The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
NBA’s HORSE competition was at least something to watch
A sports world starved for live content received something to watch April 12.
The NBA organized a HORSE competition featuring current and former players from the NBA and WNBA, hosted by Mark Jones from his home. Per social distancing guidelines, each participant competed from their own homes in driveways and backyards.
The broadcast was something to watch. Beyond that, there wasn’t much entertainment value.
First and foremost, couldn’t someone have coordinated a better internet connection for the participants?
By the look of the additional Tiger King episode that debuted the same night, Netflix apparently sent all of the participants an iPhone and airPods that provided crystal-clear video and audio.
I’m not in the business of telling people how to spend their money, but I guess one would also just assume multi-millionaires would be able to hold a video call that shows more than five frames per second. Apparently, all footage was prerecorded, too.
The result was a broadcast that it made the first rounds of the NBA’s HORSE competition hard to watch — literally, being that most of it was difficult to hear or see what was happening. A show rife with lag spikes reminiscent of online Call of Duty games in the early aughts held back pacing and watchability.
Speaking of technical difficulties, ESPN also accidentally aired Trae Young’s cell phone number on a graphic during his matchup with Chauncey Billups. Young, whose highlights make their rounds on social media almost daily during the season, seemed like an ideal candidate for this competition.
Instead, Young lost to Billups and didn’t seem particularly interested in the match. Also, there’s no way the hoop in Young’s driveway was a full 10 feet tall.
Tamika Catchings should’ve been given a two-letter lead from the jump, at least, considering she was shooting in a driveway and Mike Conley Jr. competed from within his personal indoor court.
Most interesting from the matchup between Zach LaVine and Paul Pierce was LaVine, who resides in Washington state, played in a T-shirt while Pierce, in Los Angeles, wore a jacket over a hoodie. Viewers also received the opportunity to watch Pierce completely blow a left-handed layup.
The match between Allie Quigley and Chris Paul was the most entertaining of the four shown. Quigley defeated Paul, an early favorite to win the entire bracket, as each actually attempted creative, original shots while others just went for jumpers from behind the backboard.
Most intriguing among the whole broadcast was a glimpse inside the homes of star basketball personalities. If the novel coronavirus pandemic continues deep into the summer, the NBA may find better engagement from player-hosted tours of their personal compounds à la MTV Cribs.
The next rounds air on April 16. Billups and Conley meet in one semifinal and Quigley and LaVine in the other before the championship round will be played.
By then, hopefully the league can work out the kinks to guarantee at least 480p in its streaming quality. Otherwise, most of those watching at home will be left with a similar reaction to Pierce, leaning over squinting at a screen trying to decipher what happened.
Reach Barnes at NBarnes@News-Herald. com. On Twitter: @NateBarnes_