Wizney World Blog

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As I write to you, we are in the air heading back to the nation’s capital after 38 days in Orlando. In what has been an experience full of personal and professional growth, I hope this final blog post can sum up our final day and my experience with the team.

My day started at 8:00 A.M., as I needed to get ready and put the finishing touches on my packing. I have a lot of luggage with me – eight bags to be exact – with five of the eight being video equipment. We had to bring our luggage down before 9:30 A.M. as well as get tested. I had a few minutes to even eat some breakfast before heading to the arena.

The team earned a much-needed win on the court this afternoon, anchored by another strong performance from Thomas Bryant (26 points, nine rebounds, four steals, and two blocks). Troy Brown Jr., Ish Smith, Johnathan Williams (16 rebounds!), and others stepped up with Rui Hachimura sitting the game out.

Bryant was especially excited after the game, and I think a lot of guys felt the same way. Even if it was a win against a Celtics team resting six of their players, getting that victory before we left gave us a bit of satisfaction. In Coach Brooks’ message to the team postgame, he thanked the players, coaches, and training staff for all of their hard work to get us to this point. The work will not stop; this is a pivotal offseason and our players need to be ready to go whenever basketball does resume for the 2020-21 season.

After we finished the game and media responsibilities, we stopped by a hotel space by where most of our practices were. They had food and hotel rooms available for us to use for about an hour before we headed to the airport. Of course, I almost missed the bus, but I’ll spare you that story to avoid further humiliation. Just remember, the 4:00 P.M. bus leaves at 4:00, not 4:01. Our flight took off around 5:45 P.M. as another bus will await us in D.C. to take us back to Capital One Arena.

As I reflect on this experience, three things continue to come to my mind: the camaraderie, basketball utopia, and personal and professional growth.

First off, it goes without saying that all of us in the travel party got closer from this experience. It really hit me how short-staffed we were compared to usual when we got on the plane home today. There were so many empty chairs, and it made me realize how many of us were doing way more than ours jobs normally entailed.

Almost all of us usually travel with the team to begin with, but to be together in a confined space for over five weeks forced us to become even closer. No person was treated differently than the next, and we truly went through this experience together. I will miss all of the laughs in the meal rooms, playing tennis, talking hoops with our players, coaches, and Tommy Sheppard, and so much more. The good news is that we’ll all be back together again once the season resumes, and we’ll be ready for whatever needs to happen in order to play basketball safely again.

If you love basketball, the Orlando bubble may be the biggest hoops utopia in history. If you weren’t playing or practicing, there was always a game on to watch. Teams would connect at the restaurants and bars by just watching the game. As Moe Wagner told me yesterday, it’s crazy just how the simple game of basketball made this possible. I’m someone who believes in the power and importance of sport, and this proved my theories even more.

Lastly, I was able to try things I had never done before. With only one content person in the bubble, I was asked to be a jack of all trades: take photos, shoot video, interview players, write, help with public relations responsibilities (not that Scott Hall needed my help!), and much more. This concludes my fourth season with the team and sometimes I think I’ve seen it all, but there is always room to grow and something new to learn.

As we look forward to the future, there’s a lot of footage both Troy Brown Jr. and I have taken that we haven’t realized yet. Some of that will be in the final episode of Troy’s vlog, but we also will have a documentary coming out of the bubble experience soon (breaking news).

The NBA Draft Lottery is already this Thursday (a week from today!), so that’s the next big thing on our agenda. The Wizards have the ninth-best odds for the number one pick. The NBA Draft is tentatively October 16, so there will be a few months in between. We’ll certainly have you covered during that stretch about prospects.

We went into this season knowing that John Wall could miss the entire season, so it would be a year of development for the Wizards. Bradley Beal jumped from an All-Star caliber player to an elite, All-NBA star. Davis Bertans electrified our bench and proved he’s one of the best shooters in the world. Thomas Bryant, Troy Brown Jr., Rui Hachimura, and more young players are all pieces this team can build around. With a first-round pick and the Bulls’ second-round pick in this draft, there are more young, hungry players on the way. Couple that with an All-Star backcourt and the possible re-signing of Davis Bertans, next season is going to be very fun to watch.

