LeBron James has been somewhat of a character since before he made his NBA debut. Crowned “King James” as a teenager, LeBron’s showmanship throughout his career has not only aided in his longevity but also helped him become the businessman that he is. His SpringHill production company develops and produces entertainment in partnership with the biggest brands and platforms in the world.
But one of the main reasons LeBron has been able to do such great business is his and his team’s ability to market. Because LeBron has always embraced the hype of his stardom since a teenager, he’s been able to transition to all sorts of spaces outside of the sport he’s dominated for so long.
One of the most effective ways he’s done this is through commercial advertising. The King has never been afraid to step in front of the camera as LeBron the Person, and not always the player.
He’s since made his mark in the movie industry with his remakes of “Space Jam: A New Legacy” and “House Party” and other original productions. But before the movies, there was LeBron the Commercial Star. I’ve taken the liberty of collecting his best ones here.
LeBron James’ First Nike Commercial (Book of Dimes)
Can I get a layup?!?!
The late Bernie Mac as pastor in a velour Nike two-piece is about as early 2000s as it gets. An 18-year-old NBA rookie, LeBron James bursts through the church’s doors rocking the Nike Zoom Generations. Julius Erving, Jerry West, Moses Malone and an all-WNBA choir help complete this cinematic masterpiece. Dawn Staley, Sue Bird, Tamika Catchings and others all in attendance to see the King crowned.
Funny how?
Imagine being a part of a rookie superstar’s entourage … and then they get hurt? JK! It’s just the Sprite. A cameo from a young Rich Paul makes their longtime partnership feel even more real today.
Witness
This Nike basketball ad summed up what it was like to see him play for the first time. The young and old have marveled at the King for 20 years. We are all witnesses.
Swimming Pool
This is the commercial we’ll probably look back on and say, “He has wanted to act all along.” In this Nike classic, we get Little Kid-Bron splashing Old Man-Bron while Real LeBron-Bron(?) is getting in a pool workout. We even get a quick Jordan comparison. The jokes were there early.
But the fact that White Suit-Bron dips effortlessly into the water without so much as a baby’s splash is what makes me laugh to this day.
This ad was so classic that it also made our NBA 75 list of the best NBA commercials of all time.
Bubblicious
What pressure? This 15-second showcase in storytelling summed up how LeBron dealt with the seemingly insurmountable expectations placed on him coming into the NBA.
Dunk Contest
At this point in his career, we’ll likely never see LeBron James in the dunk contest, and it’s a real shame. To promote his Zoom Lebron 4s, the King and his characters had their own competition. In the end, Too Cool-Bron (formerly White Suit-Bron) calls dunk contests “bourgeois,” which I’m still confused about all these years later.
The bourgeois thing to me would be to not participate in one of All-Star Weekend’s best events while simultaneously being one of the NBA’s best in-game dunkers for two decades. But, hey, I’m just a fan.
LeBron x Young LeBron
This was probably one of the better recent Super Bowl commercials. (I hadn’t heard the word “crunk” in exactly 20 years.) This spot did a great job of showing us just how much the world has changed since LeBron first stepped into the NBA. CGI made the teenage version look as close to the real thing as possible.
First Tattoo
A much worse 2018 version of CGI Young LeBron.
Powerade “Streetball Court” with Judge James
The only thing funnier than The Wire’s “Sh————!” by Senator Clay Davis is a spoof of the joke with Isiah Whitlock Jr. as court bailiff commanding the attended to sit. LeBron is in a English barrister’s wig for some reason but still calling shots as King of the Powerade Court.
Chalk
The classic powder toss. Every kid in America did it at some point, right?
Puppet Chalk with Kobe
We really did get some quality moments between Kobe Bryant and LeBron James, and all NBA fans should be thankful. While we didn’t get as many on-court matchups as one would have liked, their off-court friendship and mutual competitiveness shined in their Nike MVPuppets ads. Kobe, the mature, chiseled veteran, and a young, ambitious LeBron made for some excellent, lighthearted sports humor.
More MVPuppets
More Nike MVPuppets: “Mrs Lewis” | “Lil Dez” | “Unstoppable” | “Good Luck”
Butter
The LeBrons at the dinner table reminds me of a scene from Eddie Murphy’s “The Nutty Professor.” Nothing but jokes. James and his cast were on a roll in this one.
Kia
Where does a 6-foot-9, 250-pound NBA superstar go to get away from his celebrity? His Kia of course. And in the backseat? Who would have thought? Bronny and Bryce James make cameos for all the fun.
Salsa King
How did we get LeSalsa out of a Mountain Dew energy drink commercial? Regardless, it’s a win for all involved. Plus, I think we can all agree this is much better than LeBron’s attempt to trademark Taco Tuesday.
LeBron James vs. Father Time (Jason Momoa)
Father time would undoubtedly look like Jason Momoa. This series of commercials to commemorate LeBron’s 20th year in the league was awesome.
(Illustration: John Bradfrod / The Athletic; Photos: Getty; Zhong Zhi, VCG)
