Coming Friday: TNT's dyn-o-mite prep work for Lakers-Cavs

Andy Holzman/Daily News Staff Photographer

The TNT crew allowed us to tag along for Monday's telecast of the Kobe Bryant-LeBron James Lakers-Cavaliers contest from Staples Center on the MLK holiday, and we took it all in.

So did you.

TNT reports that game did a 2.3 rating, making it the most watched NBA game of the season on cable -- 3,654,000 viewers. Pat yourself on the back, and get ready for the Lakers' game at Boston on Feb. 5, when that rating mark will fall.

Monday's game was the most-watched on cable since TNT's season opener five years ago when the Lakers faced Dallas and Mavs owner Mark Cuban made a big deal that Kobe's trial in Colorado would really boost the audience. He was right. It was a 2.4 rating with 2.63 million homes.

Highlights of Monday's game prep included listening to Craig Sager explain where he got all his blue stuff to wear -- ostrich shoes, lizzard-skin belt and silk blazer (see above) -- and Doug Collins rifle through his brief case to produce the most color-coded stats sheets you'd ever want to see. And Marv Albert's make-up specialist working on his blush.

It was like watching Walt Disney produce an NBA game. More wonderful world of color than Jiminy Cricket could chirp at.

The pictures tell the story best, so pick up the paper version tomorrow. Hopefully we'll put up a slide show as well on the whole thing. If only they had a photo of me hugging Don Rickles in the underground parking lot as I was running back and forth from the locker room to the production truck. What a hockey puck I was.