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NBA Playaoffs on tape delay

C

chris12

Guest
What years exactly did CBS air NBA playoff games on tape delay after the late news? I believe it was in the late 70s and early 80s when the league's popularity and ratings were down and CBS not wanting to pre-empt prime time shows. I also noticed that the 1981 Celtics-Rockets final had back to back games 3 and 4 in Houston on Saturday and Sunday do there could be at least two live afternoon games. I think 1982 was when it went all games live again as Bird and Magic's popularity was taking off.
 
Re: NBA Playoffs on tape delay

Well according to Wiki (not the most reliable place), CBS tape-delayed weeknight playoff games from 1979 to 1982, but the games aired live in the markets of the participating teams. The mid to late 1970s until mid-1980s were considered the NBA's darkest period, considering the on-court and off-court issues they had at the time. Even despite that, I've always thought CBS did an excellent job in their game coverage.
 
Now you forget that 1990 was the last NBA game they carried?
 
Kevin Lagasse said:
Now you forget that 1990 was the last NBA game they carried?
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I knew that...Pistons vs. Trail Blazers in the Finals that year, and it was Detroit who won that series in five games. Vinnie Johnson hit the game-winning shot in game 5 of that series, at the Portland Memorial Coliseum. Portland would be back in the Finals two years later, where they lost to Chicago in 6. The Pistons, of course, wouldn't be back in the Finals for another 14 years, where they beat the Lakers in what I call a "five-game sweep"...the Lakers got blew out in game 1, only showed up in the second half of game 2 (and won that game), and then basically quit in the final three games of that series.
 
Re: NBA Playoffs on tape delay

ShawnHill1 said:
Well according to Wiki (not the most reliable place), CBS tape-delayed weeknight playoff games from 1979 to 1982, but the games aired live in the markets of the participating teams. The mid to late 1970s until mid-1980s were considered the NBA's darkest period, considering the on-court and off-court issues they had at the time. Even despite that, I've always thought CBS did an excellent job in their game coverage.
Click to expand...

CBS' coverage back then was 10 times better than ABC's (errrrrr, ESPN on ABC) is today.
 
And those of us familiar with the TV coverage back then recall that the NBA had only three teams, Philly, Boston and the Lakers.

Live Finals coverage has been happening since 1983
 
I thought the theme song CBS used for the NBA from around 1983 until it lost the rights in 1990 was exciting and, well, driving. I thought the same of NBC's (by John Tesh IIRC) when they replaced CBS with the rights. I haven't seen enough of ESPN on ABC's coverage since the Alphabet regained the rights to critique its imaging.

ixnay
 
What about the 1980 and 83 finals between the Sixers and Lakers, did WCAU-TV (Former CBS O and O at the time) and channel 2 in LA aired all the games live or on tape delay?
 
ixnay said:
I thought the theme song CBS used for the NBA from around 1983 until it lost the rights in 1990 was exciting and, well, driving. I thought the same of NBC's (by John Tesh IIRC) when they replaced CBS with the rights. I haven't seen enough of ESPN on ABC's coverage since the Alphabet regained the rights to critique its imaging.

ixnay
Click to expand...

Two words: Pussycat Dolls.
 
Julius May said:
What about the 1980 and 83 finals between the Sixers and Lakers, did WCAU-TV (Former CBS O and O at the time) and channel 2 in LA aired all the games live or on tape delay?
Click to expand...

I think the '83 finals were live coast to coast. I would assume that the '80 finals did air live in LA and Philly.
 
Re: NBA Playoffs on tape delay

My Father passed away last year and he told me a few years ago that he was very angry in the last 1970s and early 1980s that CBS delayed NBA games for late-night airing. Durning this time, my Father worked overnights at UPS.

The NBA had a difficult time attracting fans during those years. However, with the Larry Bird and Magic Johnson playing feud (they were great friends off the court, but more like a Lakers/Celtics feud) the NBA made a comeback and CBS finally aired the games live. I wasn't a big fan of CBS Sports coverage of the NBA, but I was very young then.
 
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