This blog concept got a lot of love, so I’m guessing this won’t be the last time you read my writing in this format. Still, I appreciate everyone who came along the ride to Wizney World and I hope you were able to see yourself in my shoes for the 38 days we were gone. Thank you for following our journey, and I look forward to sharing even more behind the scenes footage in our documentary.

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Wizney World Blog: The finale

Man, time flies. Tonight (Wednesday) is our last night staying in Orlando, as the team will depart back to D.C. following our game against the Celtics at Noon on Thursday.

A brief rundown on what we’ve been up to: Monday was a light practice day since we would hold shootaround Tuesday morning. Before our game against the Bucks on Tuesday night, voting rights activist and author Stacey Abrams spoke to our team and the Mystics via Zoom in what was a powerful and informative conversation about voting. Abrams is somebody I’ve always enjoyed listening to, and her knowledge and experience fit right in with our When We All Vote partnership!

The game started at 9:00 P.M. on Tuesday night. I don’t think we’ve ever had a game start that late in local time. The whole Giannis head-butt thing took the headlines, but we struggled to keep up with a championship-caliber team, even without some of their top players. Still, like every game and practice down here, it was a big opportunity. Rui Hachimura took nine 3-pointers, an element of his game that is quickly evolving. Troy Brown Jr. started at point guard for the first time in his career. Those are things that would not have happened in a normal season and with the team’s full roster available.

We started Wednesday with another guest speaker, as the full company and teams heard from author and historian Ibram X. Kendi. Similar to Stacey Abrams, Professor Kandi brought up important topics that need to be discussed, even if they’re uncomfortable conversations. We practiced in the afternoon, as we wanted to keep focus on our last opportunity on Thursday against the Celtics, who will be resting most of their main rotation players.

It was also a hectic day filled with exit interviews, in which both Tommy Sheppard and Coach Brooks met with each player. In those meetings, they typically talk about their progress year over year and what each guy should work on in the offseason. In the afternoon, I filmed something quick with Moe Wagner, but we also witnessed Zion Williamson catch a fish, which was funny.

At night, the team hosted one last dinner, courtesy of Morton’s The Steakhouse. I had a juicy filet mignon with some Brussels sprouts on the side. Tommy said some words to the group of players, coaches, and staff, thanking everyone for making this experience so great. The staff also had a get together after, with dessert and drinks while we watched some of the basketball being played only a few minutes away.

To echo what Tommy said to us, this really has been a great experience. Yes, it’s hard to be secluded in a contained space and be away from our families and loved ones, but we really built a strong camaraderie here and it turned into a very manageable and fun atmosphere. We would’ve obviously wanted to win more games, but everybody I’ve spoken to – players, coaches, and staff – feels that they have grown personally and professionally. Our players improved on the court and we all built an even stronger bond. I’ll reflect more on my personal experience on my last post for Friday, but those are just some initial thoughts.

Thursday is going to be a hectic day, to say the least. We need to bring our luggage down and test prior to 9:30, and the buses will be running at 8:45, 9:30, and 10:00 ahead of our Noon game. After the game, we’ll be heading over to another hotel for players and coaches to shower. Then, we’ll catch our flight back to D.C. and likely land between 7:00 and 8:00 P.M.

My fun tidbit for the night took place on the tennis court. A group of us have been playing consistently, especially the past week. Assistant coaches Corey Gaines and Jarell Christian, training staff members Steve Smith and Blair O’Donovan, and I have played some competitive matches. I played junior varsity tennis in high school (my school was really good; also, I wasn’t that good), so I was very willing to join in. We were playing at 10:00 P.M. after the team dinner and dessert, and the lights went out on us in the middle of a point. The match was pretty heated (Steve and I vs. Blair and Corey has become a bit of a rivalry), but we just had to drop everything. One day we’ll be able to resume the match – it was 3-6, 3-3, advantage Steve and I.

