NBA action is fantastic. This is why we play and where amazing happens are phrases you've heard a million times if you're a hardcore NBA fan.
The NBA's marketing campaigns over the years have hit big with sports fans all over the world and as some of them get further and further in the rearview mirror the mere mention of them is certain to spark some nostalgia.
In the '90 the NBA used the tagline "I Love This Game" which became a rallying cry for hoops fans young and old at the time. The commercials were innovative (at the time) and would certainly make you stop, look and listen.
Going down the Youtube rabbit hole, I was pleasantly surprised to run into so many "I Love This Game" commercials from that era. With no NBA League Pass and really only a hand full of nationally televised games at the time in Canada, these commercials kept the NBA top of mind and magnified how fun the game could be.
So without further ado here are a couple of commercials that helped feed the appetite of a young basketball fan back then:
Oh, I love you so!
From MJ hanging in the air to the Glove's no-look pass and the two fans dancing in sync, this one had a little something for everyone. We even got a Mighty Mouse floater in there, Raptors fans!
Happy Feet
Michael Jordan was truly one of the biggest stars of the '90s, but Kermit the Frog might have been bigger. He lends his voice for this classic '" Love This Game" commercial.
The NBA is classical
We know about the ties that basketball has to hip-hop but how about classical music? The '90s saw plenty of NBA commercials set to songs like "Recondita Armonia".
The league would also use "Ode To Joy" during the era.
Kobe and A.I. — I Love This Game
Later in the "I Love This Game" era, the league would zero in on some of the league's stars. Kobe Bryant and Allen Iverson were featured in their own versions of the commercial.
This time it wouldn't be music that served as the backdrop but famous quotes from the likes of Vincent Van Gogh and Ralph Waldo Emerson that punctuated the poetry in motion being seen on screen.
It's a shame social media missed out on this campagin. The hastag would've been trending nightly.
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