“It wouldn’t have the same effect if you took all these guys and you put them up at Lincoln Center in one of the big fashion-week venues,” Oliphant said. “I could even paint them a giant backdrop, but it wouldn’t be the same. It would no longer be accessible to my nephew who would never watch something on fashion.”

Curry said he did not realize that he needed to care about his 30-second pregame walk to the locker room until he made his first playoffs appearance with the Warriors in 2013. All of a sudden, camera crews were waiting for him. He knew then that he had to put more effort into his attire. It has become an important part of his game day ritual.

“I would wear most of this stuff anyway, especially for the playoffs,” he said. “You want to feel good for each game.”

While television has used player arrivals as pregame fodder for years, social media has given these small moments greater currency. They have also become much more involved productions. Nian Fish, a creative director and producer of fashion shows and events, said she was struck by the work of the film crews.

“You can see a guy holding up a big floodlight because they’re obviously going through this dark tunnel,” Fish said. “So I’m like, wow, that’s really amazing that they’re doing a lighting production to create a video of this, their own version of the red carpet. They’re really producing this shot.”

All for a few seconds of video. There are other logistical hurdles, said Tim Corrigan, a senior coordinating producer for ESPN. Because home and visiting teams often arrive at different entrances, Corrigan assigns crews to camp out at each location. Players also show up at various times. When the Warriors are on the road, for example, they have three buses that leave for the arena in 30-minute increments. By now, ESPN’s crew knows that Curry tends to take the last bus, which usually pulls in about two hours before the game.