6 storytelling lessons from the ‘NBA Bubble’

As the National Basketball Association prepares to continue its 2020 season during COVID-19, many fans have wondered what life is like inside of the “NBA Bubble,” the name given to the area within Walt Disney World Resorts and ESPN’s Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Florida.

Enter Philadelphia 76ers’ rookie player, Matisse Thybulle. He started a YouTube channel documenting life in the isolation zone, and within two weeks, he’s amassed more than 325,000 subscribers. His first three videos have garnered more than 1 million views each.

Besides being a fantastic personal branding move, the NBA player can provide PR and marketing pros several video storytelling takeaways.

Consider these lessons:

1. Show the unglamorous views as well.

After a few brief clips of the plane and his luggage, Thybulle shows himself returning to the hotel with fast food for his team, which he struggles to get out of the car.

“For those that don’t know, part of my job as being a rookie is getting Chick-fil-A for all the players on that plane,” he says. “And even in a state of pandemic, that job still stands.”