(670 The Score) This Bulls season was an interesting one, to say the least. It was my first year covering an NBA team, and I saw and learned a lot.
A hometown kid came home and was eventually traded away. A coach was fired. A coach was hired. There was almost a mutiny. I made a friend, Jim Boylen, and he even gavie me a nickname -- Tone. Here's what I learned in my first season covering the Bulls.
1) Respect everyone you see
There are a lot of people working and contributing in and around the NBA to make it as successful and run as smoothly as it does, and everyone is important. From the security detail that remembers your name (even if for the life of you, you can't recall theirs) to the interns looking to make a name for themselves to the PR staffers who hook you up with a credential when you forget yours at home, they're all helpful.
2) Be cognizant of your social media postings
Once you start covering a team, your time in the shadows of social media is probably over. Those GIFs you've made mocking a player getting dunked on or that comparison you made that your mom can do better than (insert player here) could come under renewed scrutiny. You have to be prepared to stand by those if challenged. You have to keep that in mind as you move forward too.
Being in NBA locker rooms and practices gives you get a better appreciation of all the work that coaches and players put in to live out their dreams of being in the league. You're reminded that they're normal people, even if they're the celebrities in the eyes of fans. They're sons, fathers, husbands and brothers doing a job to take care of their families. So before you send out an insulting tweet, know that you may be followed by ghost account or somebody twice your size might have an issue with it.
3) Be observant
There's so much going on before, during and after an NBA game. It can be overwhelming in the beginning. It's best to be quiet and take in your surroundings and talk when necessary. You will be amazed at what you pick up by listening and being attentive.
It could be anything -- the patterns of the timeout entertainment, a bench player who knows he won't play snacking on a bag of skittles, IG model you follow on Instagram sitting courtside or a player headed to the X-ray room for a possible season-ending injury that you notice and report before anyone else.
4) Don't take anything personally
Everyone at these games is simply trying to do his or her job. Sometimes that may mean you may be inconvenenced. A player may not want to talk to you, a reporter might invade the personal space rule and step on your J's to make sure he hears the quote he needs for a story or a colleague might shush you as you didn't realize he or she was working on a breaking news story. You learn as you go. The NBA world is a crazy ecosystem, and sometimes crazy stuff happens. Don't take it to heart. Keep being a professional and keep it moving. You may earn some respect with the regulars.
5) Be appreciative
You're covering and NBA discussing games. It's a pretty cool gig. Be grateful you get the opportunity to have the access and thank everyone who has helped you out -- especially those who join your upstart podcast called No Zones, which you should download, rate and subscribe to.
6) The food isn't free
Do not -- I repeat: do not -- grab a plate before checking at the register first. The spread in an NBA media room is great and open to all who have a pass to be there. But it's not free, as I learned. Make sure you have cash to pay, because a cash app doesn't suffice.
Tony Gill is the executive producer of the Laurence Holmes Show on 670 The Score from noon to 2 p.m. weekdays. Follow him on Twitter @tonygill670.
