Kyrie Irving Reprises Uncle Drew Role In New Pepsi Spot With Cameo By Ray Allen

Uncle Drew, the character played by Cavaliers G Kyrie Irving in a series of Pepsi spots, "is back" and "has a nemesis in chapter four: Walt, another old-timer, played by" former NBAer Ray Allen, according to Jeff Zillgitt of USA TODAY. The commercial open with Uncle Drew giving a voiceover before cutting to three old guys -- Uncle Drew, Louis (played by former NBA star Baron Davis) and Angelo (played by actor JB Smoove) -- "playing dominoes and talking hoops." Drew "finds out Walt is town, and they head to a local outdoor basketball court" for a "showdown between Walt and Uncle Drew in a game of HORSE" (USATODAY.com, 11/12). The AP's Tim Reynolds noted YouTube viewership numbers "provide plenty of proof" the Uncle Drew character's appeal "is broad." Uncle Drew videos have "been viewed more than 60 million times" on the site, something that Irving "never envisioned, given that he was thrilled when the first Drew chapter three years ago crossed the 1,000-view mark." Past Uncle Drew spots have "shown Drew playing full-court 5-on-5, though this one was filmed when Irving was still in the midst of recovering from the knee issue and that likely played a role in how he crafted the latest script." There is hope that one day Irving's real-life teammate, Cavaliers F LeBron James -- a Sprite endorser -- "might be able to work his way onto the court alongside Uncle Drew" (AP, 11/12). ESPN.com's Darren Rovell noted Nike has "produced 150 'Uncle Drew' boxes that feature a special Uncle Drew version of Kyrie's signature shoe that he wears in the film, a sweatshirt with a new Uncle Drew logo and a new bobblehead" (ESPN.com, 11/12).