I just wanted to give special shout outs to so many people here at the Yacht Club and the NBA campus who have made this experience so seamless. Our NBA liaison, Daniel Feinberg, has been tremendous. Our bus drivers Mary, Cliff, and George are amazing. We’ve loved seeing the nurses who test us every day. The hotel staff has been helpful and friendly. It’s been cool to connect with the other teams staying at our hotel, especially with the Trail Blazers and Suns being the two most exciting teams in the bubble so far.

Well, that will do it from Yacht Club. Stay tuned for my final post at the end of the week and take care!

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Wizney World Blog: Farewell, Yacht Club

Hope everyone had a great weekend! After being officially eliminated over the weekend, this will be our last week in the bubble. Five-plus weeks later, we will head back to D.C. later in the week.

On Saturday, the morning after the team was eliminated from a possible play-in game after a loss to the Pelicans, we still went to work. The players and coaches had a two-hour film session, followed by low-minute players getting practice time in. The commitment to getting better, despite one of our goals of making the playoffs, was on full display on Saturday.

The team held another quick film session before the game Sunday, but unfortunately a poor start was too much to come back from against OKC. The early start time is an easy excuse, but everybody was disappointed considering we hadn’t dropped a dud like that since we got here. Still, there are two more opportunities coming up against the Bucks and Celtics this week to get better.

Reality is really setting in now that we’ll be leaving in less than a week. I’ve been taking more video to document the everyday stuff I’m used to that many people have not seen – testing, the Yacht Club campus, the arenas, and more. It took a bit to get adjusted here, but we’re so used to everything here now. Transitioning back to our usual lives, though not normal by any means, will require an adjustment in itself.

Many have said, “How will the teams that make a deep run manage to stay in the bubble until October?” Honestly, I think everyone will be just fine. Everyone is in grind mode now, and the accomodations are not much different than what these teams are used to. There’s no travel to other cities and you aren’t with your family and loved ones. But, during the playoffs, we almost have no time for anything but the playoffs, whether you work on the basketball or the business side.

Thank you for Front Office Sports for showcasing our Wizney World Blog and the Japanese version, Ohayo Wizards!

I also appreciated the shout out that the NBC Sports Washington team gave me in the fourth quarter of the broadcast on Sunday. Special thanks to play-by-play man Justin Kutcher, analyst Glenn Consor, and producer Rich Wolff, all of who are part of our usual traveling party and great people I’ve gotten to know very well. I appreciate the support that our content team back home has given me, as well.

To round out this post, I caught up with Dr. Daniel Medina, who is Monumental Basketball’s Chief of Athlete Care &amp; Performance. Dr. Medina and his group have done a phenomenal job keeping us safe and healthy since this entire journey began in late June.

1. What has the experience been like for you personally and professionally?

Professionally, it has been a really unique experience. It’s hard to believe that it was only 6-8 weeks ago that making it to the bubble and then being able to restart the season seemed like a chimera for most of us. Having the opportunity to participate directly in the process the NBA has put in place with the teams to create the safest possible environment has been really enriching professionally. The opportunity to live 24/7 with our athletes and coaches has also created spaces for interaction that we normally don’t have. I have had similar experiences with FC Barcelona during the summer tours in the U.S. or Asia, but definitely the bubble aspect makes this experience a unique experience. In a more personal side, it has been hard being away from the family. Definitely the most taxing aspect of the bubble. On the other hand, I normally don’t have much time to slow down, reflect and look at the world around me with a more paused and reflective perspective; the bubble has provided those opportunities. In addition, I have had time to catch up with many colleagues and players around the League. So overall, the bubble has been a positive experience.

2. How have the Wizards and Mystics continued to adhere to the guidelines and protocols?

Both leagues have made it really easy to follow the protocols once in the bubble. Education plays a major role and we have had many meetings to remind all us that use of masks and proper physical distancing are key to avoid outbreaks. Our players and coaches have been outstanding, but I must give huge credit to Jeff Bangs, the head athletic trainer for the Wizards and Chalisa Fonza, head athletic trainer for the Mystics. They have done a tremendous job keeping everyone updated and taking care of all the details, making sure everyone is safe and to follow the most up to date protocols.

