Classics: The Society's Favorite Basketball Commercials

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Background_02_1920x1200Nike’s MVP’S: Most Valuable Puppets commercial’s featured Kobe and LeBron marionette’s and was a huge hit. 

The start of a brand new NBA season is six days away, and with the extremely riveting and exciting play comes a handful of innovative and moving advertisements that air throughout the year. The NBA is a players league, and what better way to familiarize yourself with the stars of the Association than through commercials. We at Basketball Society decided to compile a list of our favorite hoops commercials. Check it out. 

Writers:

Chris St. Jean: (@CSaint3)

Alex Fischbein: (@ThatKidFisch)

John Lava: (@JGBHoops)

Cyril Mpacko: (@Cee_Armel)

Martin Soaries: (@marley_mcfly)

Aram Cannuscio: (@ACannus)

Ryan Cowan: (@RCC1992)

B.J. Boyer: (@wcboyer24)


Chris:For whatever reason, this commercial has always resonated with me. I think it may have been the first season I had League Pass which allowed me to follow the league in a way I never could before. I will go find it on YouTube at the start of every season and before every playoffs just to get myself worked up.

Alex:
 
I may not have seen this commercial actually air on T.V., but when I saw it online it stuck in my head forever. Converse had the “Uncle Drew” idea before Pepsi even thought of it. Larry Johnson’s enthusiasm made this commercial hilarious, especially when he dressed up as his grandmama. Then, you get to see Larry Johnson in a dress while dunking and screaming. If you ask me, commercials don’t get much better than this.

John:

No NBA commercial in my lifetime has been as iconic as “Where Amazing Happens.” Even though the commercial is now seven years old, I still associate the words “where ____ happens” with the Association. It’s one of the few basketball commercials of the past that really stands out in my head, and watching it now really takes me back to the days of Ben Wallace and Yao Ming. The NBA PR department really did a great job with this one.


Cyril:

Allen Iverson was the reason why I took basketball as seriously as I have. People use basketball for various things, just as he stated in the commercial. But we rarely understand the amount of work it takes to get to the top. People always see the finished product, never learning to love the process. Dope commercial all in all.

Martin:
 
This concept was phenomenal because it was something we’d all pay to see as basketball fans: different versions of Michael Jordan playing against himself. In this case it was rookie MJ against 90’s bald MJ, but then UNC MJ shows up at the end. Gatorade did this one right.

Aram:

My favorite NBA commercial has to be one of the “NBA Forever” commercials where the older generation meets the newer generation. This is not only an inspirational video that pumps you up for the upcoming season, but it is an iconic commercial that reminds you of what greatness we have witnessed, and what greatness we are about to witness. The NBA is almost back and it is going to be an incredible season.


Ryan:

This 2010 commercial featuring LeBron James and Dwight Howard is a remake of a very popular 1994 commercial that included the likes of Larry Bird and Michael Jordan. McDonalds made these two commercials very memorable to the consumers, even though the 2010 version didn’t receive as much love as the original. I look forward to a third version down the road with another generation of talented players who are taking over the NBA.


BJ:
 
This commercial aired in 2012 immediately after James captured his first NBA championship with the Miami Heat. My affinity for Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers has always made me a tad bit bitter about James and his accomplishments (what can I say? It’s basically basketball nature,) but this commercial has resonated with me ever since that Finals series against Oklahoma City. It’s a perfect snapshot of a legend’s journey to his first ring, and Marvin Gaye’s soulful crooning makes the voyage even sweeter. Nike killed it with this one.

Which basketball commercial is your all-time favorite? Share with us via Twitter!

@BBallSociety_

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