Jimmy Kimmel Pits Busboy Versus LeBron

By Nicki Gostin Posted Jun 3rd 2010 04:51PM

Starting Thursday night, Jimmy Kimmel will host a special half-hour show before each game of the NBA Finals. Guests on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live: Game Night' include some people you don't usually relate to basketball (Russell Brand, Drew Barrymore) and some that do (LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony). 'Game Night' has been a tradition for the past two finals, and Kimmel even entertained the basketball fan-in-chief, President Barack Obama. In a quick chit-chat with PopEater, Kimmel talks about what to expect from the show, his plans for summer and whether he thinks Conan O'Brien made the right move by linking to TBS.

So what can we expect from 'Game Night' this year?
Well, we found this busboy at Barney's beanery; it's a little bar down the street from us. This busboy is an unbelievable popper shot [bar basketball game] player. The guy is phenomenal, so he's going to play LeBron, Charles Barkley, Kobe Bryant and probably destroy them. I think it will be very funny to see these guys who make 50 million dollars a year get beaten by a busboy.

Do you play much basketball in your free time?
I played when I was a kid, but I'm a very bad basketball player. I'm very good at watching it though. I'm one of the top basketball watchers in the country.

Are you paying him?
Everyone gets paid for going on TV ... Believe me, he'll make a lot compared to what he usually gets.

Is it a hot ticket to be invited to Jimmy Kimmel's house to watch basketball?
It's always a hot ticket, because I have a 103-inch flat screen television set. People are lined up outside to watch sports at my house.

Can an actor come if his last couple of movies have bombed?
Yes. It's mostly my friends from high school. It's not like your IMDB chart number has to be above 2,000.

What food do you serve?
I like to barbecue. I'll make ribs and chicken and steak. I'll go crazy. I even have a slew of aprons with profanities on them.

Gimme one example.
My sister gave me one that says, instead of kiss the cook, one of the o's is crossed out and another letter is added. The dumber the better.

Aren't you a good cook?
For a home cook, I'm pretty good. Every year, I do a giant traditional seafood Italian Christmas Eve dinner. It's gotten out of hand. It's like a hundred people. I don't cook it all myself. I cook it with my mother and a couple of cousins. I run the kitchen myself. There's a lot of yelling that goes on.

What are you doing this summer?
I'm going fly fishing in Oregon.

Do you have wading boots and a hat with little hooks hanging off it?
Yes, yes. Let's not diminish this sport, but yeah I have all the stuff, a ridiculous amount of equipment. You'd think I was a champion fly fisherman from the amount of equipment I've purchased. I'm not, though. I'd say I'm an intermediate fisherman.

What's your take on the whole Jay/Conan mess?
I think it's all kind of settled down. I think going to TBS will be a good thing for Conan.

Ever want to be on earlier?
I'm hoping to bump 'The View.'

'Jimmy Kimmel Live: Game Night' airs on ABC at 8PM before each game of the NBA Finals.