LeBron James has been part of some creative commercials since entering the NBA. The influence King James commanded on the market right from his hyped NBA Draft in 2003 made him the center of numerous ad campaigns for several brands. Recently, one of his old commercials, featuring his children, has started gaining traction on social media once again. In the video from 2022 promoting the LeBron 20s, James can be seen indulging in some banter with his sons, Bronny and Bryce, before diving into the swimming pool.
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As LeBron jumps into the pool, Bronny and Bryce seem clueless about their old man’s intentions. “What are you doing!” exclaims Bronny. “You can’t be serious right now!” Bryce adds. However, ignoring their ad-libs, the four-time NBA Champion squats and jumps out of the pool without any support from his hands, showcasing his incredible core strength and the increased bounce the LeBron 20s provide. James’ superhuman feat even impressed his sons, who could be heard wooing off-camera.
Fans have debated whether the video is real or doctored. On one hand, it would take insurmountable strength to jump out of the swimming pool onto the floor outside. On the other hand, James is one of the greatest athletes ever to walk the earth, if not the very greatest. At 39, he can still outjump almost anyone in the NBA. His explosiveness may have dwindled slightly with age. However, the Los Angeles Lakers superstar’s vertical has remained elite. So it would be naive to put anything past the King even in his late thirties.
Real or doctored, James being able to spark a debate is a testament to his one-of-a-kind athleticism. While the video is likely fake, his unmatched explosiveness, strength, and aerial prowess had many believing he possesses the core strength to squat and jump out of the pool, onto the floor outside. Credit to James and Nike’s marketing team for creating a viral advertisement for the LeBron 20s, which were released in September of 2022.
Times when LeBron James showcased his acting chops
LeBron James has been the face of the NBA for over two decades now. He’s among the top merchandise sellers on Earth. Naturally, brands want to be associated with James and create viral advertisements.
James and Nike have been together since LBJ was a teenager. Over their two-decade-long partnership, they have created some incredible advertisements. However, their best work together was released back in 2006.
A young James is seen training in the pool, while an older gentleman can be seen sitting on a chair by the poolside(also played by LeBron). He can be seen berating the superstar. He claims training in the pool won’t help him beat the Detroit Pistons, a dominant force in the East back then. He also says Michael Jordan never trained in the pool to discourage James in typical barbershop talk.
There’s another middle-aged man in the video, also played by James, who has an afro and is sporting a neat white suit. He’s talking smoothly to someone on the phone, presumably a woman. There’s also a hilarious and enthusiastic mini-version of James meant to depict a child.
The kid and the middle-aged man are standing at the top of the diving tower when the former decides to jump while the latter continues talking on the phone. The older gentleman by the pool berates the middle-aged man for not jumping in the pool. Eventually, the man puts his phone down and stylishly jumps into the pool, even showing off his ring.
Throughout the video, the original James continues training intently. The basketball icon plays every role to perfection in the advertisement. James’ sensational acting job makes this one of the best acting performances of his career.
