NBA Bubble Pt. 2 - Life Style
I’ve been getting a lot of questions about what it was like living in the NBA bubble. People think the work is cool, but most seem to be more interested in what it was like on campus with the entire crew and NBA there. Yes, we had to wear a mask everywhere and yes, we got COVID tested daily, but really it wasn’t so bad.
Everyone got their own separate rooms (of course) and personalized them to their liking. Some people brought plants and put them in their windows, some brought carpets and some brought exercise equipment. I just brought video gear and video games. Turns out I don’t need much more than that. Eventually I ended up buying a volleyball and electric skateboard. It was sort of like living on a college campus; you had neighbors, could hang out in common areas, had a dining hall, walked everywhere.
Checking out our work while at dinner
Every morning I’d eat cereal in my room that I got from the dining hall the night prior. We had to fill out a questionnaire where we would record our temperature and blood oxygen levels. We always had to wear our credential, mask, and magic band to get into places. I would pack up my cart with my cameras and head to the shoot, where I’d work up quite an appetite.
There were a few dining halls where we could eat for free. Everyone could use it so you’d see production people, NBA refs, and NBA players waiting to get food. They had different options every day so you wouldn’t get “too” bored of the same thing over and over. You could also go to some restaurants and pay and get better food and drinks. I went there once, it was aiight, but you can’f beat the price of free at the other place. I enjoyed eating outside next to a lake, people watching. Sometimes LeBron would ride by on a bike and you’d just wave to each other and continue eating.
Shot while cruising on my skateboard around the campus
There were actually a lot of after work activities. The most popular activity was probably pickle ball. People could rent bikes too. The bikes were a whole thing though where SOME people would keep them in their rooms. I bought an electric skateboard to get around. After walking to the mail room ONE TIME I got it (the mailroom was a mile away). I also enjoyed the gym where I hopped on the Peloton wave. One mysteriously appeared in the gym one day and it was so popular, you had to schedule your time around getting on it.
My favorite part was just not “adulting” for a while. Just had to focus on being alive and working. When I needed laundry done, I put it in a box and it came back the next day wrapped like a present and folded. Amazing. Need my room cleaned I just call the front desk and schedule it. Come back from work, it’s spotless. Don’t have to cook or decide what to eat. Soooo nice.
It was hard to be away from family for so long, especially with my little guy growing so fast. I couldn’t imagine how difficult it was for some people and families who were there since June. Luckily we had facetime to help out with that.
Overall I really liked the whole thing. It was so easy from a production standpoint to have everything in one spot. There wasn’t a media circus like typical sports playoffs, which is an incredible nightmare. I loved shooting there and living there, and would definitely do it all over again!