The NBA Finals in the middle of Tornado Alley in Oklahoma City is a unique situation, and I’m sure ESPN/ABC was accounting for it, especially during the humid, hot season that produces these weather events in the Midwest. Mike Breen, Doris Burke, and Richard Jefferson will still be courtside, but the production trucks won’t be local, meaning the replays and technical stuff like that would be done remotely. Another change to the production is that Jorge Sedano is doing the sideline reporting as Lisa Salters is away for personal reasons.
How This Affects the Game
Andrew Marchand of The Athletic had this report on ESPN/ABC’s production changes before Game 2. The changes will be subtle, if anything, and shouldn’t be too noticeable to the average viewer. The only thing that will be is how the graphics and stuff like that will work.
Smart Move by ESPN
This is a smart move by the worldwide leader; no need to risk anyone’s lives when these productions can be done remotely, especially when it involves something as deadly as a tornado. I’m glad that they take all of the precautions into account, as these Finals games in OKC can be one of those situations that could cause issues down the road because of the weather. The weather is something to keep an eye on for this series more than it’s ever been in recent memory.
Final Thoughts
This is a crazy situation with the Finals in terms of potential weather impacts throughout the series, and how the production can rally through the situation is amazing. Also, as I got Game 2 on as I’m typing this piece, the production team finally has Finals branding on the court with the Larry O’Brien Trophy graphics around center court, so they are finally listening to the Fans in that light as well. ESPN/ABC gets an A from me at this very moment. Total Apex Sports will have more coverage of these NBA Finals throughout the series.
