"Let's Ball" - My NBA reality show idea

I’ve created a new TV show that should be aired on NBC. Since reality show is the buzz word of the day (or am I two years too late?) this is going to be a contest-themed reality show.

We have already run the gamut of shows; from business, to surviving on an island to being the best comic. An untapped resource that executives have is sport-themed reality shows. We are just starting to get there with “The Contender” but there is so much more that can be utilized.

Contest-themed reality shows follow a pretty simple formula to become successful. There is a group of people and each week, one of them is somehow eliminated until there is one left standing.

I propose we put the sports angle together with the contest-themed reality show and create a show called “Let’s Ball.”

Premise: 14 basketball players are put together in a house and put through different skill contests. There are playground legends, former college players, former NBA players, and European players. Everyone has one dream; to reach the pinnacle of success that is the NBA.

There will be various skill drills throughout the show where the contestant has a chance to get a “1 seed” and advance through to the next week. Each week will also feature a 5-on-5, 3-on-3 or 1-on-1 game. The loser of each of those games will be subject to elimination by the judges.

Charles Barkley, David Stern and Bill Simmons will be the three judges, playing the roles of Donald Trump, Carolyn and George.

The last player left standing will receive a 10 day NBA contract (or possibly a one year NBDL contract).

Why people will watch it: An average of 17,000 fans comes to every NBA game during the year. Hundreds of thousands more watch games on TV. We have an untapped resource that is clamoring for more NBA action.

Many of these are die-hard fans and want to see people they saw in college play in the pros. Many of them don’t have a chance to do that, so this would be a forum for them to watch.

People are also drawn to Charles Barkley like moths to a flame. He’ll be to “Let’s Ball” what Donald Trump is to the Apprentice; instant credibility and a drawing card. People will also be drawn to Bill Simmons for his sarcasm and unique observations. Remember, at one time, no one knew who Simon Cowell was, now everyone does. Same thing with Simmons.

Why the NBA and NBC would want this: This can be an instant tie-in with the “NBA on NBC” theme. As viewers start to watch this, we can go down to a live finish and have the player signing their 10 day contract and the next day will be their first game on NBC. This player would then be a drawing card for the rest of the time he’s on this team. (Bobcats maybe?)

As we’ve seen with reality TV people, they become quasi-celebrities. The NBA and NBC can cash in on this by exploiting the person who wins. The person will be someone that America wants to see and it could draw a whole new group of fans to the NBA. There really is no loser in this situation.