“I’m excited for the opportunity to contribute to ESPN’s NBA postseason coverage,” said Carlesimo. “I look forward to sharing a coach’s perspective, along with insights from nine playoff appearances, with ESPN viewers and NBA fans.”

Carlesimo has 39 years of basketball coaching experience, most recently as the head coach of the Brooklyn Nets, who he led to the 2013 NBA Playoffs. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame as part of the 1992 U.S. Men’s Basketball team (assistant coach). He has previously worked as an analyst for ESPN, ESPN Radio, NBC Sports, Turner Sports and Spurs Television.

***
Enjoy the comedy stylings of Ian Darke and Steven “Macca” McManaman as ESPN wishes BPL’s new home the best in its upcoming coverage:

“Who were those two lunatics?!” – Macca

***

And now, the Tweetback. . .

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X Games analyst Kevin Robinson. (Joe Faraoni/ESPN Images)

BARCELONA, Spain — Kevin Robinson, a 22-year veteran BMX rider, pulls double duty at the X Games. Since 2011, he’s also been an on-air analyst for ESPN.

Injuries have sidelined Robinson, 41, but he is keen on competing at X Games Munich and X Games Los Angeles later this summer. Robinson tells Front Row how he remains a top-flight rider while honing his craft as an analyst for X Games Barcelona, which air across ESPN platforms through tomorrow.

How did you become an X Games commentator?
In Winter 2011, I was “T-boned” by a car and broke my shoulder. That took me out for the season. I told ESPN I would love to be involved [with X Games] but because I wasn’t able to compete, what can we do? That’s when they brought me into the booth, and I fell in love.

How do you prepare for competition and work for ESPN in the same day?
I try not to overthink it. I come in and try to do my job. With riding, I just try to stay as relaxed as I can. I’ve done it a million times. I go out there and try to stay as healthy as I can.

In Foz do Iguaçu, [Brazil], I crashed. My first thought was [I need to] talk to my family and let them know I”m all right. My next thought was I need to be OK to work the ESPN telecast that night, so I called production to let them know I would be there. When I put that headset on, I get that same adrenaline rush and competing is way more relaxed for me.

How is X Games different than some of the other events you’ve been a part of?
The X Games has worked all these years because they’re doing it right. It’s all about progression and moving forward. They’ve listened to the athletes and they keep trying to make improvements. That’s been the key to success, listening to each other and constant communication. We all want to move forward and grow. It’s not just a competition, it’s a lifestyle. That’s what’s important to me when working an ESPN event, to tell the stories of the athletes.

Kevin Robinson in action at the X Games in Los Angeles.
(Christian Van Hanja/ESPN Images)

ICYMI: Highlights from the past week on Front Row

• KIA NBA Countdown’s Jalen Rose and Bill Simmons helped to feature the ‘greatest Nerf dunker ever’ in Tosh.0′s “mockumentary” dubbed 30 for 30.0 (a spin on the esteemed ESPN Films series 30 for 30).

• Graduation season is in full swing, and this year, several ESPN commentators have the honor of giving commencement speeches at a variety of schools. Front Row asked them about the thrill of having such a unique opportunity.

• ESPNU’s coverage of the NBA Draft Combine began this week. The exclusive live coverage included interviews as well as an inside look at how the expected top draft picks faired in several skills challenges. Front Row sat down with the newly re-signed Andy Katz to discuss this year’s Combine.

• This week was the annual ESPN Upfront at the Best Buy Theater in New York City. Front Row spoke with Mark Baltazar, CEO and Managing Partner of Broadstreet, who has produced seven upfronts for ESPN. Baltazar shared some of the details of creating an upfront.

Row of Four
Our favorites from across ESPN over the past week

• Nine-year-old Alayna Adams got a great surprise after throwing out the first pitch during Thursday’s Red Sox-Rays game

• Grantland’s Jonathan Abrams talked to a few NBA legends about pro basketball travel before private jets and chartered buses

• E:60 reporter Tom Rinaldi on the journey of Mets AAA catcher Landon Powell, battling through a disastrous injury, a sudden disease and the loss of his infant daughter

• Enjoy an array of photos in this gallery from ESPN Images

Barb Blake contributed to this post

NEW YORK — On Wednesday, ESPN Deportes held its Upfront presentation at the Hearst Building, where the network unveiled some of the new initiatives planned for next year while reinforcing the brand’s advantages in the marketplace. The presentation was led by some of ESPN and ESPN Deportes’ most renowned on-air talent who highlighted the brand’s ability to deliver sports content that is relevant to the Hispanic fan, anytime, anywhere.

The major announcements made during the presentation included Road to Brazil: Game around the Game, in anticipation to the World Cup, the NBA Finals in Spanish and ESPN Sync, a new second-screen experience for our Spanish-speaking sport fans. Here, we recap via photo gallery some of the most outstanding moments of the presentation.

