The ‘Inside the NBA’ showrunners outdid themselves with a spoof video of Kobe Bryant jumping over an Aston Martin, starring Kenny Smith.
Advertisement
Kobe endorsed Adidas in his first few years as an NBA player, getting his own shoe line with them. He later signed with Nike, where he rewrote his sneaker legacy with some really amazing releases over the years.
Many Mamba enthusiasts rank the Zoom Kobe 4 shoes as his best releases ever. This was a groundbreaking shoe for basketball enthusiasts, because the popular belief at the time was against low-top shoes.
The success of the Zoom Kobe 4 on the court proved to be a blueprint for other such low-ankle shoes.
This 2008 shoe was also accompanied by a video to aid with its marketing. Bryant was depicted to be jumping over an onrushing Aston Martin. He didn’t actually perform the stunt even if he was capable, as it would’ve been a breach of his NBA contract.
However, basketball fans still found it to be quite a great commercial, and it went viral. It also made its way onto TNT’s post-game broadcast.
Ernie Johnson and Kenny Smith parody the Kobe Bryant Aston Martin commercial on EJ’s ‘Neat-o-Stat’
Kobe was interviewed by the ‘Inside’ crew after Game 2 of the Lakers vs Nuggets first round series from the 2008 playoffs. This was a time when the ‘Neat-o-Stat’ was sullied by a Geico sponsorship, though Ernie likes to pretend otherwise these days.
In this particular instance, the Neat-o-Stat of the night featured Kobe’s Aston Martin commercial. And this is where the genius of the producers of the show comes in.
Ernie ceded the floor to Kenny Smith after the commercial, and the former Rockets guard began promoting his own shoe. And before you knew it, the crooked-kneed guard had accepted Aston Martin challenge for himself.
As Kenny lines up and readies himself for the jump, he gets run over by an onrushing Aston Martin. A classic ‘Inside the NBA’ moment with a legendary guest!