Foster the Creativity

While there isn't basketball being played, at least there is time to make extremely creative basketball commercials.

Of course I already highlighted my favorite basketball commercial.
Here are two of my more recent favorites:

1)

Let me just say it, this commercial is dope.
The beat is banging and the visuals are stunning.
My favorite sequence is when the beat loops (as if a DJ is replaying it) while Rose fakes throwing the ball at the matador before emerging unscathed from underneath his flag in slow motion.

There are times when I think that basketball is more than just a game. That it can change lives and even society. Something about this commercial brings out that sense. It's epic.

There are times when I still get the urge to play basketball seriously, and even go back to training. Something about this commercial brought out that urge (albeit briefly).

There weren't many times when I rooted for the bulls growing up (although I did root for them in the finals towards the end of Jordan's career). Dare I say as a Knicks fan, something about this commercial makes me want to root for the bulls. It certainly makes me want to root for Derrick Rose.

And for sure, it makes me want to buy those sneakers......



2)

I assume this commercial was made in reference to the lockout.
It made me smile more than anything.

The desire to play, for the sake of playing.
For the sake of comradery.
And also for the sake of competition.

In addition to the "jewish under 40 league" (oy vey, now leaving Brooklyn), my favorite scene is at the end when Carmelo and Paul team up and go to China only to find Wade is there also and ready to compete against them.

Is there perhaps a reference to a new-new big three vs. the new (soon to be new-old) big three? What, you thought it was gonna be easy? Game recognize game.


A few random thoughts about this second commercial:

1) Question: How come New York had the most jacked up courts? 


2) I have always found Jordan being an owner during the lockout intriguing.
Here you have the greatest player of all time, who you think would be sympathetic towards current players, falling more in line with the owners.

Although maybe its not that surprising considering he is a business man.

Still, with this commercial you have Jordan "the owner" - of the brand and NBA team - approving a commercial that seems to support players - that happen to make him money.

3) It's hard to pick a side in this lockout - when you have billionaires fighting millionaires. 
This commercial seems sympathetic towards players - hey they love the game so much they'll play in recreational leagues.

You know what I would love to see???
How about the players stick to their demands of 53%, or 52.5% of the BRI until the owners cave.
Then, the players take a portion, if not all, of the difference from a 50-50 split (3%) and donate it to charity just to show it's not about the money but getting a fair deal.

Of course that will never happen.

4) More than two sides
We talk about how the owners pay the salaries and create the platform for players to become stars and rich. We talk about how the players are the star power and generate owners and the league huge amounts of revenue.

Well, one thing these commercials tell me is how much the social media, arts, labels, commercials, technology, and marketing drives all of this. It has it's own economy that caters to our dreams.
We buy half this merchandise so we can dress up and be in our own reality show where we are the basketball players. Where we are the star athletes - or even underrated role players that make a team successful (even though most of us really look and play like the people in those recreational leagues - oy vey). An economy of fitness and training - where we have something that drives us. Where we can sweat for a purpose and compete.

Of course, that's where Jordan really revolutionized the game right? Through the development of his sneakers and brand through nike. Through these commercials. Where our "love of the game" allows us to buy all this stuff - which in turn provides and even bigger platform (and market) for both the owners and players.

How much are the creative designers behind these commercials worth? What's their fair deal?

Better yet - how much are the people who watch these commercials (and write about them) worth?

What's our fair deal?

Top Ten Things We Will Miss this NBA Season

10) Jimmer Fredette wins the three point shoot out during all-star weekend

Is it possible that this guy is the best shooter in the league already?

Well if the lockout keeps going he may be by default, as some of the other greats just may have to retire (Steve Nash, Ray Allen).

Seriously though, name a shooter in the NBA better than this guy. Steph Curry?

Imagine Jimmer coming down to Orlando and putting on a show.
Craig Hodges might have been in trouble.

9) The best slam dunk competition ever.

Is this the year the NBA would have finally got it right?
Is this the year that superstars finally stepped up and into the competition (at least to make it up to the fans for the lockout)?

Think about this line-up:

LeBron James (goes from preliminarily to actuality)
Derrick Rose
Russel WestBrook
Blake Griffin

My Good-ness
Why hasn't this happened already???

8) The knicks having their first 50 win season in over a decade
Think about what it's like to be a Knicks fan:
We could never get over the hump with Ewing.
(Thank Jordan and Texas for that).
We went through the 00's as a joke.
We finally pick up Amar'e and Carmelo. Back on the map???
Nope. Now we have the lockout to prevent us from winning.

NY just can't catch a break.

Think about how fun the renewed Miami/New York rivalry would be.
Or how about a new Chicago/New York grudge match?

7) Dwight Howard's last year in Orlando/Chris Paul's last year in NOLA 

For all of the bad luck the Knicks have, maybe the next time there are NBA games CP3 will be in NYC. New Yorkers are already used to waiting till next year in basketball. Might as well wait one more year for Chris Paul.

At least Orlando and NOLA won't have to go through all that annoying and distracting trade talk the way Denver did last season. Although, I suppose that means that both teams won't get any sort of just compensation for their loses with a trade.

6) The Miami Heat win 73 games
What? You don't think these guys will get better?
How about when they add a piece or two and stay healthy?
Then they can really be in the NBA 2K12 talk for greatest team of all time.

What would Jordan think?

5) The Gasol brothers meet in the western conference 2nd round
Remember when you thought the Lakers robbed Memphis by getting Pau Gasol for practically nothing?
Well, what do you think now? Who was the better Gasol in last year's playoffs?
(Hint: Pau wasn't the brother that was second in the NBA in rebounding).

Is Marc Gasol one of the better centers in the NBA now?
Bynum/Pau Gasol frontline? What about the Randolph/Marc Gasol frontline?
You're talking Hollywood vs. beast mode.

When was the last time we saw brothers go up against each other in the NBA?
On this this type of stage? Think about how epic this would be.

4) Opportunities abound
My, look how many players have signed to play overseas.
Question: What if there is a season? What about all the players that don't have an opt-out clause in their contract (you know like half the Denver Nuggets team)? Does that mean there will be a lot of teams looking for players to fill needs at various positions?

Could be a great opportunity for players who may normally have been over looked.

3) World Peace (Metta)

Has the back of an NBA jersey ever said so much?

2) Kobe vs. LeBron (Finally)

In '09 and '10 Kobe was waiting while LeBron couldn't get the Cavs over the hump.
So, last year LeBron jumped ships to Miami to get to the finals only for Kobe and the lakers to pull a dud  in the second round.

Was this going to be the year?

I always had a question if these two met with a title on the line.
Who would Kobe be?
Would Kobe be Jordan  - in the sense that he would win and therefore deny everyone of his contemporaries a championship.
Or would Kobe be Magic - in the sense that after 5 rings, he would lose to the next greatest player in his last finals appearance and pass the torch to a new era.

I guess it just wasn't meant to be.


1) Durant vs. LeBron
Forget all that Kobe/LeBron talk anyway.
It's all about LeBron/Durant now.

This was the year they were going to meet in the finals - for the first time.
(A Dwayne Wade/Russel Westbrook matchup wouldn't be that bad either).

But if it makes you feel better, these two will have plenty of time to compete for championships.