Foot Locker and Jordan Brand have launched a new campaign titled "Ready To Fly" featuring Thunder G Russell Westbrook in a 60-second spot. The ad opens with Westbrook approaching an aspiring basketball star and taking him through a series of drills designed to help him make it big. Director Spike Lee also appears in the spot. The ad, via BBDO, N.Y., debuted online yesterday and will make its TV premiere tomorrow night on TNT's NBA coverage (
Foot Locker). SPORTING NEWS' Dane Carbaugh noted Westbrook "took a shot at making a satirical version of the intense, hardcore and emotional far we're used to seeing from sports commercials." He is shown helping a young player "by moving through a set of staid sports cliches: getting doused with water to wake up, drinking eggs, working out in a hot gym, working out in a dramatically lit gym and flipping tires." Carbaugh: "It's actually very well done. It's part of a nice little run by Foot Locker to go funny with its ads instead of serious" (
SPORTINGNEWS.com, 12/10).
NOT A BAD STARTING FIVE: Former NBAer Eddie Johnson named the five most marketable players in the NBA, with Cavaliers F LeBron James topping the list. He noted James is the most popular athlete in the sport "because he stretches across the board." Johnson: "When he talks, people listen. That’s what [Michael] Jordan was, that’s what Muhammad Ali was." He said James would continue as the league's most marketable player "for a while as long as the Cavaliers continue to win.” The rest of Johnson's top five consisted of Thunder F Kevin Durant, Pelicans C Anthony Davis, Warriors G Stephen Curry and Clippers G Chris Paul (HOOPSHYPE.com, 12/8).
