The first episode of season three was intended just to introduce the contestants and the concept, with nobody in danger of being cut. The host and judges were all the same as in season two, but the contestants and the concept were new. Instead of hiring a Sportscenter anchor, they were hiring a former NBA player to be ESPN's next NBA analyst. The five contestants were Dee Brown, Darryl Dawkins, Matt Bullard, Gerald Wilkins, and JR Reid.''''When the night was over, most of the contestants struggled because of nerves and it showed. Going into the next episodes, they have their first time behind them and they should be smoother from now on.moreless
Aired at a special timeslot: 7pm ET-8pm ET instead of the season's regular 10pm ET timeslot.
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Former NBA player Dana Barros was originally a contestant this season but dropped out at the last minute. This led to the season only having five contestants. Some reports also listed Nick Anderson as being a replacement but this did not turn out to be true.
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First ever non-elimination episode, although this was planned and was not a surprise.
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