Historical NBA over-the-air television broadcasters

Television broadcasting started around the 1950s and has continued to grow and become more sophisticated. When the National Basketball Association broadcasts first aired, they were broken down into four categories including; pre game, halftime, post game, and game coverage. Pregame casting usually covered a summary of predictions, key factors, and injuries. Halftime covered what happened in the first half, and the post game covered the game as a whole and the outcome. The game broadcast was a live game announcing that gave a play by play.

Local

Team	Stations	Years
Atlanta Hawks	WQXI WTCG/WTBS WVEU/WUPA WGNX WATL WHOT	1968-1972 1972-1994 1984-1986, 2001-2006 1986-1993 1994-1999 1999-2001
Boston Celtics	WNAC-TV WBZ-TV WHDH-TV WIHS WKBG WSMW WBZ-TV WLVI WFXT WSBK-TV WABU	1948 1949-1954 1960-1965 1965-1966 1966-1969 1970-1973 1973-1985; 1993-1994 1985-1990 1990-1993 1993-1998 1998-1999
Brooklyn Nets	WPIX WOR WPXN-TV WLNY-TV WCBS-TV	1970-71-1972-73 1973-74-1985-86; 2005-06-2013-14 1997-98-1998-99 1999-00-2004-05 2014-15-present
Charlotte Hornets	WCCB/WACH (Columbia, SC)/WOLO-TV (Colombia, SC) WJZY/WFVY WAXN-TV/WMMP (Charleston, SC) WJZY WMYT-TV	1988-1992 1992-1998 1998-2002 2004-2006 2006-2008
Chicago Bulls	WGN-TV WSNS-TV WFLD WCIU-TV WPWR-TV	1966-1973; 1976-85; 1989-90-present 1973-76 1985-89 c. 1999-2000-14 2014-present
Cleveland Cavaliers	WEWS-TV WJW/WJKW WUAB WOIO-TV	1970-1973 1973-1980 1980–1987; 1994-present 1987–1994
Denver Nuggets	KWGN-TV KTVD	1978-79 ?-2004
Dallas Mavericks	KTXA/WFAA-TV KTVT KTXA/KTVT	early 1980s mid-1980s–early 1990s late 1990s
Detroit Pistons	WJBK WKBD WDIV/WMYD	?-1972 1972-2005 2005-2008
Golden State Warriors	KTVU KPIX-TV KBHK KICU-TV	1962-63; 1968-1981; 1997-2002 1987-1992 1980-1985 1989–2002
Houston Rockets	KIAH KTXH KTBU-TV KNWS-TV KUBE-TV	mid-1970s–1982; late 1990s–c. 2000 1983–late 1990s; 2008-12 c.; shown half of the 2001-02 season; shared duties with KIAH-TV for 2002-03 season; 2002-2007 2012-present
Indiana Pacers	WTTV WXIN	1967-1988; 1991-2006 1988-1991
Los Angeles Clippers	KTTV KTLA KCOP-TV KCAL-TV	1984-85 1985-91; 2002-2009 1991-1996 1996-2001
Los Angeles Lakers	KCAL-TV KTTV KTLA	1960-61-1963-64; 1977-2012 1964-65-1966-67 1967-68-1976-77
Memphis Grizzlies	WPXX-TV WMC-TV	2001-2005 2001-2007
Miami Heat	WBFS-TV/WTOG (Tampa) WAMI-TV WBFS-TV/WFOR-TV	1988-99 (25 games on WBFS/12 games on WTOG) 1999-2000 2000-04
Milwaukee Bucks	WITI-TV WISN-TV WVTV WCGV	1968-1971 1971–1976 1976-1988; 1994-1999 1988-1994; 1999-2007
Minnesota Timberwolves	KSTP-TV/WFTC KARE/WFTC KARE/WUCW KMSP-TV/WFTC KSTC-TV	1989-92 1993-1994 1995-2001 2001-02-2004 2004-10
New York Knicks	WOR WBIS	1965–1989; 2010-present 1996-97
Oklahoma City Thunder	KSBI	2008-2010
Orlando Magic	WKCF WRBW	1989-1999 1999-2007
Philadelphia 76ers	WPHL-TV WKBS WGTW-TV WPSG	1978-79-1982-83 1983-84 1995 1996-present
Phoenix Suns	KTAR/KPNX KNXV KUTP	1968-1980 1980-1987 1987-2011
Portland Trail Blazers	KPTV KOIN-TV KGW	1970-1976 1976-1996 1996-present
Sacramento Kings	KOVR KMAX-TV KXTV	1985-86-1987-88 1988-89-2001-02 2002-03-present
San Antonio Spurs	KMOL KSAT KABB KRRT/KMYS KENS-TV	1978-79 ?-? ?-? 1996-2000, 2001-present 2000-present
Toronto Raptors	CFTO CBLT	1995-2001 2007-2010
Utah Jazz	KUTV KSTU-TV KSL-TV KJZZ-TV	1979-1987 1987-1990 1990-1993 1993-2009
Washington Bullets/Wizards	WDCA WDCW	1973-2007 2007-present

See also

• List of current National Basketball Association broadcasters
• Owned-and-operated television stations in the United States

¹ABC owned television station.

²CBS owned television station.

³Fox owned television station.

⁴NBC owned television station.

⁵Superstation (bold indicates former superstation).

Former teams

Team	Stations	Years
Baltimore Bullets	WJZ-TV	1963-1973
Buffalo Braves	WBEN CFTO (Toronto)	1970-71–1977-78 1971-72–1974-75
Capital Bullets	WDCA	1973-74
Chicago Packers/Zephyrs	WGN	1961-1963
Kansas City Kings	KMBC-TV KBMA KZKC	1972-75 1975-84 1984-85
Minneapolis Lakers	KSTP-TV	1959-60
New Orleans Jazz	WGNO	1978-79
Philadelphia Warriors	WCAU	1951-1962
Rochester/Cincinnati Royals	WHAM (Rochester) WCPO-TV (Cincinnati)	1950-1957 1957-1972
Seattle SuperSonics	KTNT KIRO-TV KONG-TV KING-TV/KSKN (Spokane)	early 1970s-1975 1975-78 2000-01–2001-02 2001-02
St. Louis Hawks	KPLR-TV	1959-68
Syracuse Nationals	WHEN	1949-1963
Vancouver Grizzlies	CHAN-TV/CHEK	1995-2001

National

Network	Years
DuMont	1953-1954
NBC	1954-55 to 1961-62 1990-91 to 2001-02
SNI	1962-63 to 1963-64
ABC	1964-65 to 1972-73 2002-03 to present (at least through 2024-25)
CBS	1973-74 to 1989-90

See also

• Historical Major League Baseball over-the-air television broadcasters
• Primary NFL television stations
• Historical NHL over-the-air television broadcasters

External links

• NBA TEAMS OVER THE AIR STATIONS