3. What is the medical setup like in the NBA campus in Orlando?

I have been in contact with many colleagues from professional soccer and basketball in Europe, and I can assure you the medical setup NBA has created in the bubble is first class. The daily screening with questionnaires, temperature checks, pulse oximetry and testing make possible a really early detection but most importantly all the details to avoid transmission have been carefully designed: number of people in rooms, buses, at the tables at the restaurant, constant cleaning of high traffic areas, etc. Regarding the medical support, we are one of the few teams to have our team physician here, Dr. Bryan Murtaugh. Along with the easy access to the campus clinic with full access to MRI, CT and a clean pathway to pretty much any hospital specialty, it makes the campus a really safe environment for our athletes to play basketball.

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Wizney World Blog: Final week, interview with Dr. Daniel Medina

It’s been exactly a month since we arrived here at the Yacht Club!

But before we get to what’s been happening here in the bubble, I wanted to send our love to Ms. Ruby Redcross, who works the front desk for the staff entrance at Capital One Arena. She’s simply one of the kindest people you will ever meet, and all of us at the Wizards and MSE are thinking of her.

Since I last wrote to you, we played the Sixers in what was a tough loss, but an encouraging game from our young players. As Coach Brooks said, Thomas Bryant played the best defensive game of his career. Bryant, Troy Brown Jr., Jerome Robinson, and more continue to gain valuable experience here, and it’s going to be super exciting to see them all play with Bradley Beal, John Wall, Rui Hachimura, a first-round pick, and hopefully Davis Bertans next season.

The Philly game was our first time at The Arena, the main home for national TV matchups and the top games of the day. It felt like we were finally back in an arena for a game instead of a field house, even without the fans. The lighting was outstanding and I was able to film from a riser and get another unique viewpoint.

Walking around the hotel, you have plenty of random interactions with the other teams staying here: New Orleans, San Antonio, Phoenix, Sacramento, and Portland. I’ve run into Gregg Popovich, Alvin Gentry, Terry Stotts, Carmelo Anthony, DeMar DeRozan, Devin Booker, and former Wizards like Kelly Oubre Jr. and Jabari Parker.

My favorite interaction so far, however, took place on Wednesday night after our game and dinner. Kings guard and University of Virginia legend Kyle Guy was at the ice cream stand (open every day from 12:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M.!) when I was heading out of the convention center area toward the hotel. He was on rookie duties – he had six pizzas with him and was getting six dishes of ice cream. I held the door open for him and we chatted about our respective teams, and joked that he may have the longest rookie season in NBA history.

Earlier Thursday, Troy Brown Jr.’s sixth episode of Ballin’ in the Bubble came out, and it’s another good one. As you’ll see in the episode, I went with Troy to the barbershop, where we got to hang with Sedric and Mo, who I profiled during my own haircut experience in an earlier blog post. Assistant coach Landon Tatum was also up there getting his haircut at the same time, and we just watched hoops and hung out. There’s only more episode left since we’ll likely be leaving the bubble in a week, but this project has been so fun and memorable to work on.

On Thursday, the team went through film and had a light practice. We’ll shoot around Friday morning and get ready for 8:00 P.M. tip against the Pelicans!

After practice, I did some work and then got a call from the previously mentioned Landon Tatum. They needed a fourth player for doubles tennis, and I joined a team with strength &amp; conditioning coach Blair O’Donovan to take on Landon and assistant coach Corey Gaines. Blair and I won the first set, but Landon and Corey took the second set and tied it up. During the third set, it started to storm pretty hard, but we played through it, which completely changed the game. We ended up losing, but I’m ready for a rematch this weekend.

P.S., don’t forget to register to vote if you haven’t yet!

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Wizney World Blog: A month in the bubble

As you can imagine, it’s been a busy 48 hours with games on both Sunday and Monday. Even with all of the work, I’ve still been able to find some random Disney gems within our hotel. The food has been very solid the last couple days, with chicken alfredo, burrito bowls, and mango slices topping my list. Disney continues to make our (s)wishes come true.

