ESPN will exclusively cover the 2016 NBA DRAFT presented by State Farm tonight, June 23, at 7 p.m. ET from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. on both television and radio. Michael Wilbon will join the main television desk this year, working alongside NBA DRAFT analyst Jay Bilas and NBA analyst Jalen Rose, both of whom were NBA DRAFT picks. Rece Davis will host the television coverage for the entire two rounds. Additional television elements include:
· Post-Pick Interviews:
ESPN reporter Lisa Salters, who is working her first
NBA DRAFT since 2009, will conduct the post-pick interviews, including with top prospects Ben Simmons (LSU) and Brandon Ingram (Duke).
· All-Access: College basketball analyst Jay Williams will roam the arena, bringing viewers behind the scenes and providing access to the NBA prospects. Additionally, the former second overall pick of the
NBA DRAFT will analyze specific players.
· Additional Set: NBA analyst Tom Penn and college basketball analyst Fran Fraschilla will be on ESPN's second set, using the touchscreen to breakdown various players. Penn will focus on the U.S.-born players and Fraschilla on the international players.
· News and Information: From inside the Barclays Center,
ESPN college basketball reporter Andy Katz and NBA reporter Marc Stein will provide the latest news and information from around the league.
· From Team Headquarters:
ESPN will have reporters in Philadelphia, Los Angeles and Boston at the headquarters of the franchises that currently own the top three picks on Thursday night. Chris Broussard will be with the 76ers, Ramona Shelburne with the Lakers and Jeff Goodman with the Celtics.
· New Technology: For the first time on
NBA DRAFT coverage,
ESPN will utilize the Avid Edit System. Using multiple camera angles, the technology will capture the raw emotion of the prospects leading up to and during the night.
The 2016
NBA DRAFT will be the 14th consecutive year
ESPN has televised the annual event.
ESPN Radio
ESPN Radio host Marc Kestecher, NBA analysts Ryen Russillo and P.J. Carlesimo will anchor
ESPN Radio's coverage from Brooklyn. In addition to hearing the team selections throughout the night, the broadcast will be joined by a number of the draftees.
ESPN Programming Leading Up to the NBA Draft
· NBA Mock Draft Special:
ESPN analysts will go through the exercise of the 2016
NBA DRAFT during the airing of NBA Mock Draft Special on Tuesday, June 21, at 7 p.m on ESPN. Bilas and Penn will be joined by NBA front office insider Amin Elhassan and NBA Insider Chad Ford for the special, which will be hosted by Cassidy Hubbarth.
·
NBA DRAFT Preview Show:
ESPN2 will televise a one-hour
NBA DRAFT Preview Show on Wednesday, June 22, at 7 p.m. which will include Davis, Bilas, Rose, and Wilbon, among other commentators.
· Kentucky's John Calipari at ESPN: Kentucky head coach John Calipari will be at
ESPN on the day of the NBA Draft, first joining Mike & Mike (8 a.m. to 10 a.m.), followed by
FIRST TAKE (10 a.m. to 11 a.m.),
SPORTSCENTER (11 a.m. hour), His & Hers (noon), and
HIGHLY QUESTIONABLE (4:30 p.m.).
· Mike & Mike: In addition to Calipari, Mike & Mike will also have Minnesota Timberwolves' Karl Anthony Towns, the first overall pick in the 2015
NBA DRAFT and the 2015-16 NBA Rookie of the Year in-studio.
· ESPNU: The 24-hour home of college athletics will re-air a number of college basketball games from this past season throughout this week featuring numerous
NBA DRAFT prospects. Additionally, the
NBA DRAFT combine will re-air on June 23, at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m.
· ESPN.com: Digital
NBA DRAFT coverage, including:
· Chad Ford's Big Board 9.0
· 'Grade: A' NBA Mock Draft: Who are best picks for every team?
· What is Ben Simmons' NBA ceiling?
· Broussard's conversation with Ben Simmons
· Five game-changing
NBA DRAFT trades we'd love to see
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