production assistant

operations associate

broadcast engineer

publisher

production

National-Basketball-Association

A typical day at work consisted of ingesting scheduled live feeds, or different forms of HD tapes, which may consist of interviews or game action video. Before ingesting, color corrections are made and timecode accuracy is perfected. Editors called our department throughout the day, for troubleshooting issues for FinalCutPro or ingest problems.

I've learned how to ingest different of tape, including beta, digital-beta, HD DVC pro, mini digital tapes, and Live arena feeds of games or press conferences. I also learned project management through consistent emailing and/or telephone contacting with various NBA employees throughout the country. We had access to many computers in the building, in case there were any problems

Management was not properly handled with our department. We, as employees, managed projects by prioritizing. My co-workers were great, especially with the constant threat of unemployment or schedule management in a 24-hour department. Workflow was very consistent because of updated daily NBATV shows.

The hardest part of the job was my employment status. I worked as a part-time employee with full-time hours. To work under the conditions of knowing that the company may let you go because of their financial reasons was uncomfortable. At the end of my employment, that's what it came down to. I was let go due to seniority after 5 years, no compensation.

The most enjoyable part of the job was being given the opportunity to travel and work at the NBA All-Star Weekend of 2009 and NBA Rookie Draft of 2011. Employees were personally selected, so it was an honor and exciting, especially being a fan of the game. My co-workers were definitely what made my job comfortable because of the communication we shared to work hard and complete our tasks for the company.

Trust me when I say this, you will not advance at the company when upper management says you will. You're not paid to the reflection of the work that is given to you, and you're not provided decent healthcare to take care of your family if you're thrown into the "permalance" pool. I  worked in Secaucus for a few seasons trying to leave an impression for management of my great work ethic. It doesn't matter what you do, unless you're outside of video production you will stay forever as a freelancer until they get tired of you and replace you - It's extremely cutthroat.  They had me and a few other employees running food for other departments.  Who knew you were disregarded as an employee by your own department as if you were a nobody. You work for the name, and your love of the game. But in doing so you're just a cog in a well-oiled machine as they exhaust you to being a milk-cow for their agenda. I'll be honest, if you're employed outside of being family-relative or through a friend of an executive, you will continually serve every year wondering when you will make more money, or when they will cut you which happens frequently. Know your worth, and please know this isn't the most amazing place to work, they take advantage of you until they no longer need you, at least within Digital Media Ops or Original Production. Who wants to work 13-15 years and still not be considered staff or worse yet you put in 13-15 years and you're let go on a whim. Avoid at all costs and stay clear of those two departments because you're expendable. 

The NBA Store was a cool store to work in being that its the NBA lol. On the other hand, there was a lot of unethical behavior going on in the workplace within the managers. Managers were cool and all but what I didn't like about most of them is that there was a huge portion of favoritism being played by them. Some managers NOT ALL were pretty decent and ethically doing the right thing. I guess stuff like this happens in many working environments, but being employed here really opened my eyes to this kind of sorta corrupted atmosphere, so to speak. Overall the NBA Store was a fun and enjoyable experience because of some celebrities, current/legendary NBA players that swung by and all  the basketball fans that came from all over the world to visit the store to shop. I must say, I've learned a lot working at a fifth avenue retail store. Also, the stock room was small and unsanitary with mouses running around. It wasn't a pleasant environment to eat your lunch in. Other than the negative aspect of it, the coworkers were awesome. I definitely left behind good memories. Hopefully the new NBA Store would have more of a invigorating feel to it and that the HR people carefully do their jobs by doing their homework on who they're going to hire for manager positions precisely.

A typical day at the office -- generally 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. -- involves assigning/editing/writing releases for the Marketing and Communications departments, managing a group of three writers as well as a password-protected site, and editing/writing several electronic newsletters. Additionally, oftentimes there are executive statements to craft as well as research responsibilities. There also is a significant amount of travel involved -- perhaps 40-50 days per year -- during which time added responsibilities including media and player relations and game-night preparations. 

I have spent my entire tenure at the NBA working in communications and have gained a wealth of transferable skills, including, but not limited to, media relations, managing people, My writing/editing skills also have improved significantly over my 14 years with the NBA. 

The vast majority of the people I work and have worked with are excellent at their jobs.    

Perhaps the most difficult part of the job is that the 24/7 aspect of the industry coupled with the amount of travel makes for an out of whack work/life balance. The most enjoyable aspects of the job are a) the opportunity to write/edit -- my passion and career choice made way back in high school -- and b) the friendships I have made.

