In L.A., Tom Hoffarth notes former NBAer Paul Pierce is finding his transition to full-time ESPN analyst to be a "natural, mature and essential transition." It is a spot that "came up when Bruce Bowen’s contract ran out, and he landed with the Clippers as their new Prime Ticket game analyst." As a guest analyst during the last two NBA Finals, Pierce "got his reps in." He said, "I had a good time. I developed a good chemistry with the team there. After I did the second one, and I just thought maybe this is something I could do after basketball. I enjoyed talking about the game. I enjoyed being around it. I’ve been around it my whole life. So why not make this a second career out of this?" Pierce will appear on “The Jump” and “NBA Countdown” (L.A. DAILY NEWS, 10/18).
GET TO KNOW THEM: In Chicago, Phil Thompson noted locally based WGN-TV in the wake the Bulls' big offseason roster overhaul "playfully winks at the relative anonymity of the team's new arrivals in a new promotional video for its game broadcasts." Bulls Gs Zach LaVine, Kris Dunn and F Lauri Markkanen "scribble their signatures on 'Hello' name tags and slaps them on their jerseys, and each says, 'My name is ...'" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 10/17).
NOTES: ESPN.com's Myron Medcalf wrote LaVar Ball's reality TV venture "Ball in the Family" will "return for a second season" on the Facebook Watch streaming platform. New episodes will "arrive later this year" (ESPN.com, 10/17)....Rockets G Chris Paul's free agency process is the "subject of a three-part documentary series titled 'Chris Paul's Chapter 3' that debuts" tomorrow on ESPN. The first episode shows Paul's "frustration following the Clippers' ouster" against the Jazz in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs and his "questioning the Clippers' culture." He "talked with his family and business partners about possibilities" with the Celtics and Spurs and visited Jay-Z and Disney Chair & CEO Bob Iger for their advice (AP, 10/17)....ESPN is collaborating with comedy duo Desus Nice & The Kid Mero, from Viceland's "Desus & Mero" talk show, to create short videos featuring their commentary on NBA storylines (ESPN).
