At the end of his press conference before Game 1 of the NBA Finals, league commissioner Adam Silver took a few moments to recognize the NBA’s longtime and now former media partner, Turner Sports.
After answering questions from the assembled media, Silver closed his press conference by sharing his “appreciation and gratitude” to Turner Sports.
“They were our partners for 41 years,” Silver said. “I was with the league for 33 of those 41 years. Their coverage has been fantastic. And it’s not just the on-air talent. I want to share my appreciation and thanks with the literally hundreds, probably over the 41 years, thousands of people who’ve worked on NBA production, wish them well and make sure we acknowledge them — since this past weekend, they went off the air.”
The Indiana Pacers series-clinching win over the New York Knicks in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals was TNT’s last NBA game for the foreseeable future. Indiana coach Rick Carlisle made a point to pay tribute to TNT Sports (and specifically Ernie Johnson) during the trophy presentation ceremony. Shortly thereafter, the announce team of Kevin Harlan, Stan Van Gundy, Reggie Miller and Allie LaForce had an emotional sign-off.
Of course, while TNT will no longer air the NBA, its longtime studio show, Inside the NBA, will continue. It will be produced by Turner but aired on ESPN, which has been a source of concern.
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