NBA on CBS
This article needs additional citations for verification. (February 2012) |
NBA on CBS | |
---|---|
Multi-camera | |
Running time | 150 minutes or until end of game |
Production company | CBS Sports |
Original release | |
Network | CBS |
Release | October 20, 1973 June 14, 1990 | –
Related | |
The NBA on CBS is the branding that is used for weekly broadcasts of National Basketball Association (NBA) games produced by CBS Sports, the sports division of the CBS television network in the United States. CBS aired NBA games from the 1973–74 NBA season (when it succeeded ABC Sports as the national broadcaster of the NBA) until the 1989–90 NBA season (when CBS was succeeded by NBC Sports).[1][2][3][4][5]
History
Early presentation
In the early 1970s, the CBS television network aired American Basketball Association (ABA) games, specifically league's annual All-Star Game[6]/selected playoff games.[7] Pat Summerall[8] served as the CBS analyst on some ABA games alongside Don Criqui[9] on play-by-play. Game 5 of the 1970 ABA Finals (Indiana vs. Los Angeles) was nationally televised by CBS[10] on Saturday, May 23 at 3 p.m. Eastern Time. The broadcast was, however, blacked out in Indiana. After that league's 1972–73 season, CBS lost its TV airing rights as they started airing NBA games in its 1973–74 season onward.
During CBS' first few years of covering the NBA, CBS was accused of mishandling their NBA telecasts.
The NBA eventually took notice of the criticisms and managed to persuade CBS to eliminate its original halftime show. In its place, came human-interest shows about the players (similar to the ones seen on the network's NFL pre-game The NFL Today). There also was a possibility that CBS would start televising a single national game on Sunday afternoons.
Other adjustments that CBS made in hopes of improving its coverage included hiring reporter
Sandy Grossman was the chief director of broadcasting NBA games on CBS during the early 1970s.[16] Grossmann innovated using music at the break of basketball games, and after he played "The Hustle" by Van McCoy, McCoy sent him a gold record in thanks of his promotion.[17]
ABC meanwhile, filled the void left by losing the NBA by counterprogramming Wide World of Sports on Sundays[18] against CBS' NBA coverage.[19]
Date | Teams | Time ( EST )
|
10/20/1973 | Atlanta @ Phoenix | |
10/27/1973 | Buffalo @ Cleveland | |
11/3/1973 | Capital @ Philadelphia | |
11/10/1973 | Kansas City-Omaha @ Milwaukee | |
11/17/1973 | Portland @ Houston | |
12/1/1973 | Seattle @ Atlanta | |
1/6/1974 | Phoenix @ Chicago | 2:30 |
1/13/1974 | Boston @ Atlanta | 12:30 |
1/20/1974 | Los Angeles @ Milwaukee | 2:30 |
1/27/1974 | New York @ Atlanta | 2:30 |
2/3/1974 | Capital @ Boston | 2:30 |
2/10/1974 | Los Angeles @ Chicago | 2:30 |
2/17/1974 | New York @ Milwaukee | 2:30 |
2/24/1974 | Milwaukee @ K.C.-Omaha | 2:30 |
3/3/1974 | New York @ Boston | 2:30 |
3/10/1974 | Los Angeles @ Boston | 2:30 |
3/17/1974 | Milwaukee @ Chicago | 2:30 |
3/24/1974 | Atlanta @ Capital | 3:00 |
3/31/1974 | New York @ Capital | 2:30 |
Pat Summerall worked the
Date | Teams | Time ( EST )
|
11/23/75 (regional telecasts) | Philadelphia @ Atlanta | 4 p.m. |
Milwaukee @ Seattle | ||
12/7/75 | Golden State @ Seattle | 4:30 p.m. |
12/21/75 | Los Angeles @ Cleveland | 4 p.m. |
1/11/76 (regional telecast) | Boston @ Philadelphia | 1:30 p.m. |
Detroit @ Kansas City | 1:30 ;p.m. | |
1/25/76 | Buffalo @ Boston | 1:30 p.m. |
Chicago @ Kansas City | 3:45 p.m. | |
2/1/76 | Washington @ Golden State | 3 p.m. |
2/3/76 | ALL-STAR GAME (in Philadelphia) | 9 p.m. |
2/8/76 | Buffalo @ Philadelphia | 1:30 p.m. |
2/15/76 | Los Angeles @ Washington | 1:30 p.m. |
2/22/76 - Double Header | Los Angeles @ Seattle | 1:30 p.m. |
Philadelphia @ Golden State | 4 p.m. | |
2/29/76 | Golden State @ Boston | 3 p.m. |
3/5/76 | Golden State @ Los Angeles | 11:45 p.m. tape delay |
3/7/76 (regional telecasts) | Milwaukee @ Kansas City | 3:30 p.m. |
New York @ Washington | ||
3/14/76 | Washington @ Boston | 3:30 |
3/21/76 | Houston @ Seattle | 3:30 |
3/28/76 | Buffalo @ Washington | 2 p.m. |
4/4/76 - Double Header | Buffalo @ Boston | 1:30 p.m. |
Philadelphia @ Detroit | 4 p.m. | |
4/11/76 - Double Header | Boston @ Washington | 1:30 p.m. |
Kansas City @ Buffalo | 4 p.m. |
In the 1975–76 season, CBS had asked the NBA to schedule both games on January 25, so they could choose which one to televise.
