“TNT’s Inside the NBA” and Jim Gray Receive Honors in Inaugural Year
CHICAGO, IL – The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced today, at NBA All-Star Weekend, two new Curt Gowdy media awards to be presented at Enshrinement Weekend 2020 – the Transformative Media Award and the Media Insight Award. The new honors are in addition to the Curt Gowdy Media Awards honoring members of the print and electronic media which have been presented since 1990.
The Transformative Media Award honors an individual or organization that has dramatically changed the format, presentation or enjoyment of the coverage of basketball through the use of traditional and emerging media. This Award recognizes those who have had a significant, fresh, and lasting impact on the format, content generation, fan enjoyment and understanding of the game as demonstrated by TNT’s Inside the NBA featuring Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny Smith.
Inside the NBA has offered unique coverage of the NBA since 1989 and transformed how viewers watch NBA Games with pre-game, half-time and post-game coverage featuring spontaneous light-hearted banter between hosts, recurring comedy segments (Shaqtin’ a Fool, and EJ’s Neat-O Stat of the Night), intense debates and special events (such as the fan favorite Barkley vs. Bavetta footrace).
Above all, Inside the NBA brings unique game analysis from three well-respected NBA legends and exceptional interviews with players and coaches. Their interview style often feels like a conversation among friends, allowing fans a glimpse of personalities beyond the court.
The program has won nine Emmy Awards with Ernie Johnson and Charles Barkley also winning four as studio host and three as studio analyst respectively. Inside the NBA is one of 12 programs inducted into the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame and only one of three sports shows honored (alongside Monday Night Football and ESPN Sportscenter).
The Insight Media Award honors an individual or organization that has consistently probed into salient issues and brought a unique, provoking and non-traditional perspective to fans, participants and consumers of sporting news. This award honors an individual or organization that is courageous in the pursuit of challenging but imperative content and thereby offers a distinctive viewpoint. The inaugural winner of the Insight Media Award is Jim Gray.
Gray has over 40 years of broadcasting experience, and is perhaps most renowned for his unique, probing style of interviews across many sports. Throughout his career, Gray has had various roles such as a play-by-play man, color analyst, pre-game, halftime, sideline reporter, and producer. He has covered the NBA on ABC, CBS, NBC, and ESPN, and was also a producer for the Philadelphia 76ers, Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons, Indiana Pacers, and Sacramento Kings.
Gray’s career began at the University of Colorado, where he was the play-by-play voice of the Lady Buffs basketball team. Since then, he has covered over 25 NBA Finals, 20 NBA All-Star Games, and over 20 NCAA Final Fours. He is undoubtedly one of the most versatile reporters, as he has also covered the Masters, Super Bowls, the Olympics, the World Series, and World Championship boxing.
Over the years he has won numerous awards, including two-time Sportscaster of the Year in both 1998 and 1999, and Sports Broadcast of the Year for his interview with Mike Tyson after Tyson vs. Holyfield II. He has won 11 Emmy Awards for journalism, reporting, and producing.
Inside the NBA and Jim Gray will be acknowledged for their contributions to basketball media during the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinement Weekend August 28-30, 2020. For more further details, including ticket information, visit www.hoophall.com/Enshrinement.
About the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame: Located in Springfield, Massachusetts, the city where basketball was born, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an independent non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to promoting, preserving and celebrating the game of basketball at every level – men and women, amateur and professional players, coaches and contributors, both domestically and internationally. The Hall of Fame museum is home to more than 400 inductees and over 40,000 square feet of basketball history. Nearly 200,000 people visit the Hall of Fame museum each year to learn about the game, experience the interactive exhibits and test their skills on the Jerry Colangelo "Court of Dreams." Best known for its annual marquee Enshrinement Ceremony honoring the game’s elite, the Hall of Fame also operates over 70 high school and collegiate competitions annually throughout the country and abroad. For more information on the Basketball Hall of Fame organization, its museum and events, visit www.hoophall.com, follow @hoophall or call 1-877-4HOOPLA.