MLB reporter Buster Olney spoke at the Northern State University commencement ceremony.

Mike Tirico participates in the commencement ceremony at Syracuse University. (Photo credit: Syracuse University)

Graduation season is an exciting time of year at campuses across the country.

High school and college students receive their diplomas, marking the culmination of years of hard work, study and hopefully a little fun as well.

Before students go out into the “real” world or matriculate to college, they will hopefully take away one last lesson from the commencement speakers at their graduation ceremonies.

This year, several ESPN commentators have the honor of giving these speeches. Front Row asked them about the thrill of having such a unique opportunity and to share the words of encouragement they will pass along to the 2013 graduates.

Monday Night Football, NBA and golf play-by-play voice Mike Tirico gave the keynote address at his alma mater, Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, on May 11:

“I was excited to address the graduates but had no idea how emotional it would turn out to be. It truly turned into a day I will never forget. The highlight was shaking hands with the graduates as they walked across stage after their names were called. Their kind words and the smiles on their faces will stay with me for a long time. It goes down as one of the most rewarding days I have ever spent on campus.”

Sample reaction to Tirico’s speech:

“I wanted to focus on the idea of community, which is very strong at Northern State and in Aberdeen, S.D., through the life of Don Meyer and the death of Bryce Anglin. When Coach Meyer called me to ask if I would do this, my first question was: do you think I’d have anything worthwhile to say to them?”

Sample reaction to Olney’s speech:

“My primary message is to encourage the graduates to follow their passion. My career path has hardly been typical of most PTs but I always knew where my primary interests were – combining sports, medicine and education. I’ve been blessed to have a number of supportive people in my corner along the way when I entertained ideas that seemed outrageous (talking about injuries in fantasy football, for instance). If you discover what you’re passionate about and pursue that course, even if the path may take a lot of unexpected twists and turns, you will find personal and professional fulfillment.”

On Saturday, ESPN Radio host Freddie Coleman will speak at Mansfield University, his alma mater:

“To be selected to give the commencement speech is definitely the highlight of my professional life. I can’t even imagine what it will be like to be up on that stage and I can’t wait to find out. As for my remarks, I definitely want to let the graduates know that a sense of entitlement is the WORST thing that you can have if you are going to succeed.”

National correspondent Sal Paolantonio will give a pair of speeches this month. On Saturday, he will address graduates at his alma mater, the State University of New York (SUNY)-Oneonta, where he will receive the degree of honorary doctorate of Humane Letters. On May 30, he will speak to high school graduates at Saddlebrook Prep in Tampa, Fla.

Paolantonio’s message to the college graduates will be different from what he shares with the high school students: “At SUNY, the basic theme will be that when you leave college, you will quickly find out that life is blocking and tackling at the sidewalk level. You will have to compete to be great at something – compete every single day. I will tell them to pick something and be great at it. But don’t do it just for the money.”

On his remarks to the high school students, Paolantonio said: “I’m going to use the message at the entrance to the Hayden Planetarium in New York City pointed out to me by my English teacher when we went on a class trip the year after man landed on the Moon. It says, ‘All seats provide equal viewing of the universe.’ It’s a metaphor, of course: it doesn’t matter where you sat in that planetarium, you could see all the stars. And the same goes for life. It’s up to you to take advantage of it.”

Kristen Hudak contributed to this post

Before we get to your questions, here’s a quick programming reminder for college softball and baseball fans: The NCAA Softball Regionals start today at 3:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2 and ESPNU, with two of what could be 97 games played between now and June 5 (see complete schedule). NCAA Baseball Conference Championship Games start Sunday at 2 p.m. on ESPN3 with the Southwestern Athletic Conference Championship (see complete schedule). In total, ESPN platforms will show 70 baseball conference tournament games between Sunday and May 26.

And now onto your questions . . .

Miguel Cabrera and the Detroit Tigers face Texas on this week’s Sunday Night Baseball
(Allen Kee/ESPN)

Is ESPN showing Monday Night Baseball and Wednesday Night Baseball games at the end of May? Also, it appears there are no Sunday Night Baseball games scheduled for the end of July. — Molly
No worries Molly, ESPN’s Monday and Wednesday night games are chosen one week ahead of time. Sunday night game selections for the month of June, July 7 and July 28 will be made three weeks in advance. In addition, August and September game selections will be made two weeks in advance.

Schedule reminder: This week, Sunday Night Baseball features 2012 American League Triple Crown winner Miguel Cabrera and his Detroit Tigers visiting the Texas Rangers (8 p.m., ESPN/WatchESPN.) Next week, Monday Night Baseball and Wednesday Night Baseball will feature the New York Yankees visiting the Baltimore Orioles (7 p.m. each night, ESPN/WatchESPN).

