HOOPLA

This is the origin story of Hoopla Network, written by Tim Forkin.

When I first met Darrell and Jeremy on Zoom, I could see the excitement in their faces. 

They were excited to meet me, and excited by the possibilities to come. I could tell that these guys had been friends for a while. They lived in different states, had vastly different personalities, and were at different points in their life. But through a text thread, where they joked and argued about the NBA, they were able to keep their friendship alive for over a decade.

Separately, both of them conveyed the same message to me:

“How fun would it be to talk about basketball as your job?”

They discussed their dream to start their own outlet specific to covering the NBA. From our early conversations, it became clear that they were looking for place to host the specific kinds of digital basketball content I enjoy:

• Joy-focused articles, videos, and conversations that remind me of why I fell in love with basketball

• The intricate details, quotes, highlights, memes, and quips that make #NBATwitter so captivating

• Taking the funniest and most memorable stories and turning them into something even greater

Then they asked me if I was willing to help them create those kinds of content. And they would pay me for it.

I don’t think I’ve said yes to something faster in my life.

We started drafting a plan. We had long talks about our vision. We brainstormed content ideas, what kinds of creators we would ask to join us, and what the idealized version of our platform would look like. 

But we needed a name.

The name is by far the most important piece of the puzzle. We knew we wanted something a bit off-kilter, something way better than Basketball World or The Alley Oop. Something that sounded fun, but much more professional than a fan blog. 

I realized that all of the brands we love have short, easy to pronounce names. Subway. Arby’s. Wendy’s. McDonald’s. I’m hungry. I also wanted a name that explained we were all about the NBA, without actually saying it. Because, you know, copyright.

Out of the blue, it hit me:

Hoopla.

I heard Zach Lowe use the word on an episode of The Lowe Post, probably referencing “all of the hoopla surrounding the Ben Simmons situation” or something similar. It clicked. It was everything I wanted. Short. Easy to say. Has the word hoop in it. You can’t play basketball without a hoop. In my seventh grade men’s choir class, we put two trash cans at opposite ends of the classroom and played five-on-five with a paper ball, instead of practicing for our performances. It didn’t really work, but it was fun. You probably think that’s a bunch of hoopla. But it’s true. I’m sorry, Mrs. Gelfund.

I was set on Hoopla being the name of our company. I held onto it for my next meeting with Darrell and Jeremy. When I presented it, a quick Google search for “hoopla definition” was all it took to convince them.

hoopla (noun) — excitement surrounding an event or situation, especially when considered to be unnecessary fuss.

I couldn’t pick a better word to describe our content.

There are many places on the internet to find a player’s VORP and league-adjusted effective field goal percentage. There are many places that explain how NBA coaches scheme for certain opponents and matchups. We love those sites and the people who enjoy ultra-statistical and uber-analytical basketball content. We just know that we aren’t wired to create that way.

We’re going to provide thoughtful and entertaining basketball content. The type of stuff that makes you laugh. The type of stuff that makes you think. The type of stuff that you can enjoy with your friends.

More than anything, we’re going to have fun. We write and talk about the NBA, but we’re not reporters and we’re not sources. We’re basketball fans, just like you, and we get excited about the NBA. We make a fuss about the quotes, the rumors, the consequences — all of the off-court drama that turns our favorite sport into a year-round reality show.

In a world where it’s so easy to find the flaws in each other and ourselves, we wanted to create a platform that celebrates the joy of the game we love. 

Will it work? Who knows. But there’s one thing I’m certain of:

It’s going to be a ridiculous amount of fun.