Kobe Bryant is officially returning to basketball in a new way
A year-and-a-half after retiring from the NBA, Kobe Bryant will once again be at the center of basketball conversations. But this time he’ll be leading them.
ESPN announced Friday afternoon that Bryant will host and produce a new basketball analysis show for the network.
The show will be called “Detail” and is set to debut in March.
“Viewers can expect to learn how pros better their best by analyzing game film,” Bryant wrote on Twitter.
"Detail" – my new show from Granity Studios – hits ESPN in March. Viewers can expect to learn how the pros better their best by analyzing game film. https://t.co/OVKd43Vgvo pic.twitter.com/18QRUCdX66
— Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) January 12, 2018
“In ‘Detail,’ viewers will experience unparalleled game observations from Bryant as if he were one of the players featured in an ESPN game played the day before. As one of this generation’s leading basketball minds, Bryant will provide a perspective aimed at helping young athletes, players and coaches see the game in a different way,” ESPN’s statement reads.
The show is slated for 15 episodes during the end of the NBA season, concluding with the NBA Finals.
“Studying game film is how the best get better. It’s the university for a master’s degree in basketball,” Bryant said in a statement.
“I learned how to study film from the best coaches of all time — Phil Jackson and Tex Winter. ‘Detail’ provides an opportunity to teach that skill to the next generation on large platform with ESPN,” he said.
Interestingly, the ESPN release stated the show’s target market as “young athletes, current NBA players and coaches.” Obviously, even if every current NBA player and coach watched the show, that would be nowhere near a big enough audience to be considered a success. It’s more likely ESPN is using that as a marketing angle and will try to get NBA players to publicly talk about the show.
As you would expect, the online reaction to the announcement was huge, and mostly positive.
Kobe Bryant has a new show set to air on ESPN in March called, “Detail”
I can’t wait to actually listen to accurate analysis on the NBA from one of the greatest basketball minds in the history of the game. pic.twitter.com/hyPjCpVrhz
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) January 12, 2018
An entire show of Kobe analyzing game film might be one of the best ideas ESPN has ever had, along with 30 for 30.
— Sorry, we're out of chicken sandwiches. (@CrazyLASports) January 12, 2018
But some fans questioned how Kobe could bring himself to team up with ESPN.
https://twitter.com/LakerFanaticFan/status/951924177669382144
Kobe how can you partner with #ESPN when they didn’t have you ranked in the top 10 your last seasons?
— Airick (@Theka_sl) January 12, 2018
Perhaps the show can help ESPN improve on ratings that took a tumble in 2017.
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