HBO's Game Theory with Bomani Jones is the culmination of a career built on his own terms

GQ

As an ESPN commentator, Jones admits he'd just rolled out of bed and started his day. “Before, I would just get on the radio, you hit a switch, give me 10 minutes, and I just go off the top of my head and give it to you,” he says. But, as Esquire's Tyler R. Tynes says in his profile of Jones, "things have clearly changed, as we sit atop a swanky building overlooking the Hudson in his new corner office, listening to the smooth jazz sounds of keyboardist Bob James while morning creeps to the afternoon. Today, Bomani is gearing up for the release of Game Theory, a new HBO late night talk show, and his first ever solo show. For the first time in a long time, he’s feeling pressure. And the trappings around him are constant reminders of evolution in his life: how his assistant places fresh fruit on his desk in the mornings; his bracingly early call-times for hair and makeup; the men on the street who stop him when he’s outside recording skits. Haven’t you heard? Bomani is big time now. Freed from the corporate prison of ESPN, Bomani has blossomed into something new entirely. He’s no longer just the smart podcaster, the adept TV man, the most insightful sports commentator on television. Now, he’s something bigger than he ever imagined." Jones adds that unlike his ESPN work, “this hasn’t been compromised. There’s certain – and I don’t know if ‘concessions’ is the right word – but there’s some things you have to do based on the formats that you’re in. Every show has a different purpose to it. People ask me what’s gonna be different about this show than what’s on ESPN?”

ALSO:

• Can Bomani Jones thrive with a sports-themed satirical show?: "You’d be hard pressed to name a pundit who’s better suited to tackle this story than Jones," says Andrew Lawrence. "Besides being a sports savant and a sharp cultural critique, the 41-year-old pundit is also thoroughly engaging. Now in addition to his protracted run at ESPN – where he stands out for his longform, nuanced takes on television, radio and as a podcast host – Jones will be moonlighting on HBO as host of a new late night show called Game Theory, which debuts on Sunday. The plan is to export the casual infotainment vibe of his hit podcast, The Right Time, to premium cable –where the Emmy winner joins a heavyweight card that includes much-admired sportscaster Bob Costas and the no-bullsh*t interviewer Bryant Gumbel. Talk about a gamble."
• Jones feels no vulnerability or fear in bringing his own vision to TV: "I can’t think of what there is to be afraid of," he says. "The only thing there is to be afraid of is that people might not like the television show and that’s just really not the worst thing in the world for me. I’ve been on a TV show that got canceled. Most people I know who’ve done television have been on TV shows that have got canceled. That happens. So for me, the vision that I’m putting out is really a culmination of all the stuff that I’ve been doing for 20 years in this business. I have affirmed over time that I am at my best when I’m leaning in on what I find to be interesting and leaning into things from my perspective, rather than me trying to figure out how to fit that perspective in something else that somebody else is doing, which is by and large, what I’ve done on television for most of my TV career."