at Disney
- 3 – Three hotels at Walt Disney World have been used to house players, coaches, team basketball staffs, media, broadcasters and league personnel living in the Orlando campus.
- 12/85 – Both the Lakers and Heat are now in their 12th week living at the Gran Destino Tower at Coronado Springs. Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Sept. 30 marks the 85th consecutive day on campus for both teams.
- 22 – Twenty-two NBA teams assembled in Florida to complete the 2019-20 season.
- 115 – More than 115 vehicles have been used to transport players, coaches, referees, support staff, venue operators, media and network television personnel throughout the campus.
- 150/100 – Close to 150 NBA personnel who work across various departments have each been living on campus for more than 100 days.
- 525 – There have been more than 525 fishing excursions booked on campus.
- 700 – On average 700 packages arrive daily on campus to the 28,300 square-foot distribution warehouse at Coronado Springs, including a one-day record of nearly 1,200 packages.
- 1,800 – According to league sources, there have been more than 1,800 pickleball games played on the NBA campus at Disney.
- 3,600 – The NBA has conducted more than 3,600 Zoom media availability sessions, streaming nearly 1.9 million minutes of player and coach interviews.
- 106,000 – 106,000 room nights at Walt Disney World during the restart.
ESPN Wide World of Sports
- 7 – The NBA campus featured seven practice facilities, which included state-of-the-art weight rooms and training facilities, as well as courts provided by the Heat, Indiana Pacers and Orlando Magic.
- 30 – Beginning on June 22 until the first scrimmage was held on July 22, it took 30 days to assemble the game and practice courts.
- 66 – ESPN Wide World of Sports basketball arenas feature 66 microphones strategically placed around the game venues, both under and around the playing court.
- 92 – There are 92 family members who will be in attendance to watch their loved ones compete at AdventHealth Arena, where all the NBA Finals games will be played.
- 145 – ABC, TNT, ESPN and NBA TV have combined to televise 145 games (16 scrimmages + 52 seeding games + 77 playoff games) throughout the U.S. since play resumed.
- 199 – ESPN Wide World of Sports has hosted 199 games since play resumed.
- 320 – There will be 320 virtual fans watching each Finals game from home, seen inside the arena as part of Michelob ULTRA Courtside.
- 805 – The NBA campus has hosted 805 practices since training camp began on July 9.
- 1,120 – NBA national and regional partners in the U.S. have presented 1,120 hours of televised games over 428 telecasts.
- 4,627 – NBA game and practice facilities include 4,627 hardwood panels.
- 16,780 – Fourteen semi-trucks drove 16,780 miles to deliver all basketball floors to Orlando.
- 583,000 – The total weight of the courts on campus added up to 583,000 pounds.
NBA Finals Broadcast in the United States
- 1 – Doris Burke will become the first woman to serve as a game analyst for the NBA Finals on any platform when she joins play-by-play voice Marc Kestecher and analyst P.J. Carlesimo for ESPN Radio’s coverage.
- 1 – Rachel Nichols will serve as the NBA Finals sideline reporter for the first time during ABC’s coverage.
- 12 – ABC/ESPN’s broadcast team of Mike Breen, Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson will work The Finals together for the 12th time.
o Jackson has made the most appearances for an African-American game analyst for any major North American sports championship event.
- 14 – Jeff Van Gundy will provide analysis for his 14th consecutive NBA Finals, which is the most for a television analyst covering the event.
- 15 – Mike Breen will call his 15th straight NBA Finals – the most of any NBA play-by-play commentator.
- 18 – ESPN will produce The Finals on ABC for the 18th consecutive year.
- 18 – NBA TV’s Finals analysts – Charles Barkley, Kevin McHale, Shaquille O’Neal, Kenny Smith, Steve Smith and Isiah Thomas – made 18 combined NBA Finals appearances during their playing careers.
o NBA legends Grant Hill and Chris Webber will round out NBA TV’s Finals team for Turner Sports.
NBA Finals Around the World
- 5 – There are a combined five international players on NBA Finals rosters: Kyle Alexander (MIA; Canada), Kostas Antetokounmpo (LAL; Greece; BWB Africa 2015), Goran Dragić (MIA; Slovenia), Kelly Olynyk (MIA; Canada; BWB Americas 2009), Chris Silva (MIA; Gabon)
- 66 – Sixty-six international media members from 23 countries and territories have participated in NBA player Zoom media calls since the start of the NBA Playoffs.
- 215/48 – The NBA Finals will reach fans in 215 countries and territories in 48 languages on their televisions, computers, mobile phones and tablets.
#NBATogether
- 61 – To date, the NBA, together with players, the Orlando Magic and Disney, have donated 61 pallets of beverages, snacks, apparel and sporting goods following team departures from campus to local non-profit organizations and school districts serving the greater Orlando community.
NBA Social Media
- 3,000,000 – More than three million followers have been added across @NBA social accounts since July 1.
- 5,300,000,000 – Since the season restart on July 30, NBA social channels have generated more 5.3 billion video views.
The NBA unveiled its new court design ahead of the 2020 NBA Finals Presented by YouTube TV.
New design elements include the addition of the 2020 NBA Finals Presented by YouTube TV logo at center court as well as the iconic Walt Disney World script written outside opposing lane lines on each side of the court. The baselines are also adorned with artwork of the Larry O’Brien Trophy in red and blue, respectively.
The court design is available to view and download here and can also be accessed through NBA LockerVision later today.
The 2020 NBA Finals Presented by YouTube TV tips off on Wednesday, Sept. 30, at 9:00 p.m. ET on ABC.
