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The defending NBA champion
Detroit Pistons tip off the
NBA's "Basketball New Year" as part of Premiere Week on Tuesday, November
2 at 8 pm ET when they host the Houston Rockets at the Palace of Auburn
Hills on opening night of the league's 59th season.
TNT's coverage of the
Rockets-Pistons game, highlighted by the ring ceremony for the 2004 NBA
champions and Tracy McGrady's regular-season debut with Houston,
is the first of Premiere Week's 11 nationally televised games, including
four straight nights of doubleheaders.
The second game of the opening night doubleheader on TNT features the
Denver Nuggets and the Los Angeles Lakers from STAPLES Center at 10:30 pm
ET as Turner Sports begins its 21st season of NBA game coverage.
ESPN's game coverage begins on Wednesday, November 3 with a
doubleheader headlined by Shaquille O'Neal's first game with the Miami
Heat as they visit the New Jersey Nets at 8 pm ET. Coverage continues on
ESPN at 10:30 pm ET as the Lakers take on the Utah Jazz at the Delta
Center.
On Thursday, November 4, TNT presents a doubleheader featuring 2003-04
Rookie of the Year LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers taking on the
Heat at AmericanAirlines Arena at 8 pm ET. The Nuggets and Timberwolves
contest follows on TNT at 10:30 pm ET as Denver looks to avenge last
year's playoff defeat to
reigning NBA MVP Kevin Garnett and his Minnesota teammates.
Premiere Week continues on
Friday, November 5 with ESPN's doubleheader featuring the Memphis
Grizzlies playing host to Houston at 8 pm ET in their new arena,
FedExForum. ESPN's second game of the night showcases the Lakers and the
San Antonio Spurs from STAPLES Center at 10:30 pm ET.
NBA TV's first game of the season will feature Sacramento at Houston on
Saturday, November 6 at 8:30 pm ET. Premiere Week coverage continues with
San Antonio at Seattle on Sunday, November 7 at 8 pm ET on NBA TV and
concludes with Detroit visiting the L.A. Clippers on Monday, November 8 at
10:30 pm ET on NBA TV.
ABC tips off its NBA game coverage with a Christmas Day match featuring
Shaquille O'Neal's highly anticipated return to Los Angeles as the Heat
visit the Lakers at 3 pm ET. The ABC national television schedule consists
of 18 regular-season game broadcasts, including five weekends of regional
coverage.
For the first time ever, the NBA schedule features a weeklong series of
games that highlight regional contests, divisional games and historic
playoff matchups as part of Rivalry Week, which runs from Tuesday, Feb. 22
through Wednesday, March 2.
NBA programming currently is seen in 212 countries around the world in
42 languages reaching a global audience of more than 750 million
households.
(Agencies) | 
Updated: 2004-08-03 11:25
