Frequent Malone Zone readers know by now that from time to time, ol Ty can be a hater, but as I grow older and wiser (and suffer through a non stop barrage of political ads that prop nothing but hate) I've realized it's time to grow up and give credit where credit is due. Originally, I thought the royal red carpet laid out by the NBA for LeBron James was a little too premature given the massive talent that preceded him that didn't receive similar accolades right off the bat. But given his play, humble demeanor and intelligent interviews I've changed my mind. Well...it could be all that or just his too funny, well acted 'The LeBrons' Nike campaign which brings back warm memories of Spike Lee talkin' about his 'main man Money' (aka Michael Jordan)...Y'all remember those joints, right? If not, let YouTube take you back a few to when Michael Jordan was the league's young phenom and Nike built a humorous commercial franchise around his shoe - the Air Jordans.
Now your boy LeBron is stepping into that Nike shoe void that will never be filled by the likes of tarnished Kobe Bryant (though Bryant is now in the Nike stable as well). I like these 'The LeBrons' ads that have Lebron playing four distinct characters in each skit - Wise, the crotchety, old school patriarch of the family, Business, the silky smooth player of the family, Athlete (Lebron) and Kid, the hip-hop, fun lover of the group. The latest one has the crew out at the swimming pool with my favorite old school jam, Summer Madness, playing all chilly in the background.
I've seen NBA players in commercials before and I have to say that LeBron's acting is really good (better than Jordan in his joints) and he nails each character perfectly. Since I'm a sucker for good humor, all the sudden I'm overlooking such hate-worthy LeBron facts like:
1) $150 million in endorsements
2) 3rd highest Q rating (marketability) among *all* NBA players (only Tim Duncan and Shaq score higher) - this after only three years in the league...)
3) #46 on the Forbes Celebrity 100 list - up from #53 last year
4) only 21 years old
Hold up! Only 21!! Dang, I thought I could handle it but after hearing that, LeBron can kiss my a$$!
Just kiddin' LB - any brother who can drop a commercial with Summer Madness in the background can't be all bad, y'all. Consider ol Ty *finally* on the bandwagon.
Peace@Least,
Tyrone
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