Kevin Garnett (right) speaks with Jaren Jackson, Jr. in Next Up on Facebook Watch. (Courtesy of Turner Sports)
When retired NBA legend Kevin Garnett needed somewhere to meet draft prospect Mo Bamba to tutor him for a new NBA Digital production, Next Up, Garnett chose the beach near his Malibu home.
“This should motivate you,” Garnett told Bamba. “This is what the top looks like.”
Garnett, who also leads Turner Sports’ Area 21 studio show, met with Bamba and another future lottery pick, Jaren Jackson Jr., to mentor the two big men. The 2004 MVP and 15-time All-Star infuses candor and personal experience into Next Up.
The two initial episodes featuring Garnett, Bamba, and Jackson debuted on Tuesday and Wednesday. The program airs exclusively on Facebook Watch under the Players Only Films banner. There are planned epilogues on Thursday, the night of the NBA draft, and again during the NBA Summer League. NBA Digital is co-produced by the league and Turner.
Garnett said this tutelage is his “responsibility” to the game, and that these players are receptive because of the recency of his playing career. Bamba idolized Garnett growing up.
“That’s one of the reasons I want to work out with KG: I’m just ready to throw myself out there, be vulnerable so I can learn from one of the best to ever do it,” Bamba said.
SportTechie Takeaway
The first episode with Bamba garnered 416,800 views in the first 21 hours after posting, highlighting the popularity of the content and the platform. Garnett has a unique presence and personality that suits the nontraditional format—this is a 13-minute episode on a social media network that doesn’t follow the usual cadence or length of any linear programming, though it follows the spirit of Area 21.
Facebook Watch was launched last August, but has recently begun increasing its sports-related content offering. This season, MLB has been streaming Wednesday night games on the social network. Starting this week, the BIG3 basketball tournament will screen a selection of Friday night games on Facebook. And on Wednesday, the PGA Tour announced that more than 60 hours of live golf coverage will stream on the platform from eight upcoming events.
