TNT/NBA Set Plans for All-Star Weekend

FROM THE EXPRESS TIMES

TNT has taken the wraps off its plans to cover the 2012 NBA All-Star Game from Orlando.

TNT will have over 15 hours of coverage throughout the three day weekend beginning on Friday, February 24th.

Here is the schedule, from Turner Sports:

Friday, February 24

· TNT will have exclusive live coverage of the BBVA Rising Stars Challenge on Friday, Feb. 24, at 9 p.m. (ET). Barkley and O’Neal will serve as team general managers. Each squad consists of rookie and sophomore players who will be selected by Barkley and O’Neal in a special on-air draft on Feb. 16 on TNT.
· Kenny Smith will serve as the honorary commissioner of the game, while Kerr and Fratello serve as team coaches.
· Barkley and O’Neal, as well as players and coaches, will be mic’d during play to provide fans with insight, while Harlan, Smith and Sager will call the action from the broadcast booth and benches.

Saturday, February 25

NBA All-Star Saturday Night presented by State Farm returns to TNT on Saturday, Feb. 25, at 8 p.m. (ET).
The night consists of the Sprite Slam Dunk, Taco Bell Skills Challenge, Foot Locker Three-Point Contest and Haier Shooting Stars.
Kenny Smith will serve as the “Dunk MC” and join the announce team of Kevin Harlan (play-by-play), Reggie Miller and Mike Fratello (analysts) and Cheryl Miller (reporting) during the competition. Also calling the night’s action will be NBA TV analysts Dennis Scott and Steve Smith.

Sunday, February 26

NBA All-Star 2012 presented by Kia Motors grabs the spotlight live on TNT on Sunday, Feb. 26, at 6 p.m. (ET). TNT’s Marv Albert will be courtside to call the action, along with analysts Steve Kerr and Reggie Miller with David Aldridge and Craig Sager reporting from the sidelines.
The East squad will be led by Orlando’s hometown hero Dwight Howard, the Miami Heat’s LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, 2010-11 MVP Derrick Rose (Chicago Bulls) and Carmelo Anthony of the New York Knicks.
The West is led by the Lakers Kobe Bryant and Andrew Bynum, the Clippers dynamic duo of Chris Paul and Blake Griffin, as well as Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant.

NBA Digital will also be providing special coverage of all the action from Orlando.

During NBA All-Star, NBA TV will deliver fans more than 95 hours of dedicated All-Star programming including interviews with LeBron James, Dwight Howard, Blake Griffin and many other NBA All-Star participants, and an exclusive live presentation of NBA Commissioner David Stern’s All-Star press conference on Saturday (Feb. 25).

The league’s network also will provide fans with a special NBA Game Time: All-Star Sunday (4 pm ET), followed by live coverage of the Sprint Pre-Game Concert at NBA All-Star (5 pm ET). Throughout All-Star, NBA TV’s marquee roster of talent, including Shaquille O’Neal, Chris Webber, Steve Smith, Dennis Scott and Brent Barry, will be on site in Orlando providing fans with updates on NBA TV, NBA.com and via Twitter.

NBA.com will provide extended coverage of the activity in Orlando.

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