NBA Lane Leads to the Finals in 75th Anniversary's Closing Chapter
UPDATE: Below is the full two-minute spot, called "The Final Delivery," followed by our original story.
Last fall, Michael B. Jordan memorably drove a bus down "NBA Lane" to launch a star-studded, fantastical celebration of the league's 75th anniversary season.
Now, Jordan gets back behind the wheel—of a golf cart, this time—and hobnobs with hoop legends Dirk Nowitzki, Jerry West and James Worthy in a :30 hyping fans for the NBA Finals beginning June 2.
Turns out Mike B.'s on a sacred mission ...
... delivering the redesigned Larry O'Brien trophy to the arena.
Developed by Translation with directors Brendan and Emmett Malloy, the new spot breaks this week, closing out a campaign that has generated more than 100 million worldwide views and copious coverage since it launched seven months ago.
"NBA Lane" crackles with nostalgia, feting the league's immense cultural impact while teasing a future that shines just as bright. The notion of a neighborhood packed NBA greats proved compelling. It's a winning game plan—with legs. We doubt it's truly retired.
"'NBA Lane' has created a blueprint for the league to touch fans across many generations simultaneously," says CMO Kate Jhaveri. "We've seen this through the overwhelmingly positive response to the campaign, and we're glad it helped us foster deeper connections."
Other installments—all epic in their way—include Billy Crystal's goofy holiday gathering, a heartfelt call for young people to make Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s dream a reality, and a playoffs primer packed with almost too many cameos to count.
Through the end of June, fans can visit a virtual recreation of "NBA Lane," play mini games and catch playoff highlights. The league joined with Horizon Worlds on Meta Quest 2 for the VR activation.