During a normal situation, back-to-backs are absolutely brutal on everybody. We almost always are traveling from one city to another, landing in the second location after at least 1:00 A.M. The back-to-back here in the bubble felt more like a home-home back-to-back, something we usually have once or twice per year. It helped that both games were in the afternoon, but the team will have a full day off physically after logging so many minutes in back-to-back days.

There’s no doubt that it was a tough back-to-back. The team competed hard in both games, but didn’t make enough plays to win. The Wizards struggled to stop Caris LeVert, Jarrett Allen, and Joe Harris on Sunday, and then T.J. Warren had his way on Monday. Still, Thomas Bryant averaged 25 points and 12 rebounds in the two games, and Troy Brown Jr. continued to show his all-around game. Seeing him run the point in the final five-plus minutes of Monday’s game may have been a peak into something the Wizards will experiment with in their final five games. Like Coach Brooks mentioned postgame, Rui Hachimura had a really solid performance against the Pacers, logging a career-high in assists.

As aforementioned, the team will not do anything physically on Tuesday. There will be a film session and players will work on their recovery. After a back-to-back, massage therapist Electra Liatos will be very busy! It will be a good day for all of us to rest up with five games to go and do something off the court. I know Troy has some things planned, which you’ll be able to see in the sixth episode of his vlog on Thursday.

If you want to hear me talk more about the bubble, check out my interview with my good friend Dan Nolan (10:30 mark). This was part of our Mountain Dew Virtual Gameday show, which you can see on our channels and Monumental Sports Network on every gameday.

To end this post, I’ll be continuing my bubble interview series with Eric Sebastian, the Wizards’ director of coaching operations. Eric is one of the unsung heroes of the organization, the man with all of the answers. We would be lost without him, especially in Orlando.

1. What is your role with the team and what was your career path?

I started working in the NBA in 1994 and spent 15 years with the Denver Nuggets in media relations.  From 2009-2016, I was the Director of Basketball Operations at the University of Memphis before joining the Wizards as Director of Coaching Operations in 2016.  Here, I serve as Coach Brooks’ right-hand man and work with him to develop our daily schedule, among other things.  I’m in charge of communicating that schedule to the Monumental Basketball staff and arranging for any logistical support – buses, planes, hotels, practice space, etc.  I also set up our coaches’ meetings, serve as the team’s rules liaison with the NBA and work with Tommy [Sheppard] and Coach to develop a schedule for our G-League assignments.

2. What went into all of the planning to get ready for the bubble?

Oh man, lots of Zoom calls!  This is so different from anything we normally do.  Aside from Summer League, we never spend more than three or four days in one location.  We spent a lot of time trying to get an idea of what bubble life would look like and then working to get everyone familiarized and comfortable with it.  It was like trying to learn a semester’s worth in only a few weeks.  Obviously, keeping everyone healthy and safe was priority number one.

3. How has your role changed during our time in Orlando?

The core of my role has stayed the same – developing the daily schedule, communicating it, setting up coaches’ meetings and coordinating any logistics.  However, like everyone else who is down here, I’m just trying to help out wherever I can.  Whether that’s helping the equipment manager out with bags, grabbing chairs at timeouts or flashing back to my PR days by walking a wandering player to the interview room.

4. What have you noticed about the game down here and how it compares to a more traditional situation?

When I worked at Memphis, we played in the Battle for Atlantis in the Bahamas and the setup here reminds me of that with basketball courts in these huge ballrooms for practice.  It was a little bit of a shock to the system at first compared to the arenas we’re used to playing in.  But, the players have acclimated very well to the environment.  The three scrimmages were extremely helpful in getting everyone used to the lighting and sight lines of the different arenas and playing without fans.  These guys are the best athletes in the world and hoop is hoop.  Right off the bat we saw some great performances and really exciting, competitive games.  In some ways, the biggest challenges are coping with the stress of being away from our families and adjusting to new routines.  An NBA season has a certain rhythm to it – practice and shootaround times are usually the same, game times are usually the same.  Here, it’s more challenging to find that rhythm, as times are usually different day to day.