Slam dunk contest
During the
Date | Teams | Time ( EST )
|
12/25/76 | Chicago @ Kansas City | 12:45 p.m. |
1/9/77 | Los Angeles @ Detroit | noon. |
1/16/77 | New York @ Golden State | 4:00 (regional coverage) |
Denver @ Seattle | ||
1/23/77 | Seattle @ Phoenix | 4:45 p.m. |
1/30/77 | San Antonio @ Seattle | 4:45 p.m. |
2/6/1977 | Los Angeles @ Philadelphia | 1:45 p.m. |
2/6/77 | Denver @ Phoenix | 4 p.m. |
2/20/1977 | Los Angeles @ Washington | 1:45 p.m. |
Boston @ Golden State | 4 p.m. | |
2/27/77 | Philadelphia @ Seattle | 4:45 p.m. |
3/6/77 | Chicago @ Golden State | 3:45 p.m. |
3/13/77 | Washington @ Golden State | 3:45 p.m. |
3/20/77 | Portland @ Phoenix | 3:45 p.m. |
3/27/77 | Golden State @ Denver | 4:45 p.m. |
H-O-R-S-E Competition
During the
- Among the games aired this season included
- 10/28/1977 Philadelphia 76ers vs. Portland Trail Blazers 11:30 p.m.
- 12/25/1977 Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Boston Braves 12:40 p.m.
- 1/8/1978 (regional telecast) New Orleans Jazz vs Portland Trail Blazers 6:45 p.m.
- 1/8/1978 (regional telecast) Los Angeles Lakers vs Indiana Pacers 1:45 p.m.
- 1/8/1978 (regional telecast) Chicago Bulls vs Denver Nuggets 1:45 p.m.
- 1/8/1978 (regional telecast) Boston Celtics vs Philadelphia 76ers 1:45 p.m.
- 1/15/1978 (regional telecast) Portland Trail Blazers vs Boston Celtics 1 pm
- 1/22/1978 (regional telecast) New York Knicks vs Denver Nuggets
- 1/22/1978 (regional telecast) Detroit Pistons vs New Orleans Jazz
- 2/5/1978 The NBA All-Star Game 1:45 p.m.
- 2/12/1978 (regional telecast) New York Knicks vs New Jersey Nets
- 2/26/1978 (regional telecast) Milwaukee Bucks vs New Orleans Jazz
- 2/26/1978 (regional telecast) Portland Trail Blazers vs Chicago Bulls
- 3/5/1978 (regional telecast) New Orleans Jazz vs Detroit Pistons
- 3/5/1978 (regional telecast) New York Knicks vs Boston Celtics
- 3/19/1978 New York Knicks vs Philadelphia 76ers
- 3/26/1978 Portland Trail Blazers vs Philadelphia 76ers
- 4/2/1978 (regional telecast) New York Knicks vs Washington Bullets 1:45
- 4/8/1978 New York Knicks vs Buffalo Braves
- 4/9/1978 Buffalo Braves vs Boston Celtics
Tape delay and playoff scheduling
From
CBS did not want sportscasters to give the final score on the late-evening newscasts aired by its local affiliates. The network preferred the games to not be over by that time if they were going to be aired on tape later that night. Most CBS games were either 8:30 or 9 p.m. local starts. For instance, CBS aired Games 1–3 of the
Preemptions
Due to the NBA's lack of widespread popularity nationwide in the 1970s and early 1980s, the network tinkered with the league's schedule. However, individual CBS affiliates did as much tinkering, with many outright refusing to air NBA programming during much of CBS' partnership with the league.
All through the 1980s when CBS broadcast NBA basketball games on Sunday afternoons, those games were pretty much a no-show in
The ABC-owned or affiliated stations (WMAR, WCPO, and WTVD) now cleared all sports programming, including the NBA, in their partnership with the network.
Scheduling history overview
Game | Day | Date | Status |
1979 NBA Final | |||
1 | Sunday | May 20 | Live |
2 | Thursday | May 24 | Tape delay |
3 | Sunday | May 27 | Live |
4 | Tuesday | May 29 | Live to Eastern/Central zones, tape delay to Mountain/Pacific zones (11:30 p.m. Eastern Time start) |
5 | Friday | June 1 | Live (9 p.m. Eastern Time start) |
1980 Eastern Conference Final | |||
1 | Friday | April 18 | No broadcast |
2 | Sunday | April 20 | Live |
3 | Wednesday | April 23 | No broadcast |
4 | Thursday | April 24 | No broadcast |
5 | Sunday | April 27 | Live |
1980 Western Conference Final | |||
1 | Tuesday | April 22 | No broadcast |
2 | Wednesday | April 23 | Live to Eastern/Central zones, tape delay elsewhere |
3 | Friday | April 25 | Live to Eastern/Central zones, tape delay elsewhere |
4 | Sunday | April 27 | Live |
5 | Wednesday | April 30 | Live to Eastern/Central zones, tape delay elsewhere |
1980 NBA Final | |||
1 | Sunday | May 4 | Live |
2 | Wednesday | May 7 | Live to Eastern/Central zones, tape delay elsewhere |
3 | Saturday | May 10 | Live |
4 | Sunday | May 11 | Live |
5 | Wednesday | May 14 | Live to Eastern/Central zones, tape delay elsewhere |
6 | Friday | May 16 | Affiliates had choice to show live or tape delay |
1976
The
For Game 3 of the Finals, CBS forced the NBA to start the game in Phoenix at 10:30 a.m. local time (1:30 p.m. Eastern Time) on a Sunday morning. This was done to accommodate a golf telecast that afternoon. Many local clergymen were outraged, as attendance at Sunday church services was drastically reduced that day.
1977
By 1977, CBS' NBA schedule was composed of six regionalized telecasts on Sundays. Not only that, the network would air one national game if they felt that the match-up itself warranted national coverage. CBS also could stage doubleheaders and switch from a one-sided game to a close one. During this period, the network stopped airing any games during prime time before the NBA Finals. Instead, CBS started airing several West Coast games at 11:30 p.m. Eastern Time.
