LIKE broadcasts from another world, NBA player videos are being beamed out from inside the NBA bubble in Orlando, Florida straight into our phone screens.
But Sixers rookie Matisse Thybulle and Lakers big JaVale McGee are taking the extra step of cutting their footage into entertaining 10-minute vlogs.
They’re two very different vlogs from two very different personalities from two very different teams. But it’s still entertaining to match them up, especially since their cameras wryly capture the same absurd things: the mandatory morning COVID tests, the ballrooms converted into practice courts, the packed meals, the two-month slog that McGee’s wife referred to in one vlog as both “prison and rehab.”
Welcome to the bubble life. Which vlog captured it better?
Who’s scoring the bigger numbers?
Thybulle: Thybulle is both a rookie on the court and a rookie on YouTube. He’s got just three videos, and apparently only set up his YouTube account when he arrived in Orlando. Still, he’s racked up over 228,000 subs since then. His three episodes have logged in around 764,000 views each.
McGee: JaVale’s YouTube account is much older, but just like Matisse, he’s only started vlogging in earnest when he got to Orlando. As a Laker and a vet, McGee has a much bigger fanbase, which may explain why his four vlogs get more views: around 959,000 each.
Who’s producing more minutes?
Thybulle: Since arriving in Orlando, Matisse has produced just three episodes. He cuts more judiciously, though — his vlog episodes are just an average of 10 minutes 8 seconds long. But unlike JaVale, Tisse tries to splice in variety into his clips: from trying to fly a drone to calling his dad to going into the most fail fishing trip in the history of the NBA. Looks like all that video content practice on TikTok paid off.
McGee: So far, JaVale’s vlogs have fallen into a steady rhythm: Wake up. Get a swab test. Do a workout. Eat the food. Do a practice montage. Remind viewers that he’s ready to hit Call of Duty. With this steady flow, he’s produced four episodes with an average length of 11 minutes and 47 seconds.
Who’s showing off more team interactions?
Thybulle: As one of the team’s two rookies, Thybulle’s interactions with the rest of the Sixers is a mine of comedy gold. That much is clear from the very first scene in the very first episode: when Thybulle goes back to his old job of ordering fast food for the entire team.
Still, it’s the back-and-forth between his mentor Tobias Harris that’s provided most of the laughs. Take this exchange in episode 3 when Matisse films Harris’ red-lit setup inside his room.
Thybulle: “What the heck is going on in here?”
Harris: “Advanced recovery, my brother.”
Thybulle: “This is from outer space.”
Harris: “One would say I am too.”
McGee: If Thybulle’s vlog is a sitcom (as in, in the literal sense of the word: situational comedy), JaVale McGee projects a drier, wearier take on the absurdity of the entire situation, which the Lakers he’s filming seem to be all in on.
Take that moment when Dwight Howard walks into practice shirtless but wearing a mask. “Where’s the shirt?” McGee yells at him. Howard then goes up to JaVale’s camera, looks at the ballroom that’s been converted into a practice court and the seats that are six feet apart, and mutters with a laugh, “This is some bulls--t.”
Oh, and props to McGee for taking time to edit in his talks with the auxiliary Lakers staff, including equipment manager Andrew Henk, massage therapist Stacey Robinson, and even assistant coach Jason Kidd.
Who’s got better production value?
Thybulle: Aside from some helpful captions and icons, Thybulle’s vlog is a pretty straightforward shoot-cut-and-edit affair. He’s got a snappy rhythm, though, and cuts out most of the shaky cam. We also like that part in the first episode though where he goes from Harris rapping Ma$e’s “Welcome Back” on the airplane PA to the actual song. That’s quality bubble content right there.
McGee: JaVale can’t get enough of the “walking on corridors with the camera aimed at his feet” footage. But on the other hand, he has a fancy plane-from-LA-to-Florida graphic, SpongeBob “one minute later” memes, stock timelapse footage of a Miami skyscape, and, look: a triptych workout montage. Just like a real fitness influencer.
What special talents do they show off on their vlogs?
Thybulle: Champion Rubik’s cube skills
McGee: McGee’s Mukbang
Who shows off more emotional range?
Thybulle: Matisse is definitely happy to be here — and it shows in every joyful moment of his vlog. You can’t blame him: It is his first year in the NBA, with a respectable 19.5 minutes per game pre-COVID, but obviously looking to bump that up a little as the league heads into its restart. His enthusiasm and excitement at the whole situation is infectious, especially when he goes on cam to thank all the media attention and the new subscribers he’s getting because of his video logs. He’s the NBA fan (who’s always wanted to go fishing in Disney World) in all of us.
McGee: While we won’t presume to say he’s a bit more world weary, the very first scene of his vlog — where McGee says goodbye to his wife and kid — shows off the painful cost of the NBA bubble. He’s looking at at least 50 days of separation from his family… and even more if the Lakers make good on their promise to go the distance. McGee also suffers from asthma — a respiratory condition that may prove volatile if he contracts COVID-19.
So in his vlogs, JaVale lets himself get a lot more vulnerable in front of the selfie cameras. There’s an exchange between him and his trainer in episode 3 where he talks about how he discovered he had asthma late in his hoops career. It’s a quiet, reflective moment for JaVale as he sits aboard a fan bike. We’d say it was Oscar-worthy stuff — but this is real life.
Who should you watch?
So there you have it. If you’re looking for snappy, humorous content that’s just as giddy as you are that the NBA is playing inside a giant theme park, Matisse Thybulle is for you. But if you’re looking for something rawer and rougher, tune in to JaVale’s channel.
Either way, you’re getting both sides of this strange situation known as the NBA bubble.
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