Hasta La Creative!

Adidas is celebrating the launch of its revamped NBA Swingman jersey line with a new spot starring Portland Trailblazers star Damian Lillard.

The spot follows Lillard as he is shadowed by his “swingman,” who is as devoted to being a great “swingman” as Lillard is to being a great basketball player. He sets out to “think like Damian, act like Damian, smell like Damian,” even if he can’t play like him. The ad attempts a humorous tone, but while it shoots for laughs, it ultimately comes up empty. Additional ads in the series featuring Kenneth Faried of the Denver Nuggets and Joakim Noah of the Chicago Bulls will follow in the coming days. Adidas’ NBA Swingman jerseys are available now at NBAStore.com and the NBA Store on Fifth Avenue and retails for $110.

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Another day, another team-up between ESPN and W+K. “Inner Monologue,” the latest 30-second NBA on ESPN RV ad created by W+K New York, answers very important questions about the crew’s sleeping arrangements. Yes, some players and analysts do have to bunk up. Bulls All-Star center Joakim Noah has to sleep in the same bed as ESPN kingpin Bill Simmons, even though neither of them are happy with the situation. Noah, who stands 6’11″, probably has a better argument than Simmons, who is listed at an unconvincing 6’2″. Simmons, for all his Boston sports proclivities, is in bed with a Bull. He’s actually sleeping with the enemy. But wait…as with most of the RV spots, there’s a Jeff Van Gundy punchline. And as usual, it’s the best part of the clip. Not only is Van Gundy funny-looking, but if you’ve been following his RV escapades, whether getting stuck on the stunt double vehicle or trading glasses with Russell Westbrook, you know that JVG is also funny. And in a sports media world that is often lacking in self-deprecation and humor, the silly shtick from the NBA on ESPN panel is always nice to see. Credits after the jump.

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