JaVale McGee’s Popular Vlog From Inside The NBA Bubble Surpasses One Million Views
The third installment of JaVale McGee's vlog "Life In The Bubble" had 1.1 million views about 24 hours after it went live.
McGee is taking his video camera with him everywhere in the Walt Disney World bubble near Orlando. In the latest episode, he watched Alex Caruso shoot a commercial, talked flapjacks with Kyle Kuzma, showed some interesting meals he was served and how he's being tested for COVID-19.
McGee has been wanting to make a vlog for the last decade.
“The inspiration came from 10 years of wanting to do this, but didn’t really have anything to vlog,” McGee said on a video conference call Monday. “I always wanted to do it. I actually started 10 years ago when I posted some stuff, but it didn’t matter back then.
“Now I had the idea, I had all the equipment and I was like, I’m going to the bubble for three months, I’m going to have a lot of time on my hands, so I might as well try to do something. It just went off. The feedback I’ve been getting, everybody loves it, they love the perspective, they love the inside scoop of what’s going on. So I’m just doing it for the fans, keeping them entertained and I really appreciate the love on YouTube.”
Filmmaking has long been a passion of McGee's. He wanted to major in the subject in college, but the University of Nevada, where he played from 2006-2008, didn't have a film major.
“The schools that have film schools, they wanted to redshirt me," McGee said. "So basketball was my main priority, so I went to a school that didn’t have a film school, unfortunately. I never got to actually major in something I was passionate about."
McGee, who is in his second season with the Lakers, showed a lot of behind-the scenes interactions with his teammates during his latest 12-minute video.
While having breakfast with Kyle Kuzma, McGee asked him if anyone ever told him he looked like a flapjack as he held one in the air. Kuzma shot him a look. McGee laughed.
McGee also showed himself grabbing a bag of food from the team’s refrigerator. The handle broke and the contents fell on the carpet. He threw up his arms in disbelief as what appeared to be scrambled eggs spilled onto the floor.
He then went into the refrigerator and took out eggs from a bag labeled “J.R. Smith, Lakers, vegan.”
McGee FaceTimed Smith and asked: “You want these vegan eggs or can I steal yours?”
Smith told him to “smash them.”
Food is still the subject of jokes and frustration in the bubble. McGee said he had french toast with no syrup and peanut butter with no jelly. As he was about to eat, assistant coach Phil Handy walked by and asked what McGee was doing.
“Trying to figure out this food, that’s all,” McGee said.
Handy laughed and said, “Good luck with that, dog.”
At another meal, McGee bit into what was supposed to be a vegan patty, but was worried it was an actual hamburger. After a lengthy discussion with himself, he decided not to eat it.
“This (expletive) tastes too real,” McGee said. “... A burger? That would f--- my s--- up.”
McGee showed a box of snacks that he received outside of his door that included dried fruit, nuts and roasted sweet corn, which he said he had never seen before.
McGee also showed himself heading to a massage appointment and telling the team's masseuse, Stacey Robinson, “You have the thumbs of a Greek goddess.”
He showed the process of getting tested for COVID-19, which the times included a woman struggling to take the seven-footer's temperature.
“Can you reach?” McGee said, as she stretched her arm upward.
He also watched Caruso record a commercial in his hotel room, repeating words he was prompted to say.
It was another eventful week in the bubble for McGee, who is giving viewers a peek at what's really going on as the franchise competes for its first championship since 2010.
