When Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant announced a partnership with ESPN to write, produce and host a special series, “Detail,” in which he would analyze games and players throughout the 2018 NBA Playoffs, he may have unwittingly created something akin to the “Madden Curse.”
The series premiered on ESPN+ on April 12, with Bryant highlighting and analyzing the matchup between the Lakers and Denver Nuggets in Game 6 of the 2009 Western Conference Finals. Since then, he’s focused on DeMar DeRozan, Donovan Mitchell, Jrue Holiday, LeBron James, Jayson Tatum and Stephen Curry.
Players, particularly rookies Mitchell and Tatum, have raved about Bryant’s meticulous breaking down of their film and suggestions he provided.