5. What have you taken away from the experience so far, both personally and professionally?

Well for one, I can’t say enough about the leadership that Tommy and Coach Brooks have provided.  Everyone is really pulling in the same direction and we truly feel like one big family.  Secondly, this experience has solidified that the NBA is the greatest league in the world when it comes to putting on events.  The level of detail that went into the planning is remarkable – from the venues to the experiences (golf, bowling, fishing), to the grooming services.  This was extremely well thought-out in a very short amount of time.  I’ve personally enjoyed the time here.  It’s been rewarding to get to develop stronger relationships with players and staff and to spend time with friends from the league and other teams.  The most rewarding thing, though, was sinking a 20-foot putt to beat Coach in a playoff.

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Wizney World Blog: Bubble back-to-back

The Wizards returned to the court on Friday for the first time in 143 days. Leading up to the game, I departed the hotel at quarter to 1:00 P.M., as games like this require a lot of pregame legwork. I wanted to make sure to capture our jerseys with pre-approved social justice names, Black Lives Matter shooting shirts, and the players arriving at the arena.

Typically on a game day on the road, which is the most similar situation to this, I arrive before any of the players get there to collect content in the locker room and the players arriving. I try to shoot video and photos of every player during warmups, attend Coach Brooks’ media availability before the game, and work with my team to make sure we post everything prior to tip.

At approximately 45 minutes before the game, our entire staff took a photo wearing the social justice t-shirts depicting the modified D.C. hands logo with a closed fist. A little background on the logo: our talented videographer, producer, editor, and all-around five-tool content creator Tania Henao thought of the design back in May. We had Emilee Fails, one of our talented photographers and content creators, then create the logo itself.

The national anthem was obviously much anticipated considering all of the discussions that have taken place leading up to this moment. Our team, along with the other 21 teams here in Orlando, decided to take a knee together for the anthem. Ian Mahinmi had been in contact with players from other teams to make sure we had a united stance heading into Friday. Scott Brooks and Suns head coach Monty Williams swapped spots to show both teams were together, and everyone locked arms. This was undoubtedly one of the most surreal moments I’ve ever witnessed during my four seasons with the team, and one that will stick with me forever.

On the court, the Wizards struggled out of the gate, and the Suns basically controlled the first quarter. Our team showed fight in the second quarter, taking the lead at one point. I thought we played much better in the game’s final 36 minutes, but when you start that slow it can be hard to come back from. Foul trouble really plagued us in the first half, and Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton ended up being too much to handle.

Here is an exclusive all-access video from the game yesterday, with behind the scenes footage and highlights from my viewpoint courtside.

Before yesterday's game, episode five of Ballin' in the Bubble with Troy Brown Jr. dropped. This is definitely the best episode yet, so make sure to check it out and subscribe to Troy's YouTube channel!

Today (Saturday), only players who played less than 15 minutes will practice. With three games in four days and a back-to-back looming tomorrow and Monday, most of the team will be focused on recovery. That means getting treatment from the training staff, going in the cold tub, and overall just taking it easy.

Looking forward to seeing more basketball the next few days, especially on Sunday against Brooklyn. In order to force a seeding game, this is essentially a must-win for the Wizards.

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Wizney World Blog: Behind the scenes of Wizards' first game in 143 days

Basketball is officially back! By the time you read this, two NBA games have already tipped off. For the first time since March 11, the NBA returned with the Pelicans vs. Jazz and Clippers vs. Lakers.

Since Monday’s exhibition against the Lakers and ahead of Friday’s matchup with the Suns, the Wizards have had three strong practices. Wednesday’s four-on-four-on-four drill, where the team divided into three teams and battled in half-court, was super competitive. The team looked game-ready during that drill on both ends of the court.

Before practice on Thursday, Coach Brooks tasked Ian Mahinmi and Isaac Bonga with a fun challenge. If either was able to roll a basketball within the paint of the opposite basket, the team would be able to take off a drill from practice. This was similar to the day Jerome Robinson made a half-court shot on his first try. Like Robinson, Mahinmi succeeded on his first try.

