The San Antonio Spurs begin defense of their 2003 NBA title on Tuesday, Oct. 28 when they host the Phoenix Suns at the SBC Center on opening night of the league's 58th season.

The Spurs-Suns contest, which will feature the ring ceremony for the 2003 NBA champions, is the first of 11 nationally televised games over six consecutive nights and tips off NBA "Premiere Week" at 7 p.m. ET on TNT.

The second game on the schedule for TNT on opening night features the Dallas Mavericks, 2003 Western Conference finalists, traveling to STAPLES Center to face the Los Angeles Lakers at 10:30 p.m. ET. Turner Sports celebrates its 20th season carrying NBA basketball.

NBA action kicks into high gear on Wednesday, Oct. 29 with 11 games scheduled, highlighted by ESPN's season debut with a doubleheader featuring 2003 NBA Draft No. 1 pick LeBron James. The Orlando Magic and New York Knicks open ESPN's coverage from Madison Square Garden beginning at 8 p.m. ET, followed by James and the Cleveland Cavaliers facing the Sacramento Kings at ARCO Arena at 10:30 p.m. ET.

On Thursday, Oct. 30, TNT presents a doubleheader featuring the opening of Toyota Center, Houston's new downtown arena, when the Rockets host the Denver Nuggets at 8 p.m. ET, followed at 10:30 p.m. ET by the Cavaliers at the Phoenix Suns.

Duncan, LeBron, Malone and Yao have starring roles during Premiere Week.

NBA "Premiere Week" continues Friday, Oct. 31 on ESPN with East meeting West in a pair of games. In the opener, the Minnesota Timberwolves meet the two-time defending Eastern Conference champion New Jersey Nets at the Continental Airlines Arena beginning at 8 p.m. ET. Friday's nightcap features the Kings hosting the Philadelphia 76ers at 10:30 p.m. ET.

NBA TV concludes "Premiere Week" with a doubleheader on Saturday, Nov. 1, featuring the Detroit Pistons at Orlando beginning at 7 p.m. ET followed by the Cavaliers and Portland Trail Blazers from the Rose Garden at 10 p.m. ET, and a single game on Sunday, Nov. 2 when the Golden State Warriors travel to face the Lakers at 9:30 p.m. ET.

ABC increases its regular-season schedule to 18 games beginning with a pair of Western Conference showdowns on Christmas Day when the Mavericks face the Kings in Sacramento at 6 p.m. ET, followed by the Lakers hosting the Rockets at 8:30 p.m. ET.

Fans don't have to wait long for a rematch of last year's six-game NBA Finals as the Nets will face the Spurs on Wednesday, Nov. 12 at the Continental Airlines Arena at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN. Game 2 of the home-and-home series will be played on Wednesday, Jan. 21 in San Antonio.

TNT will televise 52 regular-season games, 38 as part of Thursday night doubleheaders, six games on Tuesday nights and eight on Mondays. TNT also will carry the 2004 NBA All-Star Game from STAPLES Center in Los Angeles on Feb. 15.

ESPN networks will televise 72 regular-season games, 64 on ESPN and eight on ESPN2, with 64 aired on Wednesdays and Fridays, seven on Sundays, and for the second straight year ESPN will carry a Christmas Day matinee from Orlando when the Magic hosts the Cavaliers beginning at 2:30 p.m. ET.

NBA TV will televise 96 regular-season games during its four-nights-a-week schedule, and projects at least 50 of those games will be televised in High Definition.

The NBA on ESPN Radio's 24-game regular-season schedule debuts with two games during "Premiere Week," opening night with the Mavericks and Lakers from Los Angeles and the Cavaliers and Kings on Wednesday, Oct. 29. The NBA on ESPN Radio will carry all the events from the NBA All-Star Weekend Feb. 13-15.

NBA.com offers day-by-day and team-by-team schedules as well as regular-season telecast schedules of the league's North American broadcast partners; ABC, ESPN, TNT, NBA TV, Telemundo, Rogers Sportsnet, TSN, The Score and the NBA on ESPN Radio.

NBA programming currently is seen in more than 210 countries around the world in 42 languages reaching a global audience of more than 750 million households.

Close

Today's Top News		Top Sports News
+Shenzhou V to fly Wednesday at earliest ( 2003-10-14) +Space launch timing is like a chess match ( 2003-10-14) +A refuge for children of prisoners ( 2003-10-14) +Winds sink two ships, 44 feared lost ( 2003-10-14) +Nation expects EU to be largest trading partner ( 2003-10-14)		+NBA's 58th season premieres Oct. 28 ( 2003-10-14) +Defeated Holyfield plans to keep fighting ( 2003-10-14) +Big three avoid each other in playoffs ( 2003-10-14) +Bryant's defense may have more surprises ( 2003-10-14) +Chelsea have Eriksson on their minds as they face Birmingham ( 2003-10-14)