All Star Game commercials, always on top

The All Star Game has always covered a great media role for all NBA players. It is one of the principal events in terms of entertainment of the game after the Playoff, generally held few weeks after the Super Bowl, the most watched event of the world. One of the differences from the Super Bowl is the impact on the city: the All Star Game normally involves the principal north-American cities putting them at the center of the weekend.

Last year the NBA returned to the country of the show business, NYC, while this year it has decided to bet on Toronto. The element that unites the two shows is the promotion: besides the matches there are the commercials that are always very remarkable. 

Returning to Michael Jordan, last year Gatorade broadcast the famous spot "Be Like Mike" to celebrate its 50 years with the most important testimonial. Today we are exactly dealing with the commercials, dividing them in two categories: the classical spots of presentation of the event and the commercials that the teams make in order to promote the candidacy of their players. 

Music has obviously a primary role in the realization of a spot. The NBA has always tried to associate good music to the spots of the ASG. In the past years we saw Macklemore with Wings, then of Power with Will.The.Am and Justin Bieber. One of the first ones has been Usher, while the most beautiful spot has perhaps been sewn on the notes of All of the Lights by Kanye West in 2011, when the ASG went to the city of lights: Los Angeles.

The NBA has always put the focus on the irony of its protagonists. Not only the NBA in fact, but the whole world around it. The first McDonalds and Pepsi involve Bird, Barkley, Jordan. Then the All Star Game of New Orleand, NOLA in American slang, arrives, showing all the small tics of the NBA stars. From James Harden's beard to Damien Lillard's versatility, up to the compulsive baskets of Stephen Curry. 

If we had to choose a Hollywood representative for the NBA we would probably opt for Spike Lee. The director is in fact the protagonist of the spot that the NBA has shot to celebrate the ASG return to New York. Only thirty secondS, to remind everyone how much the Big Apple breathes basket in every single gesture, despite the depressing seasons of Kincks and Nets. 

The Clippers chose the 16 times named to the Grammies Brian McKnight, who tuned up a strophe created on purpose to guarantee the vote to more or less all the components of the quintet based in LA. He didn't have a lot of fortune, and only Chris Paul will play on St. Valentine's weekend, yet starting from the bench.

Same fortune for DMC Demarcus Cousins. Even though he was the author of a dominant season, he didn't succeed in convincing the American fans with a legendary spot. DMC has reinterpreted a classic like the Coca Cola commercial with Joe Greene in '79. Funny operation for one of the most "incorrect" players (who has accumulated more technical faults than anyone) of the league. 

 

The Detroit Pistons didn't expect to have already an All Star in their hands. Once Drummond started to dominate in center position they thought about heavily investing in his candidacy. How? With a gag become viral over the years: Obama singing. This time has been Jumpman's and Drake's turn.

 

Karl Anthony Tows will reach the ASG sooner or later. The Minnesota's rookie is doing so well that the T-Wolves have tried to send him to play on Sundays (as rookie he will participate in the Friday's competition). And they tried playing with his nickname KAT and with the most viral among the social contents of the past years, kittens.

 
Also for Dirk Nowitzki it could be perhaps the last time in the ASG, even if he hasn't announced his retirement yet, but the German won't be at the game. This has not prevented us to see him protagonist of the best spot of the year in a superb imitation of Donald Trump, republican candidate to the White House.