SVG Sit-Down: Executive Producer Tim Kiely Provides an Inside Look at Inside the NBA With a documentary set to air this week, Kiely reveals secrets of the legendary studio show By Ken Kerschbaumer, Editorial Director
Tuesday, March 2, 2021 - 11:48 am
Print This Story | Subscribe
Story Highlights
This Thursday, TNT will air the first of a four-part documentary looking at the history of Inside the NBA, the groundbreaking studio show that has been informing and entertaining NBA fans for 30 years. Episodes air March 4-7, and Inside the NBA Executive Producer Tim Kiely sat down with SVG to discuss the evolution of the show, how it remains unique, and why the big board matters.
From left: Inside the NBA's Shaquille O'Neal, Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith, and Charles Barkley on set this year.
Has Inside the NBA always been in Studio J, or was it in a different location at the beginning?
I got there in 1996, and we would do the shows out of an old building called The Mansion that was originally with the property. It was hilarious as it was almost a little booth in a building where Ted [Turner] did CNN and also wrestling. We would see the wrestlers come in and out of the locker room as we were going into our studio. It was a pretty wild scene. Then Studio J came into existence when they built out the newer buildings. There were all kinds of state-of-the-art space, and there are about a half dozen studios the size of Studio J.
Walk us through the evolution of the set design and how it evolved to where it is today with the big board.
People tend to want to change the sets and do different things all the time. But, about 15 years ago, we fell onto this particular set, and it has just sort of evolved with the show itself. The big board, for example, was not meant to be a video breakdown thing. But we looked at it and said, Wait, could we do that?
It was experimentation. If the guys didn't like something on the set, we would make fun of it because we make fun of everything. The spirit of the show is, we hope for mistakes to happen so we can celebrate them, things like Shaq [O'Neal] tripping over it and destroying things.
At one point, we had a sales stunt where Ernie [Johnson] drove a car into the set, and he actually clipped the set and busted off a chunk.
You mention that TV people like to change things. How do you not change things and fall into that trap of change for change's sake?
The magic word is chemistry, whether it's the people or whether it's the technology. The technology is the same everywhere, so it's a matter of how you use it and what your on-air people will buy into. Once we found things like the big board and the fact that the desk was very, very utilitarian, we could use it for a bunch of different things.
The big board works perfectly for Kenny [Smith] to be able to break down a play in a different way than what you see everywhere else. It's almost like he directs the viewer a little bit, but he lets your eyes follow the action, as opposed to just putting it in your face, drawing lines and saying this guy's gonna run here and this guy should run over there.
The original idea of the big board was not for things like highlights?
Yup, that was not it at all. It was just going to be a place for more graphics, lineups, and that sort of thing. But we started putting video into it for bumpers and then [VP/Coordinating Director] Steve Fiorello started to roll video into it, and Kenny loved it.
I do think that touchscreens are one of the worst inventions for on-air talent, [which] are trying to push buttons and also trying to think of what to say at the same time. You've lost the ability for creativity because they've totally lost their comfort. But, with the big board, Kenny is totally comfortable because it's like the old coaching stuff, where they would hang a bedsheet and project the films on it. The guys can feel comfortable talking or using video or sound or whatever to their advantage.
Was there ever a thought of using green screen or virtual sets?
In the late '90s, we were doing things like putting Ernie in green screen, and it just didn't work out. It's great for scripted things, but, once you start to have a conversation and you're supposed to be referencing things around you, it doesn't feel natural. And then it becomes mechanical. One of the first thing I tell people on set is to look at the person you're talking to, listen to them, and then you'll have a conversation. With green screen, you can be sitting in a vacuum.
Whether on the road, like here in 2014, or in Studio J, the Inside the NBA team always feels at home.
You mentioned not being afraid of making mistakes. Is that a challenge? To accept mistakes?
I think you embrace it. If we were doing a serious news show, that's one thing, because you're reporting on a murder and you're on a scripted show where you need to hit a time and hard outs. Things evolved to where we started to look to the late-night talk shows, where [David] Letterman would do things like unabashedly make crew members part of the show. Our lighting guy became part of the show, and the viewer at home is fascinated to see how TV works. If a mic went out, we would tell the audio guy to go out on the set and fix the mic now. And the viewer at home doesn't see anything wrong with that as they go to work and maybe read an insurance policy wrong.
