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Media Release

TNT’s The Arena Presented by Tractor Supply Returns with New Stories and Conversations Around the Game – Friday, Sept. 18 at 7 p.m. ET

NBA on TNT

 Cari Champion, Draymond Green, Isiah Thomas & Special Guests Continue the Discussion on Societal Topics On and Off the Court  

Leading into TNT’s exclusive coverage of the 2020 NBA Western Conference Finals, The Arena presented by Tractor Supply will return with thought-provoking conversations on topics occurring on and off the court of play. The Arena – launched to concide with the NBA restart and developed in collaboration between Turner Sports and Bleacher Report – is an in-depth storytelling franchise that provides a compelling forum for important discussions that extend beyond sports. The show’s format intertwines impactful features with conversation from some of the most popular voices in the game.

The series will add new episodes starting Friday, Sept. 18 airing nightly at 7 p.m. ET (except for a 5:30 p.m. airing on Sept. 20), prior to NBA on TNT’s pregame coverage of Games 1-4 of the Western Conference Finals. The show will include poignant cinematic features examining the bubble experience, NBA strike, COVID-19 vaccine testing and additional topics through the point of view of players, their families, fans and communities.

Each feature will be surrounded by insightful conversations from an opinionated panel of voices including host Cari Champion, NBA Champion Draymond Green, Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas and a collection of guests including Atlanta Hawks Head Coach Lloyd Pierce and WNBA Champion Renee Montgomery, among others. The series will also include powerful interviews with Jacob Blake, Sr., diversity educator Jane Elliott and contributions from prominent NBA voices such as Jonathan Abrams, Howard Beck, David Gardner and Master Tesfatsion. Additionally, Cari Champion will highlight individuals that have gone viral –  via social media –  to make an impact in today’s society through her series “Cari’s Champions.”

All features will be available via the B/R app, B/R's YouTube  page and on NBA on TNT’s YouTube page following each episode.  Click here to view a teaser for The Arena.

TNT’s exclusive coverage of the 2020 NBA Western Conference Finals presented by AT&T 5G will tip off on Friday, September 18 at 9 p.m. ET with a star-studded matchup between the No. 1-seeded Los Angeles Lakers with LeBron James and Anthony Davis against the Denver Nuggets with Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray. Pre-game coverage throughout the series will begin with a one hour NBA Tip-Off presented by Autotrader pregame show ahead of each game at 8 p.m., immediately following The Arena at 7 p.m.