Lakers Examiner: The marriage between the NBA and hip-hop has been a long and arduous one. The NBA wants to appeal to youngsters by embracing the positive aspects of the culture such as music, clothing, and art, but it also wants to distance itself from the negative aspects such as profanity, violence, and drugs.
There was much debate over the off-court dress code that David Stern imposed in 2005. Stern said it was a step toward making the league more professional. Players said they had a right to express themselves through the way they dressed.
The result was a wonderful combination of both, as players can now be seen on the sidelines wearing suits that certainly have their own unique, shall we say… flair?
Well it looks like the NBA and hip-hop have found another successful merger, as seen in the new NBA Playoffs ad to the music of Kanye West. The spot features several highlights of postseasons past, including appearances by the Los Angeles Lakers’ own Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal.
Stern and the NBA are hoping that the always-polarizing Kanye will help reach a wide audience. I’m sure there was a clause in Kanye’s contract that made sure there were no fish sticks in the commercial.