Working for the NBA is okay. Being a Logger is like being at the bottom of the bucket though. You can easily be replaced. I like to think of work as being split up into two objectives. During a day shift (ie 9-5, 10-6) we have to log different tapes that come in. That means we give a tape different time codes so producers and other people can find a portion of a tape. The Night shift is a little more complicated. We actually log a Live NBA game into the system. We give each play a time code while describing "STAR" plays such as dunks and nice passes. My co-workers were the best, everybody joked around and we ate lunch and dinner together most of the time. Management had problems communicating with people, they would be quick to criticize you for something but they would never say thank you for anything. The hardest part is getting use to the schedule. See you don't have an exact schedule. One week might consist of some 9-5s, but then you might have to log a game and your schedule would be 4-12 or 5-1. The best part of the job is being able to see how some of the shows are created and all the behind the scenes footage that is left out.

While working at ESPN, I have gained valuable experience working with the NBA as I have been a part of the NBA Tonight show for the past three seasons. The skills that I have learned while employed at ESPN I will be able to carry with me throughout my career. Working for ESPN has exposed me to various procedures and technologies on how to make video content more exciting and impactful for sports fans. The emphasis is constantly being placed on sharpening video editing skills which has allowed me to evolve and gain a greater understanding of this field. A career with the New Orleans Pelicans would be an honor for me. Being that I am from the New Orleans I know the excitement and expectations the fans have for this great organization. Bringing the knowledge and skills that I have learned back to the city that I know and love would be a great opportunity. Time management, organization, teamwork, leadership skills, and communication are all tools that I possess and are essential in order to create quality content that fans can connect with and love. Northwestern State University and my employment at ESPN has prepared me to competently fulfill the role of a video production manager.

•	Prepare monthly and quarterly analytics, including income statement, balance sheet, actual to budget and projection variance in accordance with GAAP financial reporting 
•	Prepare Ad Hoc analysis reports and analyze data to identify trends and make projections to assist with managerial decision making 
•	Serve as a liaison for NBA Digital and NBA TV joint venture between the NBA New York, NY corporate office and Turner Broadcasting Atlanta, GA corporate office
•	Work with Ernest & Young auditors during interim/yearly audits and basketball related income audit reviews, responding to questions and provide relevant support 
•	Prepare journal entries for month end close process, reconciliation and analysis of general ledger accounts and intercompany balances for NBA Digital, NBA TV, Global Marketing Partners, Interactive Services and Market Extensions.  Including monthly revenue and subscriber analysis schedules
•	Develop automation tools and leverage corporate data systems to improve accounting processes by eliminating manual data entry, reducing errors, and shortening the financial closing cycle 
•	Responsible for the research and resolution of technical accounting issues

The NBA is a fun and challenging place to work, especially if you are a basketball fan. There is a sense of pride in working there as the NBA has many talented and dedicated people. There are also some good perks as you will travel to many interesting places and get free tickets to games. The office areas are very well designed and filled with basketball memorabilia, making you feel that you are working somewhere unique instead of a run of the mill office.

On the con side, the NBA has poor work-life balance and can  use it's "name brand" to make up for a lack of competitive compensation. In addition, there is limited opportunity for advancement and management is not forthcoming about the NBA's financial status. I was laid off during a "restructuring" but given no reason for why it was necessary, despite having excellent performance ratings. Also, after landing another job, I realized I was doing a workload at the NBA that was performed by three people together at my current company. 

What is the best part of working at the company?
Being an integral part of the Security Team that is charged with providing security policy and procedure for one of the world's premier sports leagues, while ensuring a safe and enjoyable environment for patrons, players, entertainers, and NBA Staff.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Considering the small number of team members the comprised NBA security, and given the immense  responsibility to provide security for the NBA, WNBA, G League, NBA 2K, Africa League, NBA International Events, and specialty events such as All Star Weekend and NBA Finals, the job did not always allow for personal time off and we found ourselves always on-call or available at a moment's notice. 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Great work environment with a lot of team oriented personnel who were willing to support each other in order to accomplish the goals of the organization.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Very busy but enjoyable. Long days with no set schedule per se.

Young atmosphere management trying to change culture very focused on being one if the best places to work. Have many perks for staff arcade games,  daily fruit. Special snacks each week department outings, swag give a ways 

Can be stressful many projects and league events my experience was a.good one and I would recommend anyone to work there.

Travel can be part of the job high profile events (NBA All Star game)  overseas events.

Sometimes advancement can be frustrating depending on the department you work in.

My most enjoyable part of the job was helping people I worked with and a sense of accomplishment in getting the job done.

I learned many things in my career at the MAN from the mailroom to critical systems to understanding budgets and processing invoices and creating Excel reports.

The hardest part was making sure we did not miss anything since we as a department were relied upon to always have the answer or fix whatever the problem was.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Production assistant 11 salaries reported	$23.31 per hour
Operations associate 14 salaries reported	$33.64 per hour
Broadcast engineer 31 salaries reported	$135,161 per year
Publisher 9 salaries reported	$4,359 per month
Production 12 salaries reported	$21.71 per hour

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