Alan Williams was the first person to brave the anchor’s desk, hiding away on a cool USC set that was dark, save for the spotlight on Williams in his black suit and blue striped tie. Almost involuntarily, he raised his hand from the glossy desktop and nervously scratched his face.
Williams, a former NBA player, read from the teleprompter, his deep voice blaring mechanically in the nearby control room, where USC students monitored his volume and made sure the camera was level. He bobbed his head up and down, just like the aliens living in human bodies in the 90’s “Men in Black.”
“Hello all!” He said looking at the camera. “Welcome to ‘Sports Extra.’ I’m Alan Williams. The Miami Heat have successfully balanced the series against the Denver Nuggets. Coach Erik Spoelstra has led the toughness of the Miami Heat. Their identity really proves the Heat’s culture. Bye.”
The camera stopped rolling, and Williams shrugged.
“Oh my God, did you go too fast?” muttered Williams. Look around the group. Five current and former professional basketball players stood quietly in the corners. After a woman to the side reassured Williams that he was okay, he replied with satisfaction, “Man, I was just about to say. Hush?”
This elicited laughter from the group and scattered applause from the players, who, like Williams, were dressed in sleek, pressed suits. Williams took another smoother shot, prompting one of the fit men to exclaim, “That boy is good!”
Williams, 30, and the guys were at USC’s School of Journalism this month at a two-day NBA Players Association camp called Broadcaster U., now in its 15th year. They learned how to host a studio show or podcast, do color commentaries, and quickly broadcast sports debates on camera. Former NBA players such as Vince Carter, Richard Jefferson, and Shaquille O’Neal have participated in the program.
While superstars usually compete for more than a decade, the average NBA player only lasts a few years. Dozens of players will start in Thursday’s NBA draft at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, but most of them will eventually have to find a new way to make a living. Crossing over to film and television has proven to be a viable, often lucrative, alternative route, even for gamers who weren’t big stars.
With a new TV deal looming for the NBA, and streaming services and social media changing how fans interact with the game, there will likely be more opportunities for players to take advantage of.
Williams played for the Nets and Phoenix Suns from 2015 to 2019. Last year, while playing in Australia, he occasionally provided color commentary for the National Basketball League there.
“I know my time is up soon,” said Williams. “I want to be as ready for the next step as possible.”
Previn Knight, a former NBA guard who ran for the program in its inaugural year in 2008, is now a color commentator for the Memphis Grizzlies.
“When you’re done playing, you like to take some time out just to take a deep breath,” Knight said. “But I’ll tell you: spending habits persist and you always need something to come along.”
Some camp attendees have already made out-of-court pursuits. Norense Odiase, 27, plays in the developmental NBA G League, and has a self-help podcast called “Mind Bully.” Will Barton, 32, has been in the NBA since 2012 and has been released several albums For his singing career under the name Thrill. Craig Smith, 39, has spent six seasons in the NBA and has two sons Children’s book books.
Smith was then at the pinning desk after Williams, and bounced in his seat. The words on his remote were written in block letters, even though they weren’t meant to be read with enthusiasm. Someone must have forgotten to tell him.
“Hello all!” Smith almost screamed. Welcome to SPORTS EXTRA! “I’m Craig Smith! Only about 24 hours until Game 3 of the NBA Finals!”
He even stomped his feet several times.
Smith said he was inspired by the many players who started the podcast especially LeBron James and Stephen Curry, who used their fame to set up production companies.
“It affects me a lot because I feel like we have a real voice and I feel like we have the strength that comes with it, because we are more than just ‘shut up and dribble’ players, Smith said. “We have meaning and people want to hear what we have to say.”
Hours later, Rob Parker, host of Fox Sports and assistant professor at USC, gathered the players for what might be called Hot Take O’Clock to show them how to throw verbal bombs. Share directives such as “Don’t stay in the middle of the road” and “Make things you can pull off – ‘me-able’.”
““It’s okay to be wrong,” said Parker, adding that if they could have been right all along, they’d be in Las Vegas making money.
Parker frequently discusses Fox Sports host Chris Broussard on their “The Odd Couple” radio show. Williams asked Parker if he had fallen out with Broussard just because of the argument. Parker said no, and that he and Broussard discuss the topics before their show. They use those on which they disagree.
“If we all agree that LeBron is the greatest player of all time, what conversation do we have?” Parker said. “You know what I mean? There’s nothing going on here, and nobody’s going to watch it.”
Parker led players in mock debates, as if they were on “First Take” on ESPN or “Undisputed” on Fox Sports. These are among Most viewed programmes in their networks and turned their hosts into household names.
Odiase and Smith argued over whether Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler needed to win a championship to be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. Odiase said no; Smith said yes.
“How many players have taken a team of seven unqualified players, seeded eighth, to the NBA Finals?” Odiase said.
“Is it Jimmy or is it Eric Spoelstra and Pat Riley?” Parker intervened, referring to longtime Miami coach Spoelstra, and his former boss and coach, Riley.
Odiase paused.
He said, “I’m sorry.” “Before Jimmy got there, did they win without LeBron?”
“Yes, with Shaq and D-Wade,” Smith replied, referring to O’Neal and Dwyane Wade, who won a championship in 2006 with Riley as coach.
Undermining Odiase’s argument, this rebuttal drew laughter from the control room. Parker ends the segment and credits Odiase and Smith for a lively discussion.
“I don’t believe anything I say,” Odiase told Parker afterward. Later, in an interview, Odiase said he felt “very uncomfortable” arguing a point he did not support, although he believes it happens “a lot” in the sports media.
For current and former players, participating in a hot take culture means having to criticize players in ways they might not like if the comments were directed at them.
Barton said he sometimes gets frustrated when “analysts go so far from a player, especially if you haven’t played or don’t really know what the player is going through.“
He continued, “I feel like a lot of guys are trying to do that so they can go viral or feel like they’re a bigger asset to any company they’re working with because it’s entertainment.”
Players also pretended to be analysts in the NBA Finals match. Jordan Moore, the radio voice of USC men’s basketball, played it off. But first, he had a piece of advice.
“The worst broadcast if you go, ‘Oh, what a shot by Jimmy Butler! ‘” “And you go, man, what a bullet!” said Moore.
He added, “You all played in this league. I played with these guys. You have foreknowledge. That’s what you need to take advantage of. I could never have your job.”
The most serious session was about podcasting. In 15-minute clips, the players shared stories about their lives: playing on the road, dealing with fans, and growing up.
Shelvin Mack, 33, who played in the NBA from 2011 to 2019, asked 24-year-old G-League Robert Baker what it’s like to play at Harvard. Baker remembered a game against Kentucky.
“My nerves were cold,” he said. “Tip, I was warming up pretty well. I was taking shots, and then they kind of played the intro of the song, and I said, ‘Oh.'”
Mac said, “You froze?”
“Yes, brother,” said Baker, adding, “Tough day.”
Players receive their best moments from camp that they can send to the networks in hopes of getting a job. Williams said the potential financial rewards of broadcasting appeal to him, though he is “comfortable” financially. Odiase said this alternative career is a way to tap into his skills and interests other than basketball.
“Learn all aspects of yourself to grow after the game,” he said.