The new Lakers channel Time Warner Cable SportsNet (which has all the locally televised Lakers games now) has hired me to do some studio appearances as a Lakers analyst. Tonight was my first one -- the channel just launched Monday and still doesn't have rights contracts with most providers such as DirecTV or dish Network, so you don't have it yet unless you get your TV from Time Warner Cable -- and it was kinda fun and definitely a new world.
I was on for two shows -- their Lakers show at 6:30 pm and then their main news show at 7-8 p.m. -- and the producers were happy with my insight. The studio host told me midway through the night to buy some more suits b/c I'll be needing them b/c they're going to bring me on a lot more. I thought I did pretty well, especially for my first time dealing with the cameras and set and this whole TV studio world, and was able to say relevant and useful things (culled from my past Lakers columns, so I'm certainly not lacking for material) with no flubs or screw-ups.
The format certainly doesn't allow for the kind of depth I get to while writing -- here's the Kobe-themed column I wrote last night -- but even in TV snippets I'm confident I can offer intelligent information that others can't. We'll see how much better I get at developing my TV personality and presence. I wouldn't say I love doing it, but it was a new challenge and interesting. My friend Mike Trudell -- who does the sideline, on-camera TV work during Lakers games -- said he could tell I got more comfortable with each passing commercial break. (He did complain that I need to get my suit tailored.)
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