ESPN House: New York to take over the rooftop at Pier 17 for Game 3 of the NBA Finals
To celebrate the NBA Finals presented by YouTube TV, ESPN will host a bespoke experience on Wednesday, June 5th, beginning at 6:30 pm ET that will transform The Rooftop at Pier 17 – above ESPN’s South Street Seaport studio in New York City – into the ESPN House.
The event, hosted by ESPN NBA commentator Richard Jefferson, will include a live concert from Def Jam Recordings artist 2 Chainz followed by fan experiences and music from DJ Vashtie and DJ mOma during Game 3 of the NBA Finals live on ABC.
“The NBA thrives at the intersection of sports and culture, and this iteration of ESPN House will bring those elements to life for Game 3,” states Laura Gentile, SVP of Marketing, ESPN. “It’s going to be a special experience hosting our first live concert and watching the Finals on the rooftop of Pier 17.”
ESPN and ABC coverage for Game 3 will include live look-ins during the concert and fan experience, capturing all the excitement and energy at the ESPN House. The concert will also be available free to stream on the ESPN app and on Twitter.
ESPN House: New York – originally planned for Game 1 of the NBA Finals but rescheduled due to inclement weather – will take over Pier 17, include fan activations, in addition to the concert, and live game. ESPN introduced the ESPN House franchise in Nashville at the 2019 NFL Draft. ESPN is exploring opportunities to bring the ESPN House experience to fans across the country, across key events.
2 Chainz impact is hard to put in words. The Atlanta rap veteran already has enough plaques for a lifetime and isn’t slowing down anytime soon. To put it even more clear: 2 Chainz is the voice of the South.
Since emerging on the hip hop scene as part of the successful group Playaz Circle, Chainz has become an A-List solo artist on the legendary Def Jam Recordings label. Over his career, Chainz has racked up multiple Top 5 albums, including his first solo debut album, Based on a T.R.U. Story, debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart in 2012. Since that point, Chainz has had his foot on the gas, with over ten platinum singles to his name. He’s worked with every major artist you can think of, from Kanye West to Ariana Grande, and everyone in between.
While some artists would plan to slow down after so much success, 2 Chainz is only grinding to be better. Coming off another major year in 2018 with two platinum singles (“Proud” & “Bigger Than You”), Chainz had his mind set to really get after it in 2019. What better way to go for it than an album A&R’d by LeBron James? On Rap or Go to the League, Chainz returns to his basketball roots and connects with one of the biggest stars in the world to let the world know that there’s more options than just rapping and basketball. LeBron James and 2 Chainz are longtime friends, with this being just the latest instance of their admiration of one another’s crafts. Along with the album, the two connected for a series with Apple Music that documented the making of Rap or Go to the League.
The true intersection of music and sports, this album is 2 Chainz at his most personal, most lyrical, and most soulful while delivering gem after gem about the importance of black excellence, the power of education and entrepreneurship. 2 Chainz growth is on full display and his star power has never been bigger with recent appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, ESPN’s First Take, Ellen and more. 2 Chainz has never been bigger.
