TV Review – “NBA Rooks: Training Days” on ESPN+

ESPN+ has taken us behind the scenes of our favorite sports and given us a peek into the lives of coaches, general managers, athletic directors and of course, athletes. The new series NBA Rooks gives us a look at what it’s like to be a rookie in the NBA as they make their way into the league, from the NBA Draft Lottery through the 2019-2020 season.

The latest episode, titled “Training Days,” gives us a look at all the work the rookies are putting in as we get closer and closer to the start of the 2019-2020 NBA regular season.

“Training Days” gets back to the behind-the-scenes sports series format almost everyone is familiar with. We get a peek at the back-breaking workouts the players go through to condition their bodies for the rigorous trials they’re about to go through for the first time. That’s the main focus of just about every one of these types of shows and I’ve enjoyed that NBA Rooks has branched out a bit.

With that being said, I think it was important that we got to see this episode. The series would not have felt believable if all we kept seeing was a bunch of photoshoots and Target trips. Seeing the players put in the work and hearing what their coaches and teammates have to say about them was necessary.

I would have liked to see more of their interactions with their teammates though. We see a lot of clips of them running drills and we hear other players talk about them, but it would have been nice to hear them converse more with those around them during these workouts as opposed to only hearing them talk to the camera.

That small complaint aside though, this was an enjoyable episode. Last week, after watching the players get accustomed to their new homes in their respective cities, I said “I am definitely looking forward to seeing these players on an NBA court,” and now we are one step closer.

With the NBA season about to tip off tonight, it’s nice to see some of the most highly-touted rookies putting in the work to get ready for what should be a very exciting season. I’m still looking forward to seeing them make their debuts in real NBA action, but I’m also looking forward to seeing what the start of the NBA season means for the structure of NBA Rooks. How much will we get to see behind the scenes when the players are locked in the middle of heated competition. We won’t have to wait too much longer to find out.

The first six episodes of NBA Rooks are available now on ESPN+. Fans can subscribe to ESPN+ for just $4.99 a month (or $49.99 per year) and can cancel at any time.

Mike Mack
Mack is the Editorial Director for Marvel and ESPN content and he has covered comic cons, theme park events, video game showcases and other fun events. He is a fan of theme parks, sports, movies, Marvel Comics and is a self-proclaimed "nerd."