July 23, 2020

 

I finally get to be involved in a telecast today.  We will be broadcasting the San Antonio Spurs as they take on the Milwaukee Bucks in a scrimmage that will be televised, unbelievably, nationally on NBA TV.  A 40 minute scrimmage is going to be televised nationally.  Is this how sports starved we have become during this pandemic?

 There is interest in a scrimmage that does not have any value whatsoever, other than giving the players and broadcast teams a chance to work out the kinks prior to the season resuming on July 30?  Apparently, the answer is yes.

From a basketball lover’s perspective, the game was shit.  Zero intensity, no defense, sloppy execution, a somewhat devil may care attitude taken by each and every player.  Maybe they didn’t want to give away any secrets prior to the season resuming later in the month, but I likened this game to a European Summer League friendly.  Inside the arena, there was no buzz, no crowd cheering on the home team and jeering the visitors.  This is going to be a major hurdle for everyone involved once the games begin for real.  It is my understanding that the home team will have visuals during the game, along with sound effects and music to replicate they are playing in their home arenas. Having a home court advantage is a big deal in the NBA.  Teams play hard to achieve record that will insure playoff games be played in the warm environment they call home, so every effort is spent trying to give the “home” team here that same advantage.  But without the crowd, it is a totally different feeling.

So let’s put this in perspective.  While I am performing my job, the quieter, the better.  I can hear the director clearly in one ear, the announce team in my other ear.  It is a great advantage to be able to know what is going on , and without the noise from the fans constantly competing with the voices of the director and commentators, it is easy to shoot what is important at precisely the right time.  But, when the crowd competes with the sounds coming through my headset, it can be quite difficult.

Now let’s look at this from the point of view of the players.  They thrive on the energy emanating from the live audience, regardless if they are pro or con.  When you are playing in front of your home town fans, they can inject you with energy simply with their voices and clapping and stomping, that paired with the music blasted through the PA systems, and the accompanying visuals played on the various big screens that adorn each and every arena in the NBA.  Conversely, as a member of a visiting team, those same sense stimulants that are supposed to provoke positive responses from the home team, have the same effect on those on the other side.  There is nothing more satisfying than quieting a crowd that is overtly boisterous in their attempts to make you fail.  The arena sound is an important and integral part of the game of basketball, and any sport for that matter.  But here, it is non-existent. This has to be one, of the many adjustments, that has to be made by each and every player that steps onto the court.  There has to be a great deal of self-motivation that must be in the heart and soul of each and every player, and in my opinion, those that are able to self-motivate and put their being in the mindset that this is not your regular game scenario, will be the ones that prove to be most successful.  Basketball is a very physical game, but a large part of it I mental.  I give the edge to those that are able to recognize the challenges of this environment and have it work to their advantage.  The team that eventually claims the NBA title may not be one that is expected.

So the scrimmage was 4 ten minute quarters, unlike the normal NBA game which is 4 twelve minute quarters.  It gave the players and coaches and referees, along with game personnel, and oh, and the television crew the opportunity to perform under real game like conditions.  I can’t speak for anyone else, but as far as my job is concerned, it was quite challenging.  The large LED screens that surround the court make it very difficult to put imagery into proper focus, at least from my camera angle.  In most instances, those screens are in my background, and the brightness of those screens oftentimes blew out the images in my viewfinder.  Having this scrimmage was extremely beneficial from my perspective, as it allowed me to make changes in how I shoot these games as opposed to how I would normally shoot them. I made radical changes to my viewfinder to assist me in finding the proper focus, along with discovering what framing and composition work best. I am not surprised we had this opportunity to practice our craft prior to the NBA season restarting.  The NBA has pretty much thought of everything.