ESPN’s Tim Corrigan: NBA In-Season Tourney Will Have Major-Event Look, Feel

With the NBA’s Inaugural NBA Cup In-Season Tournament tipping off tonight, Tim Corrigan, ESPN, vice president of production, says making sure viewers, from the very first frame of coverage, know they are watching something different, new and exciting, is paramount. And in this case that begins with new graphics, new courts, and a new tease narrated by LL Cool J and The Roots.

“That’s why having someone like LL Cool J and the Roots kind of be the narrators from a tease and welcome standpoint,” he says. “And we’ll certainly be adding equipment as we add microphones and player mics and all that stuff as we build towards [the semi-finals and finals] in Vegas.”

The NBA In-Season Tournament is modeled after similar tournaments throughout European football leagues. All 30 teams were randomly drawn into groups of five within their conference and each will play four “group play” games against the other teams in their group. Eight teams will advance to knockout rounds (Dec. 4, Dec. 5) ahead of the semi-finals and finals on Dec. 7 and 9 in Las Vegas. Games will be broadcast both locally on RSNs and nationally on ABC, ESPN, and TNT.

Helping the broadcasts have a different feel will be a different broadcast team, led by Ryan Ruocco on play-by-play and JJ Redick and Richard Jefferson as analysts.

“I think the people we have doing this are the right people to be doing it in front of the camera and behind the camera,” says Corrigan. ” We’re coming out, and we’re trying to be great in the production of these events and the documentation of these events and everything else. There’s no part of us that’s not coming out with high expectations of what our presentation is going to be.”

The NBA in-season tournament court for the Los Angeles Lakers typifies the bold color choices for the courts.

And as if new graphics, a new open, and a new broadcast team aren’t enough to let viewers know they are watching something different there are the courts. Each NBA team will have a new court for the NBA Cup, and they are designed to truly stand apart from the traditional home courts. The courts will featur3 vibrant and bold colors, and share the following design details, according to the NBA:

• A fully painted court, edge-to-edge
• A larger-than-life NBA Cup at center court, prominently displaying to players and fans the new trophy that will be awarded to the champion
• A contrasting wash of color from lane-to-lane, creating a 16-foot wide “runway” across the court
• NBA Cup silhouettes in the lanes
• Team logos across the NBA Cup at center court and on the baselines

“When you turn it on and you’re watching a game in Boston, there’s no parquet and the City Edition uniforms are not new to the NBA, but there’s a purpose for what they’re doing with them,” says Corrigan.

Corrigan says that when he heard about the new courts his first concern was how the new looks would impact virtual graphics and signage and other elements.

“We’re going to allow more time for calibration and figuring it out,” he says. “But credit to the tech side of the NBA in incorporating us and Turner and everybody in the planning of exactly that because, when we first were brought in on that, that was our immediate concerns. So, we’ve been collaborating on them and figuring that out. I’m sure we’re going to have challenges, but having a little bit of runway to have people think about that and work on that has been advantageous to us.”

Corrigan says that the culmination of the tournament on December 7 and 9 in Las Vegas will have a championship feel.

“That will extend from the on-court presentation standpoint of additional equipment, maybe some new technology and things that we’re now talking about offline [that will make it] feel like a huge event. There are certain events that you want to put a lot of money into, and we will do that on this.”

A big question is will the players embrace the tournament and take it seriously? As a former player, Reddick says he is not concerned.

“If I’m in the NBA and I get a chance to go to Vegas in the middle of the season to play for some money and some pride and a trophy, I’m all in. Those are going to feel like an actual playoff game. So, I don’t buy into the skepticism.”

One of the big discussion points internally, adds Corrigan, is making sure everyone is educated about what the event means.

“It’s just so great to hear what J.J. says from a player’s standpoint and my guess is we’re probably going to put more of our marketing weight into this just because this is what’s new.

Especially when you’re going from the group play to the knockout round, the knockout rounds are one-and-done. So again, to have one-and-done NBA games in the first two months of the season is pretty amazing. So, there’s just a whole lot of good to wrap your arms around.”