TNT Tips Off 2012-13 NBA Season with Doubleheaders 10/30, 11/1

Related: NBA, TNT

TNT Tips Off 2012-13 NBA Season with Blockbuster Doubleheaders Tuesday, Oct. 30, & Thursday, Nov. 1; Inside the NBA Studio Team of Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Shaquille O'Neal and Kenny Smith On Site in Brooklyn Nov. 1

Opening Night to Feature Defending NBA Champion Miami Heat Hosting Boston Celtics & Dallas Mavericks Visiting New-Look Los Angeles Lakers

TNT to Also Showcase Brooklyn Nets' Debut vs. New York Knicks & Western Conference Finals Rematch Between San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder

For the 11th consecutive year, the NBA season will exclusively open on TNT with a blockbuster doubleheader Tuesday, Oct. 30, showcasing the defending NBA Champion Miami Heat and league MVP LeBron James hosting the Boston Celtics and Kevin Garnett at 8 p.m. ET. In the nightcap, the new-look Los Angeles Lakers and off-season acquisitions Dwight Howard and Steve Nash will host the Dallas Mavericks and Vince Carter at 10:30 p.m. Marv Albert will call the Heat/Celtics game with analyst Steve Kerr and reporter Craig Sager. Kevin Harlan will provide commentary for Lakers/Mavericks with analyst Reggie Miller and reporter David Aldridge.

The network's opening night coverage will include Miami Heat Ring Ceremony presented by Bacardi during the one-hour TNT NBA Tip-Off presented by AutoTrader.com pregame show - hosted by the Sports Emmy Award-winning team of Ernie Johnson and analysts Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Shaquille O'Neal - at 7 p.m. The studio team will also provide the Sprint Halftime Report and Inside the NBA presented by Hyundai post-game show.

TNT's opening week action will also include a signature doubleheader Thursday, Nov. 1, beginning with the home debut of the Brooklyn Nets and DeRon Williams against the New York Knicks and Carmelo Anthony at 7 p.m. Albert, a Brooklyn native, will call the Nets/Knicks game with Kerr and Sager. Additionally, TNT's Inside the NBA presented by Hyundai studio team will be on site in Brooklyn for the gamE. Johnson, Barkley, Smith and O'Neal will contribute to a special one-hour pre-game show live from Brooklyn at 6 p.m. on NBA TV, in addition to post-game coverage on TNT. Matt Winer will also anchor NBA TV's pre-game coverage from Turner Studios in Atlanta with analysts Chris Webber and Rick Fox, along with Inside the NBA presented by Hyundai on TNT.

The Nov. 1 doubleheader will conclude with a Western Conference Finals rematch when the Oklahoma City Thunder and Kevin Durant visit the San Antonio Spurs and Tim Duncan at 9:30 p.m. Harlan will offer play-by-play for Thunder/Spurs with Miller and Aldridge.

TNT's opening week NBA schedule (Thursday's pre-game show airing on NBA TV):