NBA Martin Luther King Day: League Giving Fans 11 Hours of Basketball on Monday

The NBA has decided to celebrate Martin Luther King Day, Monday, Jan. 19, in a big way this year: The league's slate of 12 games will stretch approximately 11 hours and includes four nationally televised contests.

Along with the competition, the league also dropped a new "MLK" television spot today, featuring the "I Have a Dream" speech noting several photos of prominent African-American basketball accomplishments.

According to BMI Elite, the spot will run for five weeks.

From the report: The campaign will also include mentorship programs for students, a video on why Charlotte Hornets forward Marvin Williams is passionate about African-American history and an NBA Inside Stuff piece which will highlight Orlando Magic forward Tobias Harris's grandfather, who was a Tuskegee Airman.

Check out the commercial and full slate of games below:

2:00 p.m. ET - Minnesota Timberwolves at Charlotte Hornets [NBA League Pass]
2:00 p.m. ET - Philadelphia 76ers at Washington Wizards [NBA League Pass]
2:30 p.m. ET - Detroit Pistons at Atlanta Hawks [ESPN]
3:30 p.m. ET - Boston Celtics at Los Angeles Clippers [NBA League Pass]
4:00 p.m. ET - Denver Nuggets at Golden State Warriors [NBA League Pass]
5:00 p.m. ET - Dallas Mavericks at Memphis Grizzlies [NBA TV]
5:30 p.m. ET - Indiana Pacers at Houston Rockets [NBA League Pass]
5:30 p.m. ET - New Orleans Pelicans at New York Knicks [NBA League Pass]
7:30 p.m. ET - Chicago Bulls at Cleveland Cavaliers [TNT]
8:00 p.m. ET - Toronto Raptors at Milwaukee Bucks [NBA League Pass]
10:00 p.m. ET - Sacramento Kings at Portland Trail Blazers [NBA League Pass]
10:00 p.m. ET - Los Angeles Lakers at Phoenix Suns [TNT]

Readers: Will you be catching any of the games? Which one are you most looking forward to seeing? Let us know down in the comments section below.

Tags

Nba, Basketball