Team Player: Malika Andrews And Reva Labbe Kingsbury
NBA Today host and NBA reporter Andrews values the help her colleague Labbe Kingsbury provides in navigating the social media universe
In the latest installment of Front Row’s “Team Player” series — where an ESPN commentator selects a behind-the-scenes colleague to spotlight – NBA reporter and NBA Today host Malika Andrews is highlighting Reva Labbe Kingsbury, social media manager.
During her five years at ESPN, Labbe Kingsbury has made a lasting impression on her colleagues. In her current role, she works with ESPN commentators on their social media handles to maximize their engagement and build their social brands.
Andrews is one of several who has benefited from Labbe Kingsbury’s guidance. Andrews’ Instagram account alone has grown by 116,000 followers since working closely with her.
Andrews reflects on working with Labbe Kingsbury.
What attributes does she possess that make her effective in her role?
Reva’s speed, attention to detail, and the kindness and care she brings to every assignment are remarkable. She is constantly available; when it comes to breaking news, that is incredibly important. Whether we are at the NBA Draft, working on an NBA Today show or breaking news, Reva makes sure there is a social component to our coverage and drives the social audience to the ESPN platform.
On NBA Today: @ramonashelburne reports on Joel Embiid testing positive for COVID-19 this morning and what it means for the 76ers moving forward. pic.twitter.com/Av2iaqEamW
— Malika Andrews (@malika_andrews) November 8, 2021
In what way does she help you do your job to the best of your ability?
Reva teaches patiently. Social media is often something that is misunderstood or misused, and instead of leaving reporters and hosts to navigate that confusion alone, Reva has explained to me step by step how our information should be disseminated on social media.
Could you describe an example of her going above and beyond to get the job done?
Last year’s NBA Draft was the first time that we were doing a dual broadcast on ABC and ESPN. Reva was off to the side, listening intently to our conversations and picking the most salient bits and clipping them off for social media.
She made sure that each post included the proper context – something that can be challenging to do while also being speedy. Before the broadcast, Reva had taken the time to sit with me so that when I looked at the posts on my personal account. Every video she picked performed incredibly well and drove to our broadcast.
(Joe Faraoni/ESPN Images)
KINGSBURY ON WORKING WITH ANDREWS:
Today we had @UF grad @sorevawaslike from @espn speak to our @UFJSchool Intro to Media and Sports class.
Check out Reva’s #10SecondAdvice pic.twitter.com/sLM8S2PHD6
— Andrew Selepak (@aselepak) October 26, 2021
“I have been helping Malika since 2020, but really started working with her closely in February 2021. What I love about working with Malika is that she has really bought in on using social media to help elevate the content she is creating on TV.
“She is always willing to try new features or platforms I recommend to her. She also has a very clear point-of-view on how she wants her social media accounts to look and is a very active participant in the creation of her social media content. I’m excited to see how much more we can accomplish together in 2022.”
