Charles Barkley’s usual nonchalance towards authority was put to the test when he was forced into quite the arduous commercial with Spike Lee for Nike. Despite ‘warnings’ from Michael Jordan on Lee’s relentless work ethic, Chuck (regrettably) decided to give it a go.
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Barkley underestimated Spike’s obsession with precision and probably didn’t realize just how exhausting the process was going to be. The NBA legend revealed what it was like to work with Lee on a recent episode of The Steam Room.
Lee was heavily involved with the Nike commercials back in the day. He directed and starred in several commercials including the iconic 1991 ‘It’s Gotta Be the Shoes’ commercial with MJ. So, when Chuck got the opportunity to work with him, he told MJ about it while they were golfing. The Bulls legend told him, “Oh my god. He’s gonna work you to death.”
When Chuck showed up for the commercial, ignoring MJ’s advice, he was surprised to find out that he wasn’t lying. Chuck said, “I had to dribble a basketball and keep stopping, showing my feet. I did that, I’m not even joking, for three hours. And they only used the spot for like half a second.”
When he finally left the spot, he was tired and was left with one wish: “I wanna punch this dude in the face.”
Given the ‘Round Mound of Rebound’s’ penchant for fisticuffs, it wasn’t all too surprising that he made this claim. As time has passed however, he’s come to the realization that being so dedicated to his craft is what makes Lee one of the best in the world.
He heaped praise on the 67-year-old on his podcast as well. He said, “Spike is a workaholic type of dude…perfectionist.” They have been friends ever since and Barkley also got a surprise birthday call from the legendary director.
Lee called in to wish his friend a happy birthday and talked about how great he is as a person. He said, “We’ve come very close doing these commercials. You just make me laugh. You’re very generous, and people don’t know that, man. You keep it all low. You’re not doing it for publicity, but you’ve helped a whole lot of people, including me.”
Chuck was very touched by his message and said that it was an honor to work with him. Will Barkley ever lace up his retro Nikes one last time for another go-around with Spike to create yet another iconic commercial? Only time will tell as fans can remain hopeful.
