Los Angeles Lakers star makes light of uncomfortable situation, trolls self, in new Foot Locker ad
Tomorrow, the NBA Draft gets rolling in the evening and there is great speculation that former Louisiana State University (LSU) forward Ben Simmons will be chosen by the Philadelphia 76ers (my beloved, torridly awful-of-late 76ers) in the top spot. In wasting no time, Simmons had already gotten on the endorsement train, with a Nike deal and two new spots for Foot Locker that will hit tomorrow during the draft.
Created by BBDO, the first one is gaining the most attention with Simmons, the rookie, seeking advice from three members of last year’s draft class: Devin Booker (Phoenix Suns), Karl-Anthony Towns (Minnesota Timberwolves) and D’Angelo Russell (Los Angeles Lakers). Booker and Towns give the upcoming rookie some more predictable advice while Russell simply takes Simmons’ phone and chucks it into the water.
Russell’s inclusion is not unusual, however, his storyline in the spot is ripped from the gossip pages and a crystal-clear reference to an incident last season, where he secretly taped a conversation with teammate Nick Young, about women other than Young’s fiancée, Iggy Azalea. That video was leaked online and, according to the Los Angeles Times, the pair ended their engagement last weekend.
In a news conference, introducing new head coach Luke Walton, Russell appeared to be on the back foot and uncomfortable when asked about the spot.
“Definitely in the past, I’m not really worried about the commercial. It was more of a fun, like you said, bring light to the situation,” Russell said. “Obviously, the situation has passed and I don’t really have much to say, I made my statement.… I’m looking past it.”
For his part, Young made it clear that he wasn’t much of a fan.
Real funny
— Nick Young (@NickSwagyPYoung) June 21, 2016
The NBA Draft begins tomorrow at 7pm Eastern Time.