For most of the early years, the NBA tried to assist CBS by allowing the network to choose any game it wanted to broadcast. But too often, these involved smaller-market teams (such as the Portland Trail Blazers) that were in the playoffs or had won the championship.
CBS wanted the NBA to start Game 6 of the Finals at 10:30 local time on Sunday morning to accommodate a golf telecast of the Kemper Open (similar to 1976). This time, the NBA refused and CBS agreed to a noon start in Portland. Even though this was the Finals' clinching game, CBS cut away from its NBA coverage very quickly after the game ended, skipping the trophy presentation in the Trail Blazers' locker room to instead televise the golf tournament.
1978
By 1978,
1979
In 1979, Games 2 and 5 of the Eastern Conference finals were televised live, while Game 7 was broadcast on tape delay. Games 3 and 6 of the Western Conference finals aired live, while Games 2, 5, and 7 were televised via tape delay. Games 6 and 7 of the 1979 NBA Finals would have been televised live (at 3:30 p.m. on a Sunday and then 9 p.m. on the following Tuesday), but were unnecessary. However, Game 2 of the Finals was aired on tape delay while CBS affiliates in the DC area and the Pacific Northwest telecast the game live.
1980
By the
When it came time for CBS to broadcast Game 6 of the 1980 Finals (on Friday, May 16), the network gave its affiliates the option of either airing the game live or on tape delay (in fact, WAGA-TV[37] in Atlanta [home of the Hawks, and now a Fox owned-and-operated station] did not carry the NBA on CBS for numerous year and this game was no exception; ironically, thanks to an independent station picking it up, Atlanta was the only market outside of Philadelphia in the Eastern, Central and Mountain time zones to air it live). If the affiliate chose to air the game later that night, then the prime schedule would consist of reruns of The Incredible Hulk, The Dukes of Hazzard and Dallas (CBS, NBC and ABC ended the 1979–80 seasons in late March and early April in anticipation of a strike by the Screen Actors Guild, which came to fruition in July 1980). The clinching Game 6 of the 1980 Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and Philadelphia 76ers was, most notably, aired live in the Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Portland, Seattle and San Francisco markets; CBS stations in the latter three markets were able to air the game live and still show most of the CBS prime schedule since the game tipped at 6 p.m. Pacific Time. Otherwise, most CBS affiliates chose to air Game 6 on tape delay.
The reason for this scheduling dilemma was the fact that the NBA had opted to start the regular season earlier. Starting in the mid-1970s, the NBA had pushed back the start of the regular season, resulting in it ending increasingly later (for example, April 6 in 1975, April 11 in 1976). Before that, the regular season had always ended in late March. For the 1979–1980 and 1980–1981 seasons, the NBA reverted to the earlier practice, with the season ending respectively on March 30, 1980 and March 29, 1981 (both falling on a Sunday). That meant that the Finals in those years began in the first week of May rather than the end of May, and as a result, the weeknight games were played during May ratings sweeps.[38] Consequently, weeknight games held on the West Coast started at 8:30 p.m. Pacific Time, which was 11:30 p.m. in the Eastern Time Zone; those games could be shown live. However, non-West Coast weeknight games required tape-delay, to be shown at 11:30 p.m.
Date | Teams | Time ( EST )
|
10-12-79 (Friday) | Los Angeles Lakers vs. San Diego Clippers[39][40] | 11:30 p.m. (tape delayed) |
12-25-79 (Tuesday) | Philadelphia vs. Washington | 12:30 p.m. |
1-20-80 (Sunday) | Seattle vs. Boston[41] | Noon |
1-27-80 (Sunday) - regional action | Atlanta vs. San Antonio | 1 p.m. |
San Diego Clippers vs. Boston[42] | ||
2-3-80 (Sunday) | NBA All-Star Game @ Landover, MD (West vs East) | 1 p.m. |
2-10-80 (Sunday) | Los Angeles Lakers vs. Philadelphia | 1 p.m. |
2-17-80 (Sunday) | Boston vs. Seattle[43] | 3:45 pm |
2-24-80 (Sunday) - regional action | Milwaukee vs. Kansas City | 1 p.m. |
San Diego Clippers vs. Chicago | ||
3-2-80 (Sunday) - Double Header | Los Angeles Lakers vs. Phoenix | 1 p.m. |
Milwaukee vs. San Diego Clippers | 3:45 p.m. | |
3-9-80 (Sunday) | Philadelphia vs. San Antonio[44] | 1 p.m. |
3-16-80 (Sunday) - regional action | New York Knicks vs. Washington[45] | 2 p.m. |
Phoenix vs. Los Angeles Lakers | ||
Kansas City vs. Milwaukee | ||
3-21-80 (Friday) | Phoenix vs. Portland | 11:30 p.m. (tape delayed) |
3-23-80 (Sunday) | New York Knicks vs. Philadelphia | 1 p.m. |
3-28-80 (Friday) | San Diego vs. Los Angeles Lakers[46] | 11:30 p.m. (tape delayed) |
3-30-80 (Sunday) | Boston vs. Philadelphia | 1 p.m. |
1981
The 1980–1981 season was arguably the rock bottom point of the tape delay era for CBS. CBS aired four of the six
Date | Teams | Time ( EST )
|
