TNT Averages 8.6 Million Viewers Per Game For Magic-Cavs Series

TNT Draws 8.3 Million Viewers For Magic-Cavaliers Game Six

BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING: ESPN/ABC NBA analyst Jeff Van Gundy said that he "still has his assignment" to call the Magic-Lakers Finals even though his brother, Stan, is the coach of the Magic. Jeff Van Gundy said that he "asked his producer, who then talked to ESPN/ABC higher-ups, if he should be dropped from the on-air team." Van Gundy said that he will "skip pregame talks with the Lakers" during the series, and "isn't talking much" during the postseason with his brother. However, Van Gundy "isn't promising on-air objectivity." Van Gundy: "The myth of objectivity is just that. Everybody has their biases and prejudices" (USA TODAY, 6/1). More Van Gundy: "I want my brother's team to win; there's no question about that." While Van Gundy announced a Celtics-Magic regular-season game this year, he said that the Finals will be a "'totally different magnitude,' one in which he must balance a professional approach with personal pride" (NEWSDAY, 6/1). Meanwhile, in Buffalo, Alan Pergament wrote Van Gundy "seems to try too hard to build his reputation as an off-the-wall analyst." He "often seems to look to say something interesting, debatable or memorable," but he also can be "quite astute assessing players and coaching strategy." Pergament: "Just imagine the stories that Jeff will be telling about Stan over a potential seven games" (BUFFALO NEWS, 5/30).

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CHARLES BEING CHARLES: TNT's Charles Barkley during the Magic-Cavaliers Game Six postgame show called fellow TNT analyst Kenny Smith "numb nuts" and used an obscenity to describe his producer. AWFUL ANNOUNCING's Brian Powell writes, "We all know that Charles Barkley is far from sane, and he even plays by a different set of rules, but this video might finally illustrate just how crazy he really is. ... The reaction from [Ernie Johnson] is priceless, and I think Reggie [Miller] asked the question we all want the answer to. Seriously, what is wrong with you Charles?" (AWFULANNOUNCING.com, 6/1). DEADSPIN's A.J. Daulerio wrote Barkley's "impromptu, line-crossing NBA analyst technique is what endears him to millions and it continues to amaze me how much he gets away with on-air/off-court without any career-ending consequences." However, it is "another reason why this show continues to be one of the most entertaining sports broadcasts in history" (DEADSPIN.com, 5/31).

WHERE AMAZING HAPPENS: In N.Y., Mike Lupica wrote there "hasn't been a time like this in a long time in the NBA, when there was a game you wanted to watch just about every night, what has felt like a whole month that has come down to the last few seconds on the clock and a ball in the air." During this postseason, basketball "has been more fun to watch than at any time in years." The fact the Cavaliers and F LeBron James have been eliminated "doesn't change one of the great months pro hoops has ever seen" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 5/31). In Miami, Linda Robertson writes Magic-Lakers is "not a bad alternative to the NBA Finals everyone considered a foregone conclusion for months:" Lakers-Cavaliers. In fact, the Finals will provide a "fresher, less commercial basketball story line" (MIAMI HERALD, 6/1). In K.C., Jason Whitlock wrote he "did not want to see Kobe vs. LeBron." Whitlock: "It's not that I fail to recognize the individual greatness of Bryant and James. ... It's the hype that I cannot stand." He added, "The 24-hour sports news cycle, the shoe companies and game broadcasters are force-feeding us Kobe-LeBron to the point that it is counterproductive" (K.C. STAR, 5/31).

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