Warriors' JaVale McGee documents his best 2016 game on Snapchat spectacles
Read about the latest sports tech news, innovations, ideas and products that impact players, fans and the sports industry at SportTechie.com.
No NBA team deals with more media coverage than the Golden State Warriors, so center JaVale McGee decided to turn the tables on Bay Area reporters Saturday night. McGee took to the podium after a 103-90 win over the New York Knicks sporting a #JugLife sweatshirt and black Snapchat spectacles.
“I’m recording you right now,” McGee said between bites of cookies, when asked about the whirring circles on the corners of the glasses.
He raised his finger and clicked the button above the right lens, snapping a photo that posted to his Snapstory for all of his followers to see. But it isn't easy for the average person to get their hand on these sunglasses. When they were released last month, pairs were available in pop-up vending machines at select locations for $129 each.
The glasses essentially do the same thing as phones – capture moments in 10-second increments that post to a user's Snapstory and then disappear after 24 hours. For McGee, this means taking fans behind the scenes of what it's like to be a 7-foot NBA player. Using his spectacles, he's shown fans everything from behind-the-scenes video of driving across the Bay Area in the rain to get to Oracle Arena (Snapchat warns against doing so) to dapping up security guards upon arrival to shots of the Warriors locker room.
And McGee – whose Snapchat name is his alter ego, PierrePierre11 – isn't the first NBA player to give fans a behind-the-scenes look at game days. The Cleveland Cavaliers' Richard Jefferson has captured footage of him dunking during practice using his Snapchat spectacles.
It was a good thing McGee took detailed footage of Saturday night because when you have your best game in years, highlight tape isn't enough. He started for Zaza Pachulia (wrist) and scored 17 points – his most since 2013 – including six dunks.
