Well, that didn't take long. One of Nike's premier clients won his first NBA championship last night, and the shoe-company-cum-basketball-overlord capitalized by airing the above advertisement shortly after the Miami Heat clinched a five-game series against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Nike's connection with LeBron James extends back years, and to say that the company's admen have been waiting for King James to have some bling to compliment his crown would be an understatement. With the addition of a couple seconds' footage of a newly ordained champion, Nike rolled out an ad that follows James' path from Akron's St. Vincent-St. Mary High School through some perfunctory highlights from his early Cleveland Cavaliers days, before picking up steam by capturing moments from his coming out party as a major player against the Detroit Pistons in the 2007 Eastern Conference Finals then giving time to LBJ's first two ill-fated Finals appearances.
For one viewer in particular, it pays off. Needless to say, it works out alright for LeBron, too. The heft of the Larry O'Brien trophy, the tug of gravity on his championship ring -- it's the weight of the world coming off James' shoulders. New criticisms will surely replace old ones, and more titles will be expected with an initial championship secured. But for now, the young man will celebrate. So will Nike.
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