The talk of the town in the run-up to a recent Lakers game, LeBron James and his son Bronny James, have raised the stakes not only because of their historic debut as the very first father-son duo on the same NBA team but also because a funny Nike ad takes center stage in sports.
The ad/community that ran at some point in the recent past really mixes humor, nostalgia, and a sort of sibling rivalry together as it gives fans insight into the peculiar dynamic between the superstar and his rookie son.
In the ad, LeBron sets the scene for a prank by pouring an entire box of Fruity Pebbles cereal into the sunroof of Bronny’s car. When Bronny comes out of the house, ready to go about his day, he opens the door to his vehicle and finds himself buried under a cascade of rainbow-colored cereal that spills everywhere. “Yo, are you serious?,” Bronny exclaims, highly disbelieving of how amazing it is that his dad did this.
LeBron takes it in from another car, smiling teasingly: “Hey rook, you better not be late!” And bronny, still shocked, shoots back, “You’re too old for this!” before the video cuts to a Nike logo, confirming it all was part of one exceptionally clever ad.
The joking around continued after the game in the post-game press conference. Bronny laughed when asked about the cereal-filled prank: “Thank god that wasn’t my car.” LeBron, not to be out-pranked, chimed in, “He has multiple cars now. He opened that one, then got in another one!”
With this ad, Nike struck gold. It used humor in a very innovative way to mark a historic milestone in LeBron and Bronny becoming the first father-son duo to play on the same NBA team. This ad does pretty well in showing the bond between the two athletes: the joy, the pressure, and excitement of sharing the court with family.
The ad went viral in no time, with fans loving the light-hearted moment between LeBron and Bronny on the screen. As soon as the ad is out, sports lovers immediately draw parallels with other iconic father-son combinations-Ken Griffey Sr. and Jr. in baseball, Gordie Howe and his sons in hockey. Social media blew up with laughter and heartwarming comments, and many applaude at Nike’s campaign-it reveals such an organic family moment.
That fun ad set the tone for the Lakers’ recent game at Crypto.com Arena, one in which LeBron now started his 22nd season, aged 39, and Bronny, just 20, kicking off his NBA career-the evening was more than a game itself, a celebration of legacy and new beginnings.