There’s been a lot of smack talk recently among the European players about who is the best at soccer. Ian Mahinmi, Isaac Bonga, and Moe Wagner have been going back and forth about the topic, with Admiral Schofield jumping in on the discussion. Bonga’s brother Tarsis is a professional soccer player.

After practice on Thursday, the guys were juggling and talking more about soccer, and Moe brought out this trick, which was very impressive, especially on his first try.

On Thursday night and in anticipation of our first game, we had a team dinner, catering in Oceanaire. We also celebrated all of the bubble birthdays in July: Shabazz Napier (July 14), Assistant Head Coach Jarell Christian (July 19), Head Athletic Trainer Jeff Bangs (Sunday), Troy Brown Jr. (Tuesday), Associate Head Coach Tony Brown (Wedneesday), Thomas Bryant (on Friday), and Coach Brooks (also Friday).

At dinner, General Manager Tommy Sheppard thanked the entire travel party for their hard work to get this point. It’s been quite a journey, and to be sitting together the night before the team’s first game in so long was crazy to think about. After Tommy spoke, we heard from two of the team’s pastors, who spoke about everything going on in the world and encouraged the players to continue to use their voices and platforms. After that, we all watched the powerful clip of the body of the late John Lewis traveling over the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, AL one last time. Following that special moment, we watched the first half of the Pelicans-Jazz game to tune into the first NBA action in over four months!

On Friday, basketball is finally back. Make sure to tune into our Virtual Gameday show at 12:00 P.M., which will be live on our Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube pages as well as Monumental Sports Network. Also, be on the lookout for episode five of Ballin’ in the Bubble with Troy Brown Jr.!

I’ll be heading to the arena shortly after 12:30 P.M. to get ready for our first game since March 10. It’s going to be surreal to see the Wizards play again, and I’m looking forward to capturing the experience.

To round out tonight’s post, I’m featuring my first of many interviews with fellow Monumental Sports &amp; Entertainment and Wizards employees in the bubble. First up is Chelsea Powell, who is the Wizards’ Director of Game Presentation.

1. What is your role with the NBA down here in the bubble? How did it come about?

I’m working as a producer for the NBA’s Live Programming &amp; Events group for the NBA Restart. My primary responsibility is producing, tracking, and running video content on the large LED screens that fans see around the courts here in Orlando. I have the unique opportunity to direct content in games for all the teams represented here the bubble, which is equally challenging and exciting.

Our NBA contacts reached out to the various game presentation departments from the 22 teams represented here in the bubble letting us know they’d need additional staffing for the Bubble games. After a selection process, I got the invitation to work in Orlando until September 14 (or until the conclusion of the second round of the playoffs). I’m very thankful that MSE was supportive in this decision!

2. What has your experience been like in the bubble outside of basketball?

Our schedule since exiting our 7-day quarantine has been pretty demanding, but everyone in our game presentation group is happy to be back working in arenas. We are in the arenas every day programming content, working on scripts and game cues. When we aren’t in the arena, we hop on Zoom calls to discuss upcoming games but we definitely all take advantage of our free time by hanging out at the Coronado Springs pools. Getting to hang out with and work alongside a large group of game presentation directors from other NBA teams has been a highlight of this experience for sure.

Outside of work and after-work hangouts, you can find me on FaceTime catching up with my husband and saying hi to my pets back home!

3. How does your role down here compare to your usual role with the Wizards?

I think first and foremost, I’m doing my job with the Wizards as I (almost) normally would by producing game scripts and content, but I’m multiplying it by 22 to produce all the teams down here. I have a deep appreciation for how every NBA team’s game presentation department creates their own unique homecourt advantage by running their own videos, animations, and playing their own music. The NBA has made an awesome decision to create that homecourt feel in the bubble. The game presentation bubble group’s biggest job down here is to run every game like the home team would do it – we need to run a New Orleans Pelicans game exactly like the New Orleans Pelicans’ game presentation group would, and so on. It takes a lot of work and coordination to do that, but it’s an incredibly rewarding experience to see the players on the court smiling and nodding along to things they’re used to hearing at home.

