NBA

Schefter crosses over for NBA sideline reporting debut

Adam Schefter with Dwight Howard during his podcast. (Courtesy Adam Schefter)
Adam Schefter (L) interviews Dwight Howard during the taping of Schefter’s Know Them from Adam podcast. (Photo courtesy of Adam Schefter)

Tomorrow’s basketball doubleheaders on ESPN and ESPN2 are dubbed the PlayStation Vue Crossover as NBA and college hoops analysts switch roles. It’s also a “crossover” for ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

The industry’s most prolific NFL insider will work his first NBA game as a sideline reporter – with Ryan Ruocco and analysts Dan Dakich and Jeff Van Gundy – on Wednesday’s New York Knicks at Oklahoma City Thunder telecast (9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN).

Schefter, who got hooked on the NBA when he started playing NBA fantasy a few years ago, watches league games on an almost nightly basis. He discusses his hoops assignment, advice he’s received and more with Front Row.

You reached out to ESPN’s Doris Burke and J.A. Adande for NBA sideline advice. What did they tell you?
Doris provided the lay of the land – people I should be leaning on, the rhythm of the day and the pregame and the importance of scheduling one-on-ones with some key figures. J.A. gave me some in-game tips, like walking past the opposing coach’s huddle during timeouts in the first quarter to help form a line of questioning at the end of the first quarter. Both were very helpful and gracious.

You also interviewed Atlanta Hawks center Dwight Howard on your podcast this week. What did he say?
He recommended that somehow I get some lifts in my shoes, or a step ladder, or something for my post-game interviews. Can’t argue with that.

What are you looking forward to most about Knicks versus Thunder?
Just the curiosity of it all. I’ve done sideline reporting before, so I have an idea of how it works, but I’m guessing it’s very different doing an NBA game. It’s an added bonus that it’s a week before the NBA trade deadline, Carmelo [Anthony] is in play there, and we get to watch Mr. Triple Double [Russell Westbrook] himself.

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