ESPN’s Kia NBA Countdown pregame show and SportsCenter segments will originate from Miami on Friday, Oct. 29, previewing the highly-anticipated home debut of the Miami Heat – with their new core of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh – when they face the Orlando Magic and Dwight Howard at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN. Hannah Storm will host SportsCenter segments throughout the day from South Beach with analyst Jalen Rose, along with updates by reporter Rachel Nichols, and studio commentators from the arena. Stuart Scott will host Kia NBA Countdown from inside AmericanAirlines Arena at 7 p.m. with Hall of Famer Magic Johnson, Jon Barry and Michael Wilbon.
Additionally, Johnson will conduct an exclusive interview with his former coach and current Heat President Pat Riley. The interview will be aired during the pregame show.
The Heat/Magic telecast will be called by ESPN’s lead commentator team of Mike Breen, analysts Mark Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy, and reporter Doris Burke. The game will also be available via ESPN Deportes, ESPN3.com and ESPN Mobile TV.
In the second game of ESPN’s Friday night doubleheader, the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers will face the Phoenix Suns and two-time league MVP Steve Nash in a Western Conference Finals rematch. The game will also be available through ESPN Deportes, ESPN3.com and ESPN Mobile TV.
Extensive Heat Coverage on ESPN.com
ESPN.com will offer an extensive preview of the Heat/Magic matchup including:
Michael Wallace reporting on the new Heat vs. Magic rivalry
John Hollinger’s statistical analysis
Daily Dime Live, an application on the front page of the NBA section during the game featuring live discussion and observations from ESPN’s deep lineup of reporters, analysts and commentators
an NBA podcast previewing the game