4. You’ve worked on the Wizards game entertainment content for the restart games. What’s it been like and what should fans expect?

Our game presentation department put our heads together to figure out what content resonated with our fans to make sure those pieces would have a place in the Bubble games. Putting the bubble content together took an army. A huge shoutout to our MSE productions department is in order – the list of content to create was long, and they did a great job recreating the videos and animations Wizards fans are used to seeing for the boards in the Bubble. You’ll hear some familiar sounds (“DC3!”) and see some familiar content (“Welcome to DC”) when you watch a Wizards game in Orlando. I hope the players and DC Family alike enjoy the unique viewing experience!

That’s all from me. Looking forward to sharing my experience after tomorrow’s game against the Suns. Let’s go, Wizards!

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Wizney World Blog: Wizards basketball is back

We’ve officially been in Orlando for three weeks!

Today’s big topic of discussion was what happened with the Miami Marlins and in Major League Baseball in general. The NBA ,WNBA, and NHL all took this bubble approach knowing the risks of travel and looser guidelines. Regardless, it was a sobering reminder of just how dangerous this virus is, and how careful we all need to be even with the bubble showing early success. There’s a long way to go here in Orlando still, and nothing can be taken for granted. I wouldn’t say anything changes – we are already adhering to the protocols and guidelines – but it just reminds everyone to continue to do so and not get complacent.

Looking back to Monday’s scrimmage against the Lakers, it was the team’s first experience at Visa Athletic Center. The lighting in the arena was very cool and this arena probably has the most intimate experience of the three courts. As the first game of the day, we were able to warm up on the court. There is a practice court right next to it, so it was pretty crazy postgame to have us wrapping up and have two different teams practicing right there while they prepare and sanitize the court for the next game. For example, while we did our postgame media, Michael Carter-Williams and Michael Porter Jr. were on adjacent courts warming up.

Back to the game itself, the result was certainly disappointing considering all of the progress the Wizards had made during practice and scrimmages. Still, the Wizards had strong moments and made it close at the end. Hachimura had another strong offensive performance, leading seven Wizards in double figures. Coach Brooks was not thrilled with how the team played, but this is a young, developing group here at Disney that will have moments like this. Luckily, the game didn’t count, and the Wizards can turn their attention to the seeding games beginning on Friday.

The team returned to the practice court on Tuesday morning to get some work in. It was comparatively a light practice to what the team will have on Wednesday and Thursday, in which they will specifically prepare for the Suns. It will be a busy weekend of opening play for the team, with three games in four days. Even with no travel, playing that many games right off the bat will be physically challenging after not playing a regular season game since March 10.

Tuesday was also Troy Brown Jr.’s 21st birthday! He had the rookies sing to him after practice, which is always a fun moment. Brown Jr. and his teammates went to dinner later and celebrated his birthday, which Troy assured me you’ll see in the next episode of Ballin’ in the Bubble, dropping on Friday. Having a bubble birthday isn’t ideal, but being able to spend it with your teammates is better than nothing.

In anticipation of the season restart, the NBA partnered each team with an international celebrity. The Wizards were matched with tennis star Naomi Osaka! She and Hachimura obviously have a lot in common being half-Japanese, but also half-Black in Japan where they are certainly in the minority. It was interesting to hear her thoughts on the NBA restart, Black Lives Matter, becoming an NBA fan, and more.

Some more random notes that may peak your interest. The restaurant here at Yacht Club is a big hit among those in bubble; teams from other hotels come to it routinely. By the way, buses run between the hotels every 20 minutes or so most of the hours of the day. Also, I ran into the barbers from the barbershop at Yacht Club, and they told me they're expecting a lot of clients this week ahead of season restart openers. Additionally, the Wizards will have a dinner and movie night on Thursday night. Lastly, it's a big birthday week for the team; Friday is also Coach Brooks' and Thomas Bryant's birthdays.

That’ll do it from me tonight. Looking forward to a few practice days and basketball that matters starting up league-wide on Thursday and on Friday for the Wizards!