Kobe & Lebron: Most Valuable Puppets... FAIL.

Not to throw disclaimers about like CP3 tossing alley-oops to Tyson Chandler, but I love Nike. For the most part, I love their kicks, their marketing is always on point and they don't joke around with the technology and R&D they put into their products. However, their recent campaign with the current and previous league MVP's is pretty much gar-bage. After seeing the first spot I felt they did little to capture the personalities of these two guys. I mean, maybe that was Lebron 5 years ago and possibly Kobe 5 years from now, but that's still being extreme. Yeah it's puppets and while the excessive chalk was funny, it all got tired after the first 30 seconds. I let things slide the first time as the swoosh got a pass on the strength of their previous track record.

Now, there's another spot with the two marionettes, if the puppetry looks familiar it's the same work you've seen in Kanye West's "Champion" video, (which I still believe is a Nike commercial). With this new Three Rings commercial, it leads me to believe there is a series of spots with Nike feeling their two posterboys will be facing each other in the NBA Finals. Not a radical idea, although the Houston Rockets seem to have missed that memo, maybe there's still time to create a Chris "Birdman" Andersen puppet?

What baffles me most is how much Nike has missed the mark here. While hardly funny, they are nothing like their real life counterparts, and don't need to be. But they could have played into some of their characteristics and made it more comedic. Or it could have been stronger if they actually voiced it, yet I'm actually surprised these were even approved. Especially in light of Kobe's alleged creative control demands on the Spike Lee directed Kobe Doin' Work documentary.

Who signs off on these? Lebron came off better in this one, yet Kobe looks like a clown, or better yet the Cookie Monster. I mean really, Jim Henson must be rolling in his grave right now.

Camraderie

I managed to see one of the last Indiana Pacers home games this season which was against the Cleveland Cavaliers. What amazed me, aside from the fact the fans cheered almost as loudly for the Cavs as they did for the Pacers, was how much of a team the Cavs are. Prior to tip it seemed like non-stop hugs and daps between all players one through twelve, trainers... everyone got love. Aside from the Cavaliers league leading success this season and their penchant for having fun, this is a team that's a family and trusts one another. All of this starts with Lebron James and trickles on down, whether it's the bench rooting the starters or the starters rooting the bench this is a talented bunch to watch that you can't help but root for. Maybe that's why they get the love in every arena around the league.

Obviously the video is a play on the Heineken walk in fridge commercial, but if that many shoes showed up for me and my boys, that would be a likely reaction.

Good looking out to my man MaZe at Kixandthecity for the tip.

Cameo Appearance.

You know those times, when you put on a jacket or a pair of jeans and you find $10 in the pocket? Well I didn't feel like I found free money, but I completely forgot I was "interviewed" while waiting for my mom at the Raptors game last month. Court Surfing was on the scene at the ACC asking the people about LBJ. Find me if you can.

2010.

I have intentionally abstained from the "Where Is Lebron James going?" conjecture, not for fear of personal safety, but at this point there are plenty of things that can happen, and too much free time to sit around and speculate on. To top it off, 2010 will likely see the strongest free agent class ever witnessed in the history of the NBA, another wrinkle to the situation.

So as I'm not really engaging in the dialogue, I'll mention that Darren Rovell from Sports Biz over at CNBC wrote a good piece examining the Nike factor, where there is a belief that Nike will pay more to have him in a major market like New York. The real point which Rovell briefly touches on in the story is, why are there talks of incentives for certain cities, after Beijing, I thought global domination was on everyone's agenda?

At least they have time to figure it all out.

The Aussies Have A Sick Handle.

Growing up in Canada in the 80's, if you wanted to get your basketball fix, your options were limited, and you were always forced to look to the American media whether it was radio, TV or print. A visit to the newsstand was like shopping at a record store, you had Hoop Magazine, who were the Young MC of the basketball mag world, and thankfully later came SLAM who were Public Enemy, "throwing it down your throat like Barkley." Other magazines followed, but of course we always looked down south as the home of hoops and our trusted source for basketball, (even though it was created by a Canadian).

Being North American-centric, it's unlikely that Australia would be one of the first places you would look for a solid hoops magazine, but you should, they've got handle. Fresh on the newsstands with their 20th issue, they're profiling the 30 most important players of the past 30 years, trust me as a contributor to this issue, there was MUCH debate over who should be considered. (I'm not going to tell you who is on the list, you can go pick it up and see for yourself). However, they don't take their title of "Australia's Premier Basketball Publication" very lightly, while they cover NBA, streetball, NCAA and international hoops, they also have their very own basketball league down under called the NBL, and do it all thoroughly.

handle has great editorial, solid content, fantastic design and a fresh perspective, the only drawback is that by the time it gets to newsstands on this side of the Atlantic, or Pacific, the mag is a little pricier than it's contemporaries. But times have changed now, it doesn't mean you should overlook them, it just means you should give them a look.

Chalk Another One Up For Lebron.

I'm not sure if you've picked up on this as yet, but I LOVE commercials. I'm sure the majority of videos I've watched on You Tube are no longer than 30 seconds, and of course I have an affinity for basketball commercials, as I can relate to them and they're pretty darn creative.

While I'm not overly impressed with the aesthetics of the Lebron 6 sneaker thus far, (the Lebron 1 still stands as the best performing shoe of his signature line), the proverbial shoe is about to drop. The commercial is brilliant if you get it, and if you don't, you're probably scratching your head mumbling "WTF?" I'll just paraphrase Redman here, "laugh now, and figure the rest of it out when you get home."

By the way, the fact Lil Wayne is in the spot has nothing to do with how great it is.

More Than A Game.

The internets have been abuzz about the More Than A Game documentary featuring Lebron James and his high school friends. I missed the gala at the Toronto International Festival, but I was able to catch the following screening last week.

Much like everything you have heard, it's a fantastic glimpse into 5 boys and their coach coming of age. Personally, I think this is the best basketball documentary ever made, and I encourage everyone to see it. It's just a great story and a personal one, it's not a Lebron James story, it's all of their stories, more importantly, it's a story for everyone.

Lebron sat down with my man George S. from The Hour, and got more out of the "Chosen One", than the boxed standard answers he has known to deliver.