Origins of “Jalen & Jacoby” Revealed in SI Article
The origins of “Jalen & Jacoby” were revealed and discussed in a new Sports Illustrated article by Jacob Feldman.
In a new Sports Illustrated article, Jacob Feldman caught up with Jalen Rose and David Jacoby to talk about the origins of their show — Jalen & Jacoby — on ESPN. And while I may not follow as closely as I once did due to the shifting shape of the show (something Feldman talks about) and odd nickname, the show is still consumed at a ferocious clip.
Rose, who had been honing his media schtick before his NBA career was over, decided he wanted to pitch a podcast after Bill Simmons launched Grantland in 2011. And, according to the article, he was able to connect with his eventual partner after a strategically timed conversation at an ESPY’s after-party.
For a while, he held weekly live chats on Ustream for a few hundred viewers. Then Bill Simmons’s Grantland launch in June 2011 presented a bigger opportunity. A month after the site’s debut, Rose found out where top ESPN employees would head after the ESPYs—to the rooftop of the W Hotel. “Guess where I was,” he says. “Right there. I was just letting everyone have their few drinks. I was like, ‘I’m going to wait until midnight before I strike,’” Rose continues. At the right moment, he approached and pitched his own podcast.
Simmons was game, but Grantland’s head of audio and video thought Rose should do a few one-off episodes before getting his own regular series. “He was the person telling him, ‘Don’t do it!’” Rose says, shooting a glance at Jacoby. “How about that!?”
“No, naw, hold on,” Jacoby interrupts. “20-second timeout,” failing once again to fully absolve himself from Rose’s mental list of doubters.
The first time the two got on the phone, Jacoby asked Rose who he wanted to do the show with—maybe a former teammate or longtime friend. “He literally said, ‘You don’t want to do it?’” Jacoby recalls. Rose says he had been researching possible co-hosts and found Jacoby’s set of skills and interests meshed with what he was looking for.
The story continues with a lot more gems fans will enjoy, including a nod to Simmons (via Rose) that I found justifiable — “None of this happens without the Podfather” — and plans for the future of Jalen & Jacoby.
A lot of diehards may already know the origin story of the show, yet, to those who fell off like me, Feldman’s article is a shot in the arm. The next time I’m in need of a pod, I’ll flip over to ESPN and find J&J like the old days; they obviously still care about the show and that’s really what the people want.