What do you get when you add a couple of Olympians with superstar pedigree to the triple-double genius Russell Westbrook — in a town that’s still a little pissed about Kevin Durant ditching? You get a built-in mission and a triumvirate of scoring power that’s rare even in the rich history of so-called Big Threes like the Celtics Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnet and Ray Allen or the Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, LeBron James triple threat in Miami.
Given that he used to play in the biggest of markets, NYC, former Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony isn’t used to scoring his buckets in front of so few eyes. On TV that is — it’s always packed inside the arena for Thunder games. But TV markets for NYC v. OKC don’t compare — at least for broadcasts served up locally. But those local restrictions don’t matter so much anymore — to some degree. Just as many people can watch a regular season Thunder game as a Knicks game these days. Want to see Westbrook dish to Anthony or Paul George for a thunderous finish? Try one of the three options below.
NBA League Pass:
The most expensive, but most comprehensive coverage of every NBA game — and the only option for out-of-town fans who want to stream every game. Price: $199.99 a season to stream the full slate of games — and watch every NBA team in action. Or choose your favorite NBA team and pay $119.99 for 1-team season access to watch all 82 games plus playoff action. You can also stream a single game by purchasing a one-game pass for $6.99.
- NBA League Pass Mobile Devices: iPhone (iOS 9.0 and higher), iPad (iOS 9.0 and higher), Android Phone (version 4.1 and higher), Android Tablet (version 4.1 and higher), Kindle Fire
- NBA League Connected Devices: Roku 2, 3, and 4, Apple TV, Android TV, Amazon Fire TV and Fire Stick, Samsung Smart TVs (more League Pass info here)
For Verizon Wireless customers, VERIZON STREAM PASS go90 offers free NBA League Pass streaming. Here are instructions:
- If you’re on the Verizon Plan Large or higher, NBA LEAGUE PASS is included with your plan. Just add it to your account in My Verizon. If you are on a different plan, you can purchase it directly from the go90 app.To add NBA LEAGUE PASS in My Verizon:
- Go to the Products & Apps page in My Verizon and sign in if prompted.
- On the Get Products tab, under Premium Products find Stream Pass NBA LEAGUE PASS 16-17 and tap Get It Now.
DIRECTV® NOW
DIRECTV® NOW has a “Live a Little” starter streaming package that offers: “Start Streaming today at $35/mo. No Satellite Required, No Annual Contracts, Cancel Anytime.” But that will only get you ESPN, ESPN3 and TNT games. There is a free trial.
- TO SEE ALL GAMES, THIS ONE: To stream locally broadcast NBA broadcasts through the Regional Sports Network (RSN) you need to upgrade to the DIRECTV® NOW “Just Right” package ($50) or higher. NBA TV is in the DIRECTV® NOW “Go Big” package — 100+ channels for $60 a month.
- CHALLENGE: You have to be in the team’s local area to view the RSNs because of broadcast rights issues, so if you’re a Spurs fan in Alaska, you need NBA League Pass to see it all.
SLING TV
SLING TV has a starter package called Sling Orange that includes ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3 and TNT for watching nationally televised NBA games. It’s $20 a month, and you can choose add-ons like NBA TV $5 more. SLING TV’s A La Carte package lets you start free for the first 7 days — and craft your own bundle.
