The NBA’s 75th anniversary season sits on the horizon, and Phoenix Suns guards Devin Booker and Chris Paul are featured in the extended version of a commercial to promote the 2021-22 tip-off.
Booker takes the stage for one of the more moving cuts. Parking a 1958 Chevy Impala, Booker pauses a moment to take in a mural of late Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant.
On the mural is the “Be legendary” quote that Bryant wrote on Booker’s shoes following his final game in Phoenix — and the quote that Booker has tattooed on his body.
In the ad, Booker salutes the mural before driving off.
Paul is also featured in the video briefly, showing young kids how to spin a ball on their finger.
Actor Michael B. Jordan narrates the nearly three-minute spot that speaks to the close-knit NBA community portrayed as a community: NBA Lane. It includes both current and past players.
Among the latter are Bill Russell, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Gary Payton, Dikembe Mutombo, Dirk Nowitzki and Dwyane Wade.
Current players who make appearances in the commercial are Kevin Durant, Zion Williamson, Donovan Mitchell, Jayson Tatum and LeBron James.
The NBA also released a behind-the-scenes look at how the commercial was made, which indeed brought the at-large NBA community together.
Check out a behind-the-scenes look at the making of “NBA Lane”, featuring interviews with Kevin Durant, LeBron James, Donovan Mitchell, Gary Payton, Isiah Thomas, Russell Westbrook, Zion Williamson, NBA Chief Marketing Officer Kate Jhaveri and “NBA Lane” director Rick Famuyiwa. pic.twitter.com/VYOH6YSHcN
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) October 7, 2021