And, if someone misspeaks, like Charles who is famous for contradicting himself in the same sentence, we would immediately roll it back. Twenty years ago, you couldn't do that as someone would threaten to walk off the set. But players love busting each other's chops, and the best thing in most busting of chops is when somebody makes a mistake.
What is the key to the chemistry that has developed
Most recent headlines
04/08/2024
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, is excited to announce Santiago Solanas as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO)....
03/06/2024
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, a...
06/05/2024
OAKVILLE, Ontario As part of Emergency Preparedness Week, Alert Ready, Canadas national public alerting system, will be distributing a test alert to Canadians i...
06/05/2024
NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. Horowitz Research has released a new study on the viewing and media habits of U.S. Hispanic/Latine audiences that shows a dramatic decline in...
06/05/2024
RE:Vision Effects Autograph 2024.4 released! 50% Off Through May 9th
Brie Clayton May 6, 2024
0 Comments
New game-changing motion graphics & VFX featu...
06/05/2024
NBC has renewed Night Court for a third season. The courtroom comedy was on the network from 1984 to 1992, and NBC rebooted it in early 2023....
06/05/2024
ABC has revealed its summer schedule. The Bachelorette gets going Monday, July 8, with Jenn Tran the star in season 21. Celebrity Family Feud starts up Tuesday,...
06/05/2024
It's almost go-time for the Holly Springs Salamanders! The season opener is ...
06/05/2024
Tyngsboro, Mass. - May 6, 2024 - Join us at InfoComm 2024 to experience the latest advancements in live production technology. From June 12-14, 2024, at the Las...
06/05/2024
To champion global movements to protect and advance equality for LGBTQ+ communities, Apple is introducing a new Apple Watch Pride Edition Braided Solo Loop, ava...
06/05/2024
Actress Matseliso Mohale has joined Muvhango'Talented actress Matseliso Mohale has joined SABC2's soapie Muvhango' as Vhangani's lover and a c...
06/05/2024
Tonight on Smoke and Mirrors: Leroy refuses to give up fighting to bury MthethoDon't miss Monday, 6 May's riveting episode of South African soapie Smoke...
06/05/2024
Intrinsic, a software and AI robotics company at Alphabet, has integrated NVIDIA AI and Isaac platform technologies to advance the complex field of autonomous r...
06/05/2024
Cybersecurity experts at the RSA Conference this week will be on the hunt for ways to secure their operations in the era of generative AI.
They'll find man...
06/05/2024
1) What is the rationale of the transaction? What is the benefit for SES shareholders?
This combination creates a stronger and more competitive multi-orbit ope...
05/05/2024
A special evening performance by multiplatinum singer Becky G will provide a memorable conclusion to TeievisaUnivision's Casa Cultura upfront event on May 1...
05/05/2024
Giant media buyer Publicis is telling network sales executives that it does not think Nielsen's new panel-plus-big-data currency is ready for this upfront....
05/05/2024
WASHINGTON Glenn Kirschner, legal analyst at NBC News, blasted the media for referring to the New York trial of former President Donald Trump as a hush-money ...
05/05/2024
Catchy Comedy's weekend marathon sees The Beverly Hillbillies on the weekend of May 4-5. The event kicks off Saturday, May 4 at 11 a.m. ET, and runs through...
05/05/2024
NBC Sports has the 150th Kentucky Derby Saturday, May 4. The coverage begins at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock and the feature race at Churchill Downs in Louis...
04/05/2024
NEW YORK As the Asian Pacific American Heritage Month kicks off in May, Nielsen has released an extensive new report diving into their media habits with data sh...
04/05/2024
PHILADELPHIA As National Military Appreciation Month gets underway, Comcast has announced several new initiatives to help veterans, service members, and their f...
04/05/2024
WASHINGTON, D.C. Federal Communications Commission chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel has announced a tentative agenda for the May Open Commission Meeting scheduled...