Can you provide me a complete list of the 30 for 30 programs? Also, when do they air? — Susan
You’ll find everything you want to know about 30 for 30 (Volumes 1, 2 and Shorts) on the 30 for 30 website. If you haven’t heard, a new set of 30 for 30 films is on the horizon. Topics to be covered will include, among others, Jimmy Connors, Maurice Clarett, the Sugar Ray Leonard-Roberto Duran rivalry, the Tonya Harding-Nancy Kerrigan saga, and the Bad Boy Detroit Pistons of the late 80s-early 90s. Also, don’t forget to watch the new Nine for IX series, which starts July 2 with Venus Vs.. Lastly, you can always purchase the complete series or individual films.

Serena Williams during the 2012 US Open.
(Scott Clarke / ESPN Images)

Click HERE to listen or visit iTunes to download the podcast and be sure to SUBSCRIBE to the Front & Center podcast. Also, make sure to check out the ESPN Radio app, available for the iPad.

On Thursday, ESPN and the United States Tennis Association announced a landmark, 11-year agreement making the network the exclusive home of the US Open starting in 2015.

Jason Bernstein (ESPN)

With this new deal adding about 30 hours of US Open television coverage to the 100 or so ESPN has aired since 2009 — including Labor Day weekend, the semifinals in prime time and both the women’s and men’s finals — and countless hours on ESPN3 covering the outer courts, ESPN will now air the championship in three of the four tennis majors.

In addition, all telecasts will be available on WatchESPN. In an expansion of offerings, over the term of the agreement ESPN will make every match on all 17 tournament courts available on ESPN3, up from six.

Jason Bernstein, Senior Director, Programming & Acquisitions, oversees ESPN’s tennis business — the acquisition and scheduling of content and working with rightsholders to maximize the relationship.

He spoke to Front Row after the announcement to discuss the new agreement; how it will enhance the network’s “tennis narrative”; the extensive use of ESPN3, the plans for potential weather issues and ESPN’s overall tennis strategy.

ESPN’s Chris Mullin (L) and Bruce Bowen (Joe Faraoni/ESPN Images)

ESPN’s NBA Playoffs coverage continues tonight (10:30 p.m. ET) with Game 6 of the San Antonio Spurs-Golden State Warriors Western Conference Semifinals series. With the Spurs up 3-2 in the series, the host Warriors must win tonight to force Game 7. ESPN analyst, Basketball Hall of Famer and Warriors legend Chris Mullin will be courtside to provide commentary for ESPN Radio. As a player, Mullin led the Warriors to five playoff appearances between 1987 and 1994.

This week, he joined colleague and ESPN NBA analyst Bruce Bowen, whose extraordinary defense helped lead the Spurs to three championships between 2003 and 2007, to preview the Game 6 showdown in Oakland, Calif. Despite the storied history that both men have with their respective teams, Mullin and Bowen said they have no trouble remaining impartial as analysts.

“I don’t have an emotional connection,” said Mullin. “You get that from the day-to-day preparation as well as the highs and the lows your team deals with throughout the season. I find it is easy to analyze with a neutral perspective. And I can certainly sleep easier after the games.”

“Just because I have an affiliation, I don’t allow that to sway my thought process considering any team,” said Bowen. “We’re giving an opinion from the players’ perspectives. Knowing the organization the way we do, in some cases, it makes it easier to say they need to do a better job in certain areas. It is really such a delicate job. You don’t want people to ever feel that your judgment could be clouded.”

Mullin’s Keys for the Warriors:

[Center] Andrew Bogut has been a difference-maker in their wins. In Game 5, he looked passive. He may have tweaked his ankle. They need Bogut on the boards and to be a defensive presence. He guards [Spurs center] Tim Duncan one-on-one very well. Bogut also intimidates and protects the rim when he is engaged.

I believe the Warriors have to have better games from [guards] Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. They need to free them up better and find them in early transition to get better shots. They have to keep turnovers down. The Warriors rely on their offense to get their energy and effort on defense. They need to get shots on each possession.

Bowen’s Keys for the Spurs:

San Antonio has experience being in situations like this and they have had success. Golden State is in uncharted waters. With the exception of the six-minute mark in the fourth quarter, San Antonio has played even better at Golden State than it has at home in the first two games. I believe that letdown in the fourth quarter is what will allow San Antonio to win Game 6 in Oakland. The Spurs know they didn’t play complete games. They want to go out and redeem themselves.

Defending is always the No. 1 key for the Spurs. They’ve been able to really zone in on Klay and Steph to limit their effectiveness. What they have to be aware of is someone else having a big game — a guy like [Warriors forward] Harrison Barnes. They have to pay attention to detail with Barnes and go from there.

