NBA announcers open up on challenges within bubble; social messages on jerseys could cause identification problem

The circumstances around the restart of the season in the NBA bubble at Disney World are very strange. Empty stands with giant screens and the echoing sound of shoes on the floor are quite unnerving for any NBA player who is used to a screaming crowd at all times.

But it's not just the players who will feel the effects of the silence. The play-by-play commentary crew will also find the foreign conditions of the arenas in the NBA bubble to be quite intimidating.

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NBA announcers will have a special commentary box for games

The announcers will be placed in a special isolated box that will be separated from the court and will be located several rows behind the scorer's table. This box will be protected by plexiglass and will provide the announcers with a clear view of the game.

Here is the NBA restart court in Orlando: the spaced out chairs are the socially distanced bench, Black Lives Matter is written on the court. pic.twitter.com/XGJu1w4QLC

— Malika Andrews (@malika_andrews) July 21, 2020

Although the announcers are not expected to wear face masks in the box, they will be following standard face mask and social distancing guidelines based on the NBA bubble protocol.

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Broadcasters speak about the upcoming challenge as the season restarts in the NBA bubble

Kevin Harlan is no stranger to silence while broadcasting

NBA announcer Kevin Harlan is no stranger to the lack of fans in attendance. He has voiced the announcer characters in the NBA 2K video game series. He had a laugh at the current situation, saying that he had no worries at all:

"I’m in my closet at home with a headset on, and I’m calling a play with little or no crowd noise. So I’m kind of used to that. I’m really not thinking it’s going to be all that weird."

TNT broadcaster Ian Eagle spoke about the unprecedented nature of commentary in the NBA bubble, saying:

"Anyone who has been in this business a long time usually can draw upon previous experiences. In this case, there is nothing to compare it to. So that brings a unique set of circumstances for a broadcaster."

The fans not only hype up the players but the announcers as well. Indiana Pacers legend Reggie Miller, who now works as a broadcaster for TNT, spoke about the importance of fans:

"As a former player and an analyst, I get juiced up by the fans, by the music, the cheer squads and the atmosphere. It will be a little different."

Another challenge for the broadcasters is calling out the names of players. Since many players will be having social justice messages on the back of their jerseys, broadcasters might have a hard time identifying them from the box above.

Now a look at one of the secondary venues for NBA Bubble games, the Visa Center. #NBABubble pic.twitter.com/4uk7QzYVLA

— gary washburn (@GwashburnGlobe) July 21, 2020

The NBA plans on having fans in attendance from home via a 17-foot video board that will display live reaction from 320 fans. Apart from fans, some of the other aspects of the game environment such as music have also been arranged, with DJs available to play music during timeouts.

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