10-10-80 (Friday) | Los Angeles Lakers vs. Seattle | 11:30 p.m. (tape delayed) |
12-25-80 (Thursday) | Boston vs. New York Knicks | 12:30 p.m. |
1-18-81 (Sunday) | Los Angeles Lakers vs. Boston | 1 p.m. |
1-25-81 (Sunday) - regional action | Phoenix vs. Philadelphia | 12 p.m. |
Seattle vs. Boston | ||
2-1-81 (Sunday) | NBA All-Star Game @ Cleveland (West vs East) | 1 p.m. |
2-8-81 (Sunday) | Los Angeles Lakers vs. Philadelphia | 1 p.m. |
2-22-81 (Sunday) - Double Header | Los Angeles Lakers vs. New York Knicks | 1 p.m. |
Philadelphia vs. Phoenix | 3:30 p.m. | |
3-1-81 (Sunday) - Double Header | Philadelphia vs. Boston | 1 p.m. |
Phoenix vs. Los Angeles Lakers | 3:30 p.m. | |
3-8-81 (Sunday) - regional action | Chicago vs. Washington | 1 p.m. |
Milwaukee vs. Philadelphia | ||
3-15-81 (Sunday) - regional action | Philadelphia vs. New York Knicks | 1 p.m. |
Chicago vs. Kansas City Kings | ||
3-22-81 (Sunday) | Boston vs. Philadelphia | 1 p.m. |
3-27-81 (Friday) | Los Angeles Lakers vs. Seattle | 11:30 p.m. (tape delayed) |
3-29-81 (Sunday) | Philadelphia vs. Boston | 1 p.m. |
Later years
The NBA responded to CBS' actions by returning to a schedule that started later – usually the last weekend in October – and ended in mid-to-late-April, resulting in the NBA Finals ending after sweeps. In the 1979–1980 and 1980–1981 seasons, the NBA had experimented with ending the regular season at the end of March, thereby ensuring that the Finals were played in early to mid May; starting with the 1981–1982 season, a late April regular-season finale was held, resulting in the finals starting in late May and stretching into June (for example, while the 1980 Finals were slated for May 4 to 18 if they went seven games, and the 1981 Finals for May 5–17, the 1982 Finals were scheduled for May 27 to June 10).
While CBS would stop tape delaying its game broadcasts after the
During the 1980s, CBS showed a mixture of NBA and
1981–82
CBS would reserve a
The '82 Finals marked the first time since 1978 that all of the games aired live in their entirety; As a compromise between CBS and the NBA, the season returned to late October after starting it in early October the previous two seasons, meaning that the championship series started after the conclusion of May sweeps. Also, Brent Musburger served as anchor for Game 1 in Philadelphia, but had to anchor Games 2 and 5 from New York, because he hosted CBS Sports Sunday. So anchoring the coverage in Musburger's absence were Frank Glieber (Games 2-4) and Pat O'Brien (Game 5).
Date | Teams | Time ( EST )
|
10-30-81 (Friday) | Houston vs. Los Angeles Lakers[47] | 11:30 p.m. (tape delayed) |
12-25-81 | Los Angeles Lakers vs. Phoenix | 3:30 p.m. |
1-17-82 (Sunday) | Philadelphia vs. New Jersey | 1 p.m. |
1-22-82 (Friday) | Detroit vs. Los Angeles Lakers | 11:30 p.m. (tape delayed) |
1-24-82 (Sunday) | Portland vs. Boston | noon. |
1-31-82 (Sunday) | NBA All-Star Game @ East Rutherford, NJ (West vs East) | 3 p.m. |
2-7-82 (Sunday) | Los Angeles Lakers vs. Boston | noon |
2-14-82 (Sunday) | Boston vs. Los Angeles Lakers | 3:45 p.m. |
2-21-82 (Sunday) | Phoenix vs. Philadelphia | 1 p.m. |
2-28-82 (Sunday) | Milwaukee vs. Boston | noon |
3-7-82 (Sunday) | Los Angeles Lakers vs. Philadelphia | 1 p.m. |
3-14-82 (Sunday) | Phoenix vs. Boston | 12 p.m. |
3-28-82 (Sunday) | Philadelphia vs. Boston | 2 p.m. |
4-2-82 (Friday) | San Antonio vs. Seattle | 11:30 p.m. (tape delayed) |
4-4-82 (Sunday) - Double Header | Houston vs. San Antonio | 1 p.m. |
Portland vs. Los Angeles Lakers | 3:30 p.m. | |
4-11-82 (Sunday) | Boston vs. Philadelphia | 1 p.m. |
4-16-82 (Friday) | Golden State vs. Los Angeles Lakers[48] | 11:30 p.m. (tape delayed) |
4-18-82 (Sunday) - Double Header | Milwaukee vs. Philadelphia | 1 p.m. |
Portland vs. Los Angeles Lakers | 3:30 p.m. |
1982–83
In the 1982–83 season, CBS significantly reduced the number of regular season broadcasts from 18 to four.[49] The rationale was that cable television networks (namely, the USA Network and ESPN) were carrying a large number of regular season games (at least 40 each). In return, CBS executives believed that the public was being oversaturated with NBA coverage.
CBS added two broadcasts in November near the end of the 1982 National Football League players' strike. The 57-day walkout ended on November 16, and games resumed five days later.
Date | Teams | Time ( EST )
|
11-7-82 (Sunday) | Seattle vs. Milwaukee | 3:30 p.m. |
11-14-82 (Sunday) | Washington vs. Philadelphia | 3:30 p.m. |
1-30-83 (Sunday) | Los Angeles Lakers @ Boston | 1 p.m. |
2-13-83 (Sunday) | NBA All-Star Game @ LA (East vs West) | 3:30 p.m. |
3-6-83 (Sunday) | Philadelphia vs. New Jersey | oon |
4-15-83 (Friday) | Seattle vs. Los Angeles Lakers | 11:30 p.m. (tape delayed) |
4-17-83 (Sunday) | Philadelphia vs. Boston | 1 p.m. |
1983–84
For the
Also, in 1984, CBS Sports' Lesley Visser (the then wife of lead NBA on CBS play-by-play announcer Dick Stockton) became the first woman to cover an NBA Finals.