Dottie Pepper (Photo credit: PGA of America/Montana Pritchard Photography)

Dottie Pepper, a major championship-winning professional golfer, as well as a respected television commentator and author, has joined ESPN’s golf coverage team and will make her debut at next month’s U.S. Open. She will work as an analyst, anchor and on-course reporter and write for ESPN.com.

Front Row caught up with Pepper to talk about her new role.

How did joining ESPN come about?
Basically it was my desire to really do the best events in golf, and that’s what ESPN does. As [ESPN VP, Production] Mike McQuade said, there’s not even playoffs, we play the World Series every time we go on the air, and that was very appealing to me. And because of the fewer number of events that ESPN covers, I’ll still be able to do the things that I want to do with the PGA of America, with junior golf, with growing the game in general, and frankly being home and having a more normal life while still being able to be at all the best in golf.

Dennis Miller wearing Dottie Pepper’s dress at the 1993 ESPYs. (ESPN)

Judy Rankin has been a golf analyst for ESPN since 1984. How big a part of your career has she been?
The very first event I ever did in television was with ESPN — the 1999 U.S. Women’s Amateur. Judy had recommended me, she actually stayed at my house. We commuted back and forth to Asheville, N.C., and I was just asking question after question after question all week long. She just laid everything out there for me.

Part of the lead-up to me joining the ESPN team was the clarification that I wasn’t going to replace Judy, I was going to work with Judy, and that was first and foremost at the top of every list we spoke about with whomever I spoke with. She’s been so valuable to me — not only as my Solheim Cup captain twice, but more so as a friend and a mentor.

You received an ESPY for Best Female Golfer in 1993. What do you remember about that night?
I remember I wore a very bad dress. Then actually when they did the 10-year anniversary, the producer came back and took my dress for the shot. I still had it in the closet and they came and got the dress. If you look back over the footage, it wasn’t just me that wore that dress — Dennis Miller wore that dress by the end of the night [in 1993]. It was the very first ESPYs, it was Fred Couples and myself for golf, and [the ESPY trophy] still sits very proudly in my office. I regularly get out the silver polish and do the top.

ESPN campus green
(Joe Faraoni/ESPN)

Today, ESPN and the USTA announced that ESPN will be the exclusive home of the US Open starting in 2015. With this 11-year agreement, ESPN will televise the championships of three of tennis’ four majors.

Tennis has been part of ESPN since the network debuted Sept. 7, 1979. The first tennis telecast was exactly one week later, Sept. 14, a Davis Cup tie, Argentina vs. USA from Memphis, Tenn. Current ESPN tennis commentator Cliff Drysdale was on the call and John McEnroe was playing.

Today, the company’s commitment to the sport is as strong as it’s ever been with all four major events and top ATP and WTA events on ESPN platforms, including the US Open Series and the season-ending championship of both tours.

ESPN’s Tim Reed at X Games Barcelona 2013
(Tom Zuccareno/ESPN Images)

BARCELONA, Spain — “My first job,” said Senior Director of X Games Content Strategy Tim Reed, “was doing athlete registration back when we used to take Polaroids of each athlete to laminate on the credential.”

Both Reed and the X Games — the Barcelona leg kicks off today (Noon ET, ESPN) — have come a long way since 1997 when he began work with the company at X Games 3 in San Diego. Now Reed is helping to expand the ESPN franchise as more than just as a competition and into a true international festival. His team not only manages the sports and competition side, it handles the lifestyle elements including fashion, music and cultural elements at each of the six locations.

Reed’s team tries to make each location unique by taking advantage of backdrops. In Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil, site of the April’s leg of Global X, “We had an opportunity to use the falls and put a ramp there,” Reed said.

“In Barcelona, the vert ramp is located on the site where diving was held in the 1992 Olympics,” he said. “That’s how we build some local flavor and texture into each location.”

The X Games has taken Reed all across the country and the world. He was an operations and venue manager for the halfpipe and big air venues at Winter X Games 2 in Crested Butte, Colo.

“From there I traveled or moved every six months until I landed in San Francisco when the X Games moved there,” said Reed, who then stayed on the West Coast when the X Games moved to Philadelphia.

“I took a full time role in the Sports and Competition department,” he said. “Primarily dealing with the course construction, course design, athletes, kind of the whole creative process for what we’re going to produce from a competition standpoint.”

He spent the next 10 years building his career in that department and eventually his responsibilities evolved into dealing with logistics, medical programs, event production and announcers.

About 18 months ago, when X Games announced its global expansion, Reed moved his family to ESPN’s headquarters in Bristol, Conn.

“The company support has been tremendous,” Reed said. “All of us getting to build out this product is amazing.”