Rewind: ESPN to Re-Air Games from the 2009 and 2010 NBA Finals, Where Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers Became Back-to-back NBA Champions

April 14, 2020

Episodes 1 and 2 of The Last Dance Premiere Sunday, April 19
Rachel Nichols Talks About the 1990s Chicago Bulls Dynasty with Scottie Pippen and Steve Kerr
NBA HORSE Challenge presented by State Farm Semifinals and Finals Begins Thursday at 9 pm ET

In this week’s Wednesday night Best of the NBA presented by State Farm series, ESPN will re-air Game 5 of the 2009 NBA Finals and Game 7 of the 2010 NBA Finals, both won by Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers. In Game 5 of the 2009 NBA Finals, Bryant wins his first Finals MVP as the Lakers defeat Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic, making it Bryant’s first NBA title since Shaquille O’Neal’s departure. In Game 7 of the 2010 NBA Finals, Bryant and the Lakers defeat 2020 Basketball Hall of Fame inductee Kevin Garnett and the Boston Celtics in a heated rivalry series.

Prior to the games, Hoop Streams, will be live on Twitter and the ESPN App beginning at 6:30 p.m. with host Cassidy Hubbarth, and analysts Kendrick Perkins and Amin Elhassan to reflect on the Lakers’ back-to-back titles. All shows will be available on YouTube upon conclusion of the live show.

The semifinals and finals of the NBA HORSE Challenge presented by State Farm airs Thursday Apr. 16 beginning at 9 p.m. 2004 NBA Finals MVP and ESPN analyst Chauncey Billups is up against Utah Jazz guard Mike Conley in the semifinals and three-time WNBA All-Star Allie Quigley will compete against two-time NBA Slam Dunk Contest champion Zach LaVine.

Episodes 1 and 2 of the highly anticipated 10-part series, The Last Dance, chronicling Michael Jordan and the 1990s Chicago Bulls, premieres Sunday, April 19 at 9 p.m. The documentary features never-before-seen footage from the 1997-98 season as the team pursued its sixth NBA championship in eight years.

In anticipation for The Last Dance series, The Jump host, Rachel Nichols, sat down with former Bulls teammates Scottie Pippen and Steve Kerr to reflect on some of their fondest memories as teammates and members of the Bulls’ dynasty era.

The interview airs on Tuesday’s episode of The Jump, beginning at 3 p.m.

The remote in-home edition of NBA Countdown will be available on ESPN’s YouTube page Tuesdays and Thursdays with host Maria Taylor and analysts Jalen Rose, Paul Pierce and Jay Williams. As part of the ongoing I Love the… NBA Countdown series, the I Love Michael Jordan NBA segment will be available on YouTube this week. The cast will reflect on memorable moments during the Jordan NBA era.