Date | Teams | Time ( EST )
|
10-29-83 (Saturday) | San Antonio vs. Houston[50] | 3:45 p.m. |
12-25-83 (Sunday) | New Jersey Nets vs. New York Knicks[51] | 3:30 p.m. |
1-15-84 (Sunday) | Boston vs. Milwaukee | 1 p.m. |
1-29-84 (Sunday) | NBA All-Star Game @ Denver (East vs West) | 2 p.m. |
2-12-84 (Sunday) | Philadelphia vs. Boston | 3:30 p.m. |
2-26-84 (Sunday) | Los Angeles Lakers vs. Philadelphia | noon |
3-4-84 (Sunday) | Los Angeles Lakers vs. Detroit[52] | noon |
4-8-84 (Sunday) - Double Header | Philadelphia vs. New York Knicks | 1 p.m. |
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Portland | 3:30 p.m. |
1984–85
On May 12, 1985, during halftime of the Boston Celtics–Philadelphia 76ers playoff game, CBS televised the first NBA draft lottery.
Date | Teams | Time ( EST )
|
10-27-84 (Saturday) | Houston vs. Dallas[53] | 3:30 p.m. |
12-25-84 (Tuesday) | Detroit vs. Philadelphia | 3:30 p.m. |
1-13-85 (Sunday) | Los Angeles Lakers vs. Detroit[54] | noon |
1-20-85 (Sunday) | Boston vs. Philadelphia | 1 p.m. |
2-10-85 (Sunday) | NBA All-Star Game @ Indianapolis (West vs East) | 1:45 p.m. |
2-17-85 (Sunday) | Boston vs. Los Angeles Lakers[55] | 3:45 p.m. |
2-24-85 (Sunday) | Los Angeles Lakers vs. New York Knicks | noon |
4-7-85 (Sunday) - Double Header | New York Knicks vs. Boston | 1 p.m. |
Portland vs. Los Angeles Lakers | 3:30 p.m. |
1985–86
1986 was the last time CBS aired an
As was the case in 1985, Game 1 of the 1986 NBA Finals was on Memorial Day afternoon. Game 3 of the NBA Finals in Houston was played during the midst of an electrical storm that knocked the picture out for approximately the first six minutes of the fourth quarter. Although the video was already on the fritz towards the end of the third, CBS announcer Dick Stockton waited for nearly three minutes before adjusting to a radio play-by-play.
Date | Teams | Time ( EST )
|
10-26-85 (Saturday) | Philadelphia vs. New York Knicks | 1 p.m. |
12-25-85 (Wednesday) | Boston vs. New York Knicks[56] | 3:30 p.m. |
1-19-86 (Sunday) | Los Angeles Lakers vs. Detroit[57] | noon |
1-26-86 (Sunday) | Philadelphia vs. Boston[58] | noon |
2-9-86 (Sunday) | NBA All-Star Game @ Dallas (East vs West) | 1:45 p.m. |
2-16-86 (Sunday) | Boston vs. Los Angeles Lakers | 3:30 p.m. |
2-23-86 (Sunday) | Los Angeles Lakers vs. Philadelphia[59] | noon |
3-2-86 (Sunday) | Detroit vs. Boston | 2 p.m. |
3-9-86 (Sunday) | Indiana vs. Philadelphia | 1 p.m. |
4-6-86 (Sunday) - Double Header | Boston vs. Philadelphia | 1 p.m. |
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Houston | 3:30 p.m. |
1986–87
In
Also in 1987, the
Date | Teams | Time ( EST )
|
11-1-86 (Saturday) | Los Angeles Lakers vs. Houston | 3:30 p.m. |
12-25-86 (Thursday)
|
Chicago vs. New York Knicks[60][61] | noon |
1-18-87 (Sunday) | Houston vs. Boston[62] | noon |
1-24-87 (Saturday) | Los Angeles Lakers vs. Dallas[63] | 3:30 p.m. |
1-25-87 (Sunday) | Philadelphia vs. Boston | 1 p.m. |
2-1-87 (Sunday) | Houston vs. Atlanta[64] | 1 p.m. |
2-8-87 (Sunday) | NBA All Star Game @ Seattle (East vs. West) | 3 p.m. |
2-15-87 (Sunday) | Boston vs. Los Angeles Lakers[65] | 3:30 p.m. |
3-1-87 (Sunday) | Philadelphia vs. Houston[66] | 2 p.m. |
3-8-87 (Sunday) | Boston vs. Detroit | noon |
4-5-87 (Sunday) - Double Header | Boston vs. Philadelphia[67] | 1 p.m. |
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Denver[68] | 3:30 p.m. | |
4-19-87 (Sunday) | Atlanta vs. Boston | 1 p.m. |
1988–89
By the late 1980s, CBS was telecasting 15 or 16 regular season games
Meanwhile, many CBS affiliates on the West Coast (such as
Perhaps even more confusing, both Game 5 sites (
Date | Teams | Time ( EST )
|
11-26-88 (Saturday) | Los Angeles Lakers vs. Detroit | 8:30 p.m. |
12-25-88 (Sunday) | Los Angeles Lakers vs. Utah[70] | 3:30 p.m. |
1-15-89 (Sunday) | Boston vs. Chicago | 3:30 p.m. |
1-22-89 (Sunday) | Detroit vs. Boston | noon |
1-29-89 (Sunday) | Los Angeles Lakers vs. Dallas | 1 p.m. |
2-5-89 (Sunday) | Chicago vs. Detroit | 2 p.m. |
2-12-89 (Sunday) | NBA All-Star Game @ Houston (East vs. West) | 3:15 p.m. |
2-19-89 (Sunday) | Boston vs. Los Angeles Lakers | 3:30 p.m. |
2-20-89 (Monday) | Houston vs. Cleveland | 1:30 p.m. |
2-26-89 (Sunday) | Boston vs. New York Knicks | 2 p.m. |
3-5-89 (Sunday) | Los Angeles Lakers vs. Houston | 3:30 p.m. |
3-12-89 (Sunday) | Denver vs. Boston | noon |
4-2-89 (Sunday) | Boston vs. Cleveland | 1:30 p.m. |
4-9-89 (Sunday) | Chicago vs. Atlanta[71] | 12:30 p.m. |
4-16-89 (Sunday) | Chicago vs. Cleveland | 1 p.m. |
4-23-89 (Sunday) | Seattle vs. Los Angeles Lakers | 3:30 p.m. |
Resurgence of the NBA
Popular belief holds that the peak era of the NBA on CBS occurred from
Before the Bird/Magic era, CBS used to televise approximately five to seven games regionally per week in a doubleheader format (1:45 and 4 p.m. Eastern Time) on Sundays.
