Los Angeles Lakers games to transmit in Spanish

By JUAN ESPARZA LOERA

Vida en el Valle

(Published Tuesday, October 9th, 2012 04:42PM)

History was made last Sunday at Fresno's Save Mart Center when the Los Ángeles Lakers faced the Golden State Warriors.

Not because Steve Nash played with the Lakers for the first time.

Not because Dwight Howard, considered the NBA's best center, traveled with the Lakers. (Howard is recuperating from surgery and is expected back soon).

Not because Kobe Bryant scored 10 points in less than a half of play to help the Lakers build a 56-49 halftime lead. (The Warriors won the exhibition game, 110-83.)

History was made by Francisco Pinto and Adrián García Márquez, who broadcast the first Spanish-language coverage of an NBA game through the new cable network Time Warner Cable Deportes.

"This work is very important," said Pinto during an interview hours before the game. "This is one of the best-supported teams in the world. They are the Yankees of basketball."

Pinto, who was born in Chile, is well known to Univisión viewers. He worked for three eyars at KUVS Channel 19 Univisión in Modesto/Stockton/Sacramento, before moving on as a sports reporter with KMEX Channel 21 in Los Ángeles.

Last October, Pinto accepted the role of analyst for the Lakers' games.

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