With the NBA celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, there is a lot of cause for celebrations. For over 75 years, the NBA has provided the highest degree of excellence in the sport of basketball and boasted some of the greatest athletes in sports history.
With this milestone coming up, the NBA is preparing to celebrate in a grand way. The NBA announced recently that they will be debuting a short film to celebrate their 75th anniversary, known as ‘NBA Lane’.
The short film is set to feature the most NBA players, past or present, in any league campaign throughout history. Legends of the past like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, and Larry Bird will be interacting with the stars of today like Zion Williamson, Devin Booker, and Donovan Mitchell among many others.
LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard, Bill Russell, Dirk Nowitzki, Chris Paul, and over 30 figures from the NBA’s past and present are expected to be part of the upcoming short film.
Stars featured in NBA Lane:
Actors:
Michael B. Jordan
Active NBA Players:
Carmelo Anthony (Los Angeles Lakers), LaMelo Ball (Charlotte Hornets), Devin Booker (Phoenix Suns), Anthony Davis (Los Angeles Lakers), Kevin Durant (Brooklyn Nets), LeBron James (Los Angeles Lakers), Zach LaVine (Chicago Bulls), Kawhi Leonard (LA Clippers), Donovan Mitchell (Utah Jazz), Chris Paul (Phoenix Suns), Jayson Tatum (Boston Celtics), Russell Westbrook (Los Angeles Lakers), Zion Williamson, (New Orleans Pelicans) and Trae Young (Atlanta Hawks).
NBA Legends:
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Ray Allen, Larry Bird, Vlade Divac, Julius Erving, Artis Gilmore, Manu Ginóbili, Richard Hamilton, Grant Hill, Robert Horry, Magic Johnson, Dikembe Mutombo, Dirk Nowitzki, Gary Payton, Oscar Robertson, Bill Russell, Isiah Thomas, Dwyane Wade, Bill Walton and Jerry West.
Mascots:
Benny the Bull (Chicago Bulls), Boomer (Indiana Pacers), Burnie (Miami Heat), Chuck the Condor (LA Clippers), G-Wiz (Washington Wizards), Hugo (Charlotte Hornets) and The Raptor (Toronto Raptors).
Puppets:
Lil Penny
The trailer for the short film came out yesterday and features some of the many stars that are expected to be a part of it. On top of that, famed actor Michael B. Jordan is also a key figure in the movie, as he drives past this fictional NBA neighborhood in a Hoop Bus.
NBA’s Chief Marketing Officer Kate Jhaveri spoke about the new initiative, noting how excited she was for fans to see the nostalgic project. Even Bill Russell, who is part of the movie, noted how great it was to take part in the short film that chronicles the history of the NBA.
Kate Jhaveri: “‘NBA Lane’ was created as a way to honor both the history and future of the NBA. We are thrilled to bring together some of the league’s greatest players and legends to celebrate not just the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Season, but also the connection fans have built with our game.”
Bill Russell: “As someone who has been a member of the NBA Family for the past 65 years, I can truly say, like I do in ‘NBA Lane’, ‘This game just keeps getting better. Being a part of this film, alongside so many greats representing nearly eight decades of the league’s history, is a great thrill and a tremendous honor.”
The short film is directed by Rick Famuyiwa and Emmett Malloy of the Malloy Brothers and is set to come out this Thursday, October 7th, streaming across all of NBA’s social media platforms at 12 PM PT.
Many fans will surely be looking forward to watching ‘NBA Lane’. The short film is set to offer a heartwarming yet entertaining look at the history of the NBA over the last 75 years, to fans, old and new, this coming Thursday.
