By BRANDON WILLIS
Student Reporter
The NBA and NBA TV have announced that they will be offering different NBA League Pass options for the fans to watch their favorite teams and players. The 2015-16 League Pass will go on sale on Sept. 8 and will be available for purchase throughout the season.
Many NBA fans run into the dilemma of not being able to watch a certain team or a particular player because they don’t get that much TV time on ESPN or ABC. NWOSU Women’s Basketball Graduate Assistant Luis Morales was excited to hear the news of the new package options and for the opportunity to see new players.
“I had heard a lot of hype about Anthony Davis of the Pelicans at the beginning of last year but I didn’t know what to think because I never got to see him play since he was in New Orleans and they rarely are on the tube,” said Morales.
Now fans can see players like Davis with the new options. According to NBA.com, you can now buy the full League Pass for $199.99 which covers every game on NBA TV for a full season including the playoffs. The second option is that you can buy a Team Pass for $119.99 and this will allow you to watch every game that your favorite team plays on NBA TV.
A particularly new option is that you can purchase one game to watch for $6.99. NWOSU Athletic Communications Assistant Devon Lucal is excited to be able to see his small market team as much as possible this year.
“I’m an Indiana Pacers fan and we never get a lot of publicity but with this new idea I get to watch Paul George anytime I want,” Lucal said.
The benefits of having access to NBA TV League Pass are that you watch games anywhere all season long. The League Pass also is watchable from any device including iphone, ipad, laptop, etc which adds coveted convenience. You can also get live statistics from the game to your phone or device.
In the 2014-15 season, the big market teams such as the Los Angeles Lakers and the Chicago Bulls dominated the airways of ESPN, TNT, and ABC. According to Bleacher Report, the Los Angeles Clippers were on national television 32 times compared to the Atlanta Hawks only got 4 appearances even though they won 60 games. The Indiana Pacers were on national television 8 times.
These new League Pass options will allow the small markets to get more exposure nationally.
Some of the top teams to watch this year will be the Oklahoma City Thunder with Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. Next will be the Cleveland Cavaliers with LeBron James and Kyrie Irving. The 2014-15 NBA Champion Golden State Warriors will be another exciting team as they try to win back-to-back titles.
There are many exciting teams but the one who made the biggest splash this summer were the San Antonio Spurs with the acquisition of LaMarcus Aldridge. You can catch all these teams and more with the new NBA League Pass.