Stevie Wonder, Will Smith, Alanis Morissette and Kelly Clarkson to Highlight Musical Entertainment and National Anthem Performances at the 2005 NBA Finals

Stevie Wonder, Will Smith, Alanis Morissette and Kelly Clarkson to Highlight Musical Entertainment and National Anthem Performances at the 2005 NBA Finals

- The Finals Tip Off on ABC on June 9 at 8:30 p.m. (ET) -

NEW YORK, June 6 /PRNewswire/ -- Legendary performer Stevie Wonder, recording artist and Hollywood superstar Will Smith, and multi-platinum selling artists Alanis Morissette and Kelly Clarkson will headline the pregame performances at The Finals. This is the first time all the musical performances for The Finals will be featured during pregame activities.

The Finals begin Thursday, June 9 on ABC with coverage of Game 1 beginning at 8:30 p.m. (ET). All performances will be televised by ABC in the U.S. and to more than 205 countries.

Following is the lineup of pregame performances for The Finals:

Game 1 - Thursday, June 9 at 8:30 p.m. (ET)

Smith will tip off The Finals musical lineup prior to Game 1 on Thursday, June 9 as he performs his hit single "Switch" from his recently released album LOST AND FOUND, followed by player introductions. Morissette, whose studio, acoustic song-for-song rendering of JAGGED LITTLE PILL ACOUSTIC is set for release June 13, six days after Alanis launches the "JAGGED LITTLE PILL ACOUSTIC TOUR," will then sing the U.S. national anthem, her first televised performance of the anthem since becoming an American citizen earlier this year.

Game 2 - Sunday, June 12 at 8:30 p.m. (ET)

ABC's Game 2 coverage on Sunday, June 12 will feature Clarkson singing the U.S. national anthem via satellite from the Persian Gulf where she is currently taking part in a USO tour with NBA Legends to pay tribute to the men and women of the U.S. and coalition armed forces. Her performance will include appearances by Legends Artis Gilmore, Gail Goodrich, Spencer Haywood and Dan Roundfield.

Clarkson's second multi-platinum album, BREAKAWAY, is a top 10 staple on the charts and features such #1 hits as "Breakaway," "Since U Been Gone" and her current single, "Behind These Hazel Eyes." She will launch "THE HAZEL EYES TOUR" sponsored by Schick Intuition on July 6 in Lubbock, TX.

Game 3 - Tuesday, June 14 at 8:30 p.m. (ET)

For Game 3 on Tuesday, June 14, Wonder will perform both the U.S. national anthem and his new single "So What The Fuss" from his highly anticipated album A TIME TO LOVE.

The Finals will tip off on Thursday, June 9 and will feature the San Antonio Spurs and (Detroit Pistons/Miami Heat) competing for the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy. ABC Sports is the exclusive home of The Finals with Emmy Award-winning broadcasting Legend Al Michaels and basketball Hall-of-Famer Hubie Brown calling the action. The Finals will also be televised in 205 countries in 45 languages with the schedule as follows: GAME 1 - Thursday, June 9 @ 8:30 p.m. (ET); GAME 2 - Sunday, June 12 @ 8:30 p.m. (ET); GAME 3 - Tuesday, June 14 @ 8:30 p.m. (ET); GAME 4 - Thursday, June 16 @ 8:30 p.m. (ET); GAME 5* - Sunday, June 19 @ 8:30 p.m. (ET) - *If Necessary; GAME 6* - Tuesday, June 21 @ 8:30 p.m. (ET) - *If Necessary; GAME 7* - Thursday, June 23 @ 8:30 p.m. (ET) - *If Necessary.

Source: NBA

CONTACT: Gena Gatewood of NBA, +1-212-407-8086, or ggatewood@nba.com

Web site: http://www.nba.com/

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