Memorable moments
During its tenure as the NBA's broadcast network partner, CBS aired notable Finals series between the
Ratings
In
CBS' NBA ratings were also extremely low during the early part of the 1980s. In 1980, the 26 share from 1976 had fallen to 18%. Ratings fell to a level where, as mentioned before, CBS began airing games on tape delay. The 1981 NBA Finals set the standard for futility, with an average rating of 6.7, the lowest in NBA history until the 2003 NBA Finals averaged a 6.5 on ABC.
With the rebirth of the
The end of The NBA on CBS
On November 9, 1989, the NBA and NBC reached an agreement on a four-year, US$600 million contract (beginning in the 1990–91 season).[72][73][74][75]
The NBA’s popularity was skyrocketing by the late 1980s and
From 1986 to its final year in 1990, CBS paid about US$47 million per year for the NBA broadcast contract. The final NBA game that CBS televised to date was Game 5 of the
As the soundtrack for their goodbye montage, CBS used "
The network broadcast all five NBA Finals involving Larry Bird, all four NBA Finals involving Julius Erving, nine of the ten involving Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (the 1971 NBA Finals were on ABC), and eight of the nine NBA Finals involving Magic Johnson (the following year's Finals were Johnson's last, Michael Jordan's first, and the first to be broadcast by NBC).[77]
Before the closing montage, the network's final NBA game broadcast ended with this sign-off by Dick Stockton:
Well, I guess now the time has come. This is our last game as many of you may know. And it's really the end of a 17-year love affair between CBS and the NBA. For every member of our broadcast team and I mean technicians, and cameramen, production people, the terrifically talented folks in the truck, where it all happens, and of course...the commentators, this has been an extraordinary experience. We've witnessed the careers of Julius Erving, and Larry Bird, and Magic Johnson. We've seen Michael Jordan take flight. All the players actually...fired the imagination not only for an entire generation of NBA fans but for all of us at CBS. We know we leave the NBA in good hands. But to
David Robinson, to all the players, coaches...and you the viewers, we're going to miss all of you. So long!
1989-90 regular season
Date | Teams | Time ( EST )
|
11-25-89 (Saturday) | Chicago vs. Golden State | 3:30 p.m. |
12-25-89 (Monday) | Cleveland vs. Atlanta | 3:30 p.m. |
1-21-90 (Sunday) - Double Header | Los Angeles Lakers vs. Boston[78] | noon |
New York Knicks vs. Chicago[79] | 2:30 p.m. | |
1-28-90 (Sunday) | Phoenix vs. Boston | 12:30 p.m. |
2-4-90 (Sunday) | Utah vs. Detroit | 1 p.m. |
2-11-90 (Sunday) | NBA All-Star Game at Miami (West vs East) | 3 p.m. |
2-18-90 (Sunday) | Boston vs. Los Angeles Lakers | 3:30 p.m. |
2-19-90 (Monday) | Houston vs. Chicago | 1:30 p.m. |
2-25-90 (Sunday) | Detroit vs. New York Knicks[80] | noon |
3-4-90 (Sunday) | Chicago vs. Boston | 2 p.m. |
3-11-90 (Sunday) | Los Angeles Lakers vs. Atlanta | noon |
4-1-90 (Sunday) | Utah vs. Los Angeles Lakers | 3:30 p.m. |
4-8-90 (Sunday) | Detroit vs. Cleveland | noon |
4-15-90 (Sunday) | New York Knicks vs. Boston[81] | 1 p.m. |
4-22-90 (Sunday) | Boston vs. Philadelphia | 1 p.m. |
Future
In May 2007, the NBA renewed its television contract with ESPN, making ABC the broadcast television home of the NBA through 2016. On October 6, 2014, ESPN and the NBA renewed their agreement through 2025.[82][83] CBS has implied that it is unlikely to bid on further sports rights beyond those it already holds, including the NBA, because of the extensive investment it has made into its existing sports portfolio (especially college basketball).[84][85]
On August 30, 2012, the CBS Sports Network signed a deal with the NBA Development League to televise 12 regular games, as well as the 2013 NBA D-League Playoffs and Finals.[86] On April 22, 2019, CBS Sports Network signed a deal with the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) to televise 40 regular season games.[87]
Announcers
Brent Musburger
Musburger was involved in every NBA Finals (either as a play-by-play announcer or as a host) from
Dick Stockton
Dick Stockton
Stockton would call the NBA Finals through the rest of the 1980s and in
Other personalities
CBS employed many NBA greats during its 17 years as the lead network carrier; Bill Russell was an analyst for several years, mainly in the 1970s and early 1980s. Elgin Baylor was an analyst during CBS' inaugural year in 1973–1974, and was fired during that year's playoffs due to what CBS considered a lackluster performance. He was replaced by another NBA great, Rick Barry,[91] who held a fairly consistent role with CBS through the 1970s and early 1980s, including calling several NBA Finals. Steve "Snapper" Jones, best known from the NBA on NBC, was part of CBS' broadcast teams, partnering with Don Criqui in 1975–1976 and 1976–1977.
