Veteran NBA head coaches and returning ESPN analysts George Karl and Avery Johnson will make their season debuts on Monday, Oct. 21, at 7 p.m. ET for the ESPN The Magazine: NBA Preview Show on ESPN2. Karl and Johnson will join host Jonathan “The Coach” Coachman to provide predictions and analyze key NBA storylines in advance of the new season.
The coaches’ roundtable will debate and discuss the career of reigning NBA MVP LeBron James and ESPN NBA Insider Chris Broussard will share insights from his sit-down interview with James for ESPN The Magazine. ESPN The Magazine’s NBA Preview edition is scheduled to hit newsstands on Friday, Oct. 18.
Additionally, the show will examine high profile stars on new teams including Dwight Howard, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett, as well as the challenges faced by rookie Brooklyn Nets head coach Jason Kidd. Analytics and hot charts from The Mag and the “posterized” photo of James’ iconic dunk over Utah Jazz point guard John Lucas III will also be incorporated in the show.
ESPN’s NBA season tips off Friday, Nov. 1, when the Brooklyn Nets – led by Pierce and Garnett – host the defending champion Miami Heat with James and Dwyane Wade at 8 p.m. followed by the defending Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs and Tony Parker facing the Los Angeles Lakers and Pau Gasol at 10:30 p.m. ESPN will also televise an NBA preseason doubleheader on Wednesday, Oct. 23, with the Nets visiting the Boston Celtics at 7 p.m. and the Chicago Bulls meeting the Oklahoma City Thunder at 9:30 p.m.
Source: ESPN press release, 10/17/13