04/05/2024
The Broadband Forum has announced major enhancements to key 5G convergence standards that the group said will help advance next-generation applications, improve...
04/05/2024
Spotify Wrapped Campaign Spot Graded With DaVinci Resolve Studio
Brie Clayton May 3, 2024
0 Comments
Blackmagic Design today announced that Colorist M...
04/05/2024
Three Boston Conservatory at Berklee Alums Nominated for Tony Awards An additional eight alums and two current students performed in nominated productions.
...
04/05/2024
New faces and new storylines': What to expect on Izingane ZeS'thembu...
03/05/2024
An innovative learning tool to help media and civil society better understand ho...
03/05/2024
PARK CITY, UTAH - JANUARY 21: (L-R) Actors K stutis Cic nas and Greta Grinevi i t , Director Marija Kavtaradze and Producer Marija Razgute attend the 2023 Sunda...
03/05/2024
If you aren't familiar with Danny Ocean's music, it's only a matter ...
03/05/2024
Spotify has an unwavering commitment to supporting emerging artists across all genres, to helping them launch and thrive in their careers, and to connecting the...
03/05/2024
Como uno de los sonidos de mayor expansi n en el mundo, la M sica Mexicana va m ...
03/05/2024
As one of the fastest-growing sounds worldwide, M sica Mexicana is more than jus...
03/05/2024
NEW YORK FuboTV reported that it lost 110,000 subs in Q1 2024 but it exceeded its guidance for the quarter with double digit year-over-year increases across key...
03/05/2024
Only 3 Weeks Left To Enter The Creative Industries Most Award
Brie Clayton May 3, 2024
0 Comments
Creativepool is giving a last call to the creative i...
03/05/2024
WePlay Studios Transforms the Future of Live Event Storytelling with AJA Gear
Brie Clayton May 3, 2024
0 Comments
By 2032, the esports market is expec...
03/05/2024
WASHINGTON Shannon Bream, Fox News Sunday anchor and chief legal correspondent, sat for a keynote chat at The Business of TV News, with Tom Umstead, senior co...
03/05/2024
WASHINGTON Asked how important is local news, Martha Raddatz, who has covered foreign conflicts for decades and moderated presidential debates for ABC News, s...
03/05/2024
Sony Pictures and Apollo Global Management have made a $26 billion cash offer fo...
03/05/2024
CBS announced its 2024-2025 primetime schedule, which features the new dramas NCIS: Origins, Matlock and Watson, and new comedies Poppa's House and Georgie ...
03/05/2024
Sports-focused streaming service Fubo said it reduced its red ink in the first quarter, despite losing 110,000 subscribers since the end of the year....
03/05/2024
Walmart is reportedly about to release a new 4K streaming box/smart speaker hybrid device for Google TV that could retail for as low as $50, according to a repo...
03/05/2024
Enhancements to its Delivery Workspace solution provide increased content delivery robustness and security
By Matthew Corrigan
Published: May 3, 2024
Enha...
03/05/2024
According to reports, if the bid is successful, Sony would be the significant majority shareholder of the new private company
By Jenny Priestley
Published: M...
03/05/2024
Located in Manchesters Spinningfields district, the course aims to equip students with the skills, knowledge and industry insight for a career in the creative s...
03/05/2024
Lightbridge has created a new Cine Reflect Lighting System kit, dedicated to enabling artistic lighting with consideration of today's productivity practical...
03/05/2024
Broadcast media systems integrator BeckTV and Lawo worked together on a large-scale AES67 build of radio control rooms at KPBS, San Diego's NPR and PBS memb...
03/05/2024
Raleigh, NC, April 12, 2024 SmallHD announces PageOS 6, a powerful software update free for owners of SmallHD monitors, featuring increased functionality, exp...
03/05/2024
SmallHD announces the Quantum 32 a new 31.5 OLED monitor designed to provide reference HDR/SDR images for post-production final color grading, as well as cri...
SVG Sit-Down: Executive Producer Tim Kiely Provides an Inside Look at Inside the NBA With a documentary set to air this week, Kiely reveals secrets of the legendary studio show By Ken Kerschbaumer, Editorial Director 
