Ever since teams began arriving in Orlando, Florida, for the NBA restart, fans have been given an unprecedented amount of access into players’ lives and daily routines inside the Walt Disney World bubble. From meal-time pictures to in-room workouts, players are using their free time to connect with fans more than ever.
Los Angeles Lakers center JaVale McGee has taken this even further, uploading daily vlogs depicting the inner-workings of the bubble and how he navigates it. McGee, who has found his niche in the league over the past few seasons, seems to have found success with his Youtube vlogs as well.
His four episodes have averaged more than on million views each and received thousands of comments of support. McGee seems to enjoy the series, filming almost every aspect of his day, including commercial shoots and individual workouts.
As it turns out, McGee has always held an interest in film and seized the opportunity to hone in on it more than ever before. “The inspiration came from 10 years of wanting to do this but didn’t really have anything to vlog,” he said.
“It actually started like ten years ago when I posted some stuff, but it didn’t matter back then. Now, I had all the equipment, and I was like, ‘I’m going to the bubble and going to have a lot of time on my hands, so I might as well try to do something.’
“It seems like the feedback I’ve been getting, everybody loves it. They love the perspective, they love the inside scoops of what’s going on. I’m just doing it for the fans and keeping them entertained. I appreciate the love on YouTube.”
McGee, now age 32, is surely not too far away from life after basketball and could be trending towards a career in production, as has been the case with many players in recent years.
“When I went to college, I wanted to major in film, but the schools that had film schools wanted to redshirt me. Basketball is my main priority, so I went to a school that didn’t have a film school, unfortunately,” McGee explained.
“So I never got to actually major in something I really was passionate about. I’ve always been into film, production, and things like that.”
McGee in Orlando despite history of asthma
McGee chose to travel to Orlando with the Lakers despite being in a higher risk category. McGee has dealt with asthma throughout his life but did not know that he had it until his first few years in the league, according to his day four vlog.
Regardless, he decided that he had to play to fight for his team’s goal of a 17th championship. While coronavirus (COVID-19) cases are still very high in Florida, McGee had made it clear he feels safe and is pleased with the precautions the NBA has put in place.
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