Forward/Rewind: NBA
Editor’s Note: With this multi-week series — the Front Row Forward/Rewind, 2014/2013 — ESPN’s Communications Department takes the pulse of content executives throughout ESPN for their views on what’s ahead across ESPN for 2014 and some of what transpired in 2013. The snapshots provide a look at where ESPN has been, where it’s going and how it plans on getting there.
What was the best example of your unit’s teamwork from 2013?
When the NBA Finals roll around in June, we’re in month eight of our season and we’ve just been on the road for the NBA Playoffs. Now we have to our do our biggest show. We have about 250 people. The coordination, the commitment, all those things that go into doing the NBA Finals – you’re tired – but you have a newfound energy. It’s inspiring that this is about to happen and we’re the group that gets to do it.
What was your group’s “most social” moment of 2013?
The Los Angeles Lakers played the San Antonio Spurs in the first round of the 2013 NBA Playoffs was a our best NBA social moment. That’s the game Kobe Bryant took to Twitter (after being injured nine days earlier) and was active on social media throughout the game. He sent about a dozen tweets (urging, coaching, challenging his team) that we captured and placed into the broadcast through our graphics team. The reason it resonated for me was this was a story (Kobe out) that we were already covering but when he began to comment on Twitter during the game it became news that furthered our discussion about Kobe and the team for that day and the rest of the post season. This was our best example of when social media and voices commenting during the broadcast window can affect storytelling and advance a story.
What I would say if I was there right now? "Pau get ur ass on the block and don't move till u get it" #realtalk
— Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) April 21, 2013
What excites you most about using the new Digital Center (DC2) in 2014?
I think SportsCenter is going to be awesome. For a show that has redefined highlights and sports studio coverage for years is going to make another massive step in presentation and production. I believe it’s going to further distance itself as an innovator for studio coverage for all genres.