During Game 5 of the 1981 NBA Finals, CBS posted an old photo of Bill Russell, who was on the announcing team with Gary Bender and Rick Barry, on the 1956 Olympic team. Bender asked Barry, "Who do you think that is in the picture?" Barry answered:
I don't know, it looks like some fool with that big watermelon grin back there![92][93][94]
Some considered Barry's comments to be racially insensitive. Barry was adamant that they were taken out of context, but CBS did not renew his contract for the subsequent season. Russell stayed on with new play-by-play announcer Dick Stockton for two seasons before giving way to former Celtics teammate Tom Heinsohn[95] for the 1983–84 season.
CBS often used the same analysts for both the
As previously mentioned, during the
While Brent Musburger did host most of CBS' NBA Finals pregame and halftime programs,
List of broadcasters
|
|
Announcing teams
1981–1982
- Dick Stockton and Bill Russell
- Frank Glieber and Hubie Brown
- Jim Kelly and Doug Collins
- Eddie Doucette and Kevin Loughery[99]
1982–1983
|
1983–1984 |
1984–1985
|
1985–1986
|
Jim Nantz called three games for CBS, all regional telecasts. 1986–1987
|
1987–1988
|
1988–1989
|
1989–1990
|
Year | Play-by-Play | Color |
1990 | Dick Stockton | Hubie Brown |
1989 | Dick Stockton | Hubie Brown |
1988 | Dick Stockton | Billy Cunningham |
1987 | Dick Stockton | Tom Heinsohn |
1986 | Dick Stockton | Tom Heinsohn |
1985 | Dick Stockton | Tom Heinsohn |
1984 | Dick Stockton | Tom Heinsohn |
1983 | Dick Stockton | Bill Russell
|
1982 | Dick Stockton | Bill Russell |
1981 | Gary Bender | Bill Russell and Rick Barry |
1980 | Brent Musburger | Rod Hundley and Bill Russell
|
1979 | Brent Musburger | Rick Barry and Rod Hundley |
1978 | Brent Musburger | Rick Barry and John Havlicek |
1977 | Brent Musburger | Steve Jones
|
1976 | Brent Musburger | Mendy Rudolph and Rick Barry |
1975 | Brent Musburger | Oscar Robertson |
1974 | Pat Summerall | Rick Barry and Rod Hundley |
Christmas Day broadcasters
CBS broadcast a
.Year | Teams | Play-by-play
|
Color commentator(s) |
1975 | Kansas City at Phoenix | Don Criqui | Mendy Rudolph |
1976 | Chicago at Kansas City | Don Criqui | Billy Cunningham |
1977 | Washington at Philadelphia | Don Criqui | Steve Jones
|
1978 | Philadelphia at New York | Brent Musburger | Keith Erickson |
1979 | Philadelphia at Washington | Gary Bender | Rod Hundley
|
1980 | Boston vs. New York | Gary Bender | Bill Russell and Rick Barry |
1981 | Los Angeles Lakers at Phoenix | Dick Stockton | Bill Russell
|
1983 | New Jersey vs. New York | Dick Stockton | Tom Heinsohn |
1984 | Philadelphia at Detroit | Dick Stockton | Tom Heinsohn |
1985 | Boston vs. New York | Dick Stockton | Tom Heinsohn |
1986 | Chicago vs. New York | Dick Stockton | Tom Heinsohn |
1987 | Detroit at New York | Dick Stockton | Billy Cunningham |
1988 | Los Angeles Lakers at Utah | Dick Stockton | Hubie Brown |
1989 | Cleveland at Atlanta | Dick Stockton | Hubie Brown |
Theme music
Through the 1973–74 to 1975–76 seasons, as well as for most of the 1978–79 season, the theme music for The NBA on CBS incorporated lyrics; "Last Night" by The Mar-Keys was used roughly around 1975–76 as the play-by-play announcer would give a preview to the featured game.[102]
Starting in 1977, CBS used an alternate opening showing a montage of still pictures of current NBA star athletes with music (similar to the music used by the network for its
By the 1983 NBA Finals, the opening sequence was set in a primitive computer-generated montage of basketball action inside a virtual arena that was similar in resemblance to the Boston Garden. This opening sequence (which was usually intertwined by a montage of live basketball action complete with narration) was created by Bill Feigenbaum, who also created a similar open for The NFL Today used around the same time.[103] This opening melody (mostly consisting of an uptempo series of four notes and three bars each) from 1983 to 1988 was composed by Allyson Bellink[104] and is generally considered to be the most familiar theme music that The NBA on CBS used.
