NBA Execs Discuss Creation of HORSE Competition, NBA 2K Players Tournament
With the season suspended because of the coronavirus pandemic, the NBA and those in charge of producing content surrounding the league had to make a drastic change in programming to fill the void.
Thus was born the NBA 2K Players Tournament with players facing each other in the popular video game and the HORSE competition between current players, former players and WNBA players.
Aldo DiCuffa, NBA TV's senior vice president for programming management, discussed the ideas, per Scott Gleeson of USA Today:
"We were scrambling for ideas, trying to figure out how to keep our fans engaged during these times. We asked, 'How can we have some of the excitement of live games without being able to show live games?' We already know there's a huge library of classic games, but at some point, the viewers want something new and original.
"It felt important for us to show our fans our players and their personalities competing with each other, and we got that with NBA 2K (Players Tournament). With that, it was something where we don't have a crew able to set everything up so it was sending the players game kits to their individual homes so they'd have all the appropriate things and a number to call if they needed assistance."
To say shifting from the technical undertaking that is broadcasting a live NBA game in high definition from a massive arena to filming players shooting on their own baskets at home was a change would be an understatement, as Paul Benedict, the NBA's associate vice president for broadcasting content management, described:
"To go from the way we've produced better and better for almost 50 years, in large arenas with a full-broadcast set-up—we're talking 60 cameras, a sky cam, a rail cam—to almost having to revert that content to produce the smallest show possible was like a complete 180 for us.
"We had to lean on things we've learned from our social media focus on cell phone shots to bring fans closer, in a familiar way. We were basically tying an iPad to a ladder for a lot of these shots. It was all in the spirit of being innovative and helping to give fans that sense of emotional attachment during a time when the NBA playoffs would be airing."
ESPN vice president Mike Shiffman echoed those sentiments when he said, "The goal was to provide a distraction for basketball fans who were looking to see NBA and WNBA stars compete in a safe, socially responsible manner."
The NBA 2K Players Tournament featured players with headsets on so they could talk to each other as they played.
That led to plenty of entertaining moments, especially when L.A. Clippers guard Patrick Beverley was talking trash like he does on the floor, but it was two teammates who faced off in the finals. Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker defeated big man Deandre Ayton in the championship game.
The HORSE competition provided fans with a look at some of the elaborate home-court setups some of the game's best players have, including Utah Jazz guard Mike Conley's indoor gym.
Conley busted out an array of trick shots throughout the tournament and defeated Zach LaVine in the finals after the Chicago Bulls swingman advanced that far by toeing the line on the no dunking rule with an aerial display of layups.
Booker won a $100,000 prize to donate to charity for COVID-19 relief, while Conley won a $200,000 prize to do the same thing.
