Pepper Persley, 10-Year-Old Podcaster From New York, Broadcasts NBA Playoff Game On TV
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- It takes most broadcasters years to rise through the ranks to become a game analyst at a network.
But a 10-year-old girl from New York has already done it, CBS2's Steve Overmyer reported Friday.
"A lot of adults ask, 'Oh, what do you want to be when you grow up? Like, what's your dream for when you're an adult?' But I'm achieving my dream and I'm still 10," said Pepper Persley, who just broadcast an NBA playoff game on TV.
Pepper was part of a Los Angeles Clippers Kids Cast, a special broadcast using augmented reality to make the games more kid-friendly.
"I think it was very entertaining. Like someone turns on the channel, instead of just scrolling through because they see boring basketball, they see lightning coming out of the basket," Pepper told Overmyer. "All that kind of really fun stuff!"
With live special effects, the NBA was able to bring a cartoon world to a live sporting event.
If Pepper sounds like a pro, she is. Pepper is a mainstay on the WNBA scene.
Zoom interviews allow her to be part of post-game press conferences from her home.
Interviewing athletes is nothing new. Pepper's been doing that since she was six years old.
Now, at the mature age of 10, Pepper is serving as a broadcasting inspiration.
"I think that, I really just, well, I like talking. A lot of people, my parents can attest to that, a lot of people can attest to that," Pepper said. "It's a lot of nonstop talking, but I think I also like it because I get to, even in a little way, through broadcast and through covering the WNBA and basketball, I can bring joy to people. That's always been really important to me."
As long as she can bring that joy before her 8 p.m. bedtime.
"I should not have been up that late, but I was snacking on candy the whole time," she said.
"Oh, you got a little sugar rush," Overmyer said.
"Yeah, and then I crashed right after that. I went right to bed," Pepper replied.
But not before leaving a lasting impression.
Every week, Pepper hosts a podcast with women in sports. Click here to learn more.