A Performance to Remember with Kobe Bryant

Elias Farr

Professor Yarnelle

November 20, 2014

Case Study II

                              A Performance to Remember with Kobe Bryant

        The day was January 22, 2006 when one of the greatest performances in NBA history took place. Kobe Bryant scored 81 points off 28-43 shooting. This day was iconic in NBA history because the all time record held by, Wilt “The Stilt” Chamberlin” is 100 points, and that fact that he came close was jaw dropping to many basketball and Laker Fans (Laker Nation 34). This game means a lot to me because I was one of the lucky fans that seen the game live and was apart of one of the best games in Laker history. I choose to focus on this game as a type of performance this semester because it emotionally connects to my idea of “performance” as well as being a huge basketball fan. The medium of my performance is a live sporting event with the use of players, commentators, cameras, sound, and technology that took place at the staples center arena of a particular basketball game.

        The media controls a lot of the entertainment that is displayed today. “Broadcasting “ falls under my case study due the entertainment (game) that was transmitted over airwave and contributes 52 billion in revenue (Cusic Pg. 68). Upon research, Kcal 9 and 710 AM ESPN Radio was the source of production and distribution and later down the line the Internet source “YouTube” became the leading source of production and distribution to the public making the performance low brow to its viewers (Lakers Broadcast Teams 203).

The live 81-point game performance informs Aristotle’s elements by relaying the most important element the plot “the form of action” showing that there strong aristotle elements present as well as the other 5 elements; character, theme/thought, language, melody and spectacle all explained in later evaluations (Aristotle Pg. 14). Adaptions are everywhere on the Internet, television and movie screens. The dramatic elements of performance are plot, character, thoughts/theme, language, melody and spectacle (Hucheon Pg. 98). The plot of the performance was the particular player expressing his dominance on the Toronto Raptors team, which resulted in a win and history being made. The primary characters in the performance were Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers team and the Toronto Raptors team, which engages the receivers (the audience) imaginations emotionally along with nostalgia feel of the actual environment. The overall performance was not only about a player conveying his dominance against the opposing team it was also about how hard work and determination and team work result in breaking a national NBA scoring record. The language used by the announcers and players in the performance gives the receiver the live and authentic feel of being at the actual game establishing a strong connection with the viewer. Melody is important in performance because of its visual impact it can have psychologically, often to the detriment of particular scenes. In this case this is employed when music consist of chimes and bells pumping up the crowd connecting the viewer to the game. When analyzing spectacle the overall experience this performance achieves a sentimental, and nostalgia feel giving the audience something they once thought they’ll never feel again.
        One of the greatest scoring jobs demonstrated by Kobe Bryant is an amazing and captivating performance. This case study focuses on the spectacle and entertainment industry that produced it. The effects displayed multiple emotional connections creating a powerful spectacle. The second area of analysis discusses the historical and cultural context and their influences on performance. Finally, the paper looks at convergence and technology and how the use of YouTube and transitions on how media is produced and consumed.