It's from Inside Hoops. NBA Reality Show in Development NBA Entertainment, Original TV and Reveille have entered into a partnership to develop an original television reality series with the production heading “WHO WANTS TO BE AN NBA/WNBA PLAYER?”, it was announced today by Gregg Winik, Executive Vice President of NBA Entertainment, Ben Silverman of Reveille, and Marty Adelstein of Original TV. The development deal marks the first time a major professional sports league has partnered in a reality-talent search show. The series concept, to be produced for primetime television for mid-2003, is based on a global search for the next NBA and WNBA superstar and will follow the lives of contestants from all over the world competing for the chance of a lifetime – to play in the world’s best basketball leagues. The search begins with regional competitions around the world. An expert panel of judges, including an NBA player, a respected NBA scout and a well-known basketball coach, will whittle down to 20 finalists (10 men and 10 women), who will then be flown to a to-be-determined NBA city for the final rounds. The finalists will then go through a number of tests ranging from strength and conditioning to skills, two-on-two and three-on-three games and H.O.R.S.E. One male and one female winner will be chosen to tryout with an NBA team and a WNBA team respectively. The deal between NBA Entertainment, Original TV and Reveille was brokered by William Morris Agency, Creative Artists Agency, and Ken Ziffren. The series’ Executive Producers include NBA Entertainment President Adam Silver, Winik, Lon Rosen of Original TV, Adelstein, Shawn Bryant of Reveille and Silverman. Original TV's Mike Elliott, who also wrote the film "Like Mike" which NBAE co-produced, is one of the creators of the series. “We are excited about this original concept and what promises to be engaging and entertaining television,” said Winik. “The fact that the NBA and WNBA feature a combined 113 international players signifies not only the worldwide popularity of basketball, but also demonstrates that you never know where the next star will come from. This series will let viewers in on the extraordinarily high level of talent, skill and commitment necessary to play in the NBA and WNBA while presenting the human drama of players pursuing their dream.” “I am thrilled to be in business with NBA Entertainment and Original TV on this awesome franchise,” said Silverman. “Sports and Entertainment have been merging for decades and this project celebrates that merger.” “This project is the perfect vehicle for Original TV, Reveille, and NBA Entertainment,” said Adelstein. “We are positive that viewers will be excited to watch this series and will become involved in the search for the next NBA and WNBA star.” Since its founding in 1946, the NBA has become a global phenomenon that transcends national boundaries. With 29 teams in the United States and Canada, NBA games and related programming are broadcast to 212 countries in 42 languages. The NBA is one of the largest suppliers of sports television and Internet programming in the world. Through NBA Entertainment, the league's award-winning production and programming division, the league produces NBA TV, a 24-hour television network, weekly television shows, and exclusive content for each of the NBA's team web sites, and the league's official sites, NBA.com, WNBA.com and NBDL.com. The league has also continued its partnerships with the leading Internet content and technology providers to bring the game experience even closer to its fans worldwide. For more information on the NBA, visit www.nba.com A management and production company founded in April 2002, Original is an equal partnership between former Endeavor founding partner Marty Adelstein and prolific filmmaker Neal H. Moritz. Original incorporates the assets of Moritz’s hugely successful feature company Original Film (I Know What You Did Last Summer I & II, Volcano, Not Another Teen Movie, Cruel Intentions, Blue Streak, The Skulls, The Fast & The Furious, and XXX, among others) and Adelstein’s elite talent clients (David E. Kelley, Bonnie & Terry Turner, Simon West, Jan De Bont, Cindy Chupack, The Rock and The WWF’s Linda and Vince McMahon, among others). With offices in Santa Monica, California, the company operates in three distinct areas – motion pictures, television and talent management. Original has projects in development or production with every major film studio (including MGM, Fox, Warner Bros., Universal, Sony, Disney, Paramount, Universal and Artisan) and actively packages a wide range of entertainment product. Reveille, a joint venture between Ben Silverman and Universal Television Group, develops, produces and distributes new and non-traditional programming formats for television and motion pictures across a variety of genres, including comedy, drama, game, and reality. In Television, Reveille develops projects for all of the broadcast and cable networks, including such current projects as, Adrenaline X on NBC, Coupling on NBC and Nashville Star on USA Network. Reveille also identifies integrated marketing opportunities for leading advertisers and develops alternative financing for films and television programs.