For the 1989 NBA Finals,[105] CBS completely revamped the opening montage. The computer-generated imagery (once again set in and around a virtual arena) was made to look more realistic (live-action footage was incorporated in the backdrops). Also, the familiar theme music was rearranged[106] to sound more intricate and to have a more emotional impact, along the lines of the network's later World Series coverage. Between the 1989 NBA Finals and the 1990 NBA Finals' intros, the theme music was slightly revised; the 1989 Finals intro incorporated more of a guitar riff, while the 1990 Finals intro featured a little more usage of trumpets.
On-screen graphics
During the late 1980s, the time and score graphic[107] appeared at the bottom of the screen after each score for only a few seconds, and when the shot clock was running down CBS provided a small blue graphic in the left portion of the screen that showed the clock running out. Also, when the game clock ran inside of two minutes, CBS would display the clock in the lower right-hand portion of the screen.
Miscellaneous coverage
CBS Radio's coverage
From roughly the
WNBA on CBS
On April 22, 2019, CBS Sports Network and the WNBA struck a deal[108] to televise 40 games in primetime and on weekends during the 2019 season. The games broadcast on CBS from local broadcasts already airing on the WNBA’s streaming site, WNBA League Pass.[109]
On June 19, 2021, CBS broadcast[110] a WNBA game between the Connecticut Sun and Chicago Sky[111] with Lisa Byington providing the play-by-play and Lisa Leslie providing analysis. And then on June 26, 2021, CBS broadcast a game between the Washington Mystics and Dallas Wings. The two games on CBS on June 19 and 26 averaged about 427,000 and 567,000 viewers[112] respectively.
Statistics
Season | 1973–74 | 1974–75 | 1975–76 | 1976–77 | 1977–78 | 1978–79 | 1979–80 | 1980–81 | 1981–82 | 1982–83 | 1983–84 | 1984–85 | 1985–86 | 1986–87 | 1987–88 | 1988–89 | 1989–90 |
Games | 40 | 37 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 38 | 36 | 40 | 40 | 26 | 32 | 32 | 33 | 38 | 42 | 36 | 45 |
Contracts | $27 million/3 years | $21 million/2 years | $74 million/4 years | $91.9 million/4 years | $173 million/4 years |
References
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- ^ Friedman, David (December 22, 2010). "The NBA in the 1970s: Roone's Revenge". 20 Second Timeout.
- ^ Fraser, C. Gerald (July 31, 1973). "A.B.C. Loses Its Suit on TV Basketball". The New York Times.
- ^ "NBC "COVETS" NBA, WRESTS PRO HOOPS TV RIGHTS FROM CBS". Deseret News. November 12, 1989.
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- ^ "Slam-Dunked By the Ratings". Sports Illustrated. Time Inc.
- ^ "There's An Ill Wind Blowing for the NBA" (PDF). Sports Illustrated. Time Inc. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 17, 2013.
John Papanek also criticized CBS' coverage of the NBA in a Sports Illustrated article called, "There's An Ill Wind Blowing for the NBA." Papanek indicted CBS for "treating its telecasts as little more than a bridge between a refrigerator race and a golf tournament
- ^ Zemek, Matt (August 24, 2015). "5 LOW POINTS IN THE HISTORY OF THE NBA ON TV". Awful Announcing.
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Even NBA players such as Bob Lanier agreed that there should have been a continuity of announcers, so fans could relate to them.
- ^ "THE NBA ON NETWORK TELEVISION: HISTORICAL ANALYSIS" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on August 17, 2013.
He also wrote that CBS had erred by billing games as players against players rather than teams, such as "Dr. J vs. Rick Barry", and "David Thompson vs. Pistol Pete."
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Leggett also cited as an example of NBA problems the fact that the CBS affiliate in Atlanta, WAGA-TV, did not carry any NBA games and hadn't for the previous five years. This occurred despite the fact the city had an NBA franchise in the Atlanta Hawks.
[dead link] - ^ "THE CLEANUP HITTERS". Sports Illustrated. June 25, 1990.
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Stockton was often criticized for being too noncommittal in his analysis. It was suggested by more than one journalist that he reported innocuous statistics rather than take the time to levy important criticism or discuss game strategy.
[dead link] - ^ "THE NBA ON NETWORK TELEVISION: HISTORICAL ANALYSIS".
Heinsohn was criticized by many because, as a former Celtic player, he was seen as a Celtic booster. On the other hand, Celtic fans believed Heinsohn was going out of his way on telecasts to criticize the Celtics and prove that he was not biased. Heinsohn also was criticized for his distinctive New Jersey accent and what some felt was his curious use of the English language.
[dead link] - ^ "THE NBA ON NETWORK TELEVISION: HISTORICAL ANALYSIS".
In examining coverage of the NBA during the 1970s, the researcher found that the play-by-play announcer dominated the discussion during the games, with the color analyst speaking occasionally to comment on a replay or an important situation he had picked up. For example, during the 1976 Greatest Games telecast of the Celtics-Suns NBA Finals, color analyst Rick Barry noted that when a player had the ball and was running upcourt, he always had to be careful with an opposing player pursuing him. Barry made this point when Boston guard Jo Jo White knocked the ball away from a Phoenix player from behind as the player ran upcourt. Barry was another in the long line of player-analysts, though his career was not quite finished in 1976 when he joined CBS play-by-play announcer Brent Musburger for the Finals telecast. Barry, one of the greatest players in NBA history, was also one of the most disliked players in the league—by his own teammates as well. His reputation as a perfectionist and his sharp tongue were perfectly suited for analyzing NBA action. When a player made a mistake, Barry usually had a remark about it. For instance, during the same Celtics-Suns game, Barry remarked on a foul by Celtic Don Nelson on a jump-shooting Phoenix guard: "Why small forwards wanna be shot blockers is beyond me." Barry continued the tradition started by Russell for his straight-forward analysis.
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