Epic NBA Promo Isn't Fake — But It Is Awesome

What's This?

By Sam Laird2013-10-31 22:49:16 UTC

Imagine a world where Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Miami Heat for the 2012 NBA title. Imagine a world where James Harden won last season's MVP award. Imagine a world where LeBron James finally enters the dunk contest.

In short, imagine a drastically different NBA — but still one well within the realm of possibility. That's the premise of the extremely creative promo embedded above, which has become a hit with fans to the tune of 130,000-plus YouTube views in two days.

See also: 20 NBA Twitter Accounts to Make This Season a Slam Dunk

But is it real? Is it fake? The ad's clever approach has some online thinking it's actually a fan-generated fraud. After all, hoops-obsessed YouTubers have recently cut together some very cool videos, such as this comparison of Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan and this mashup of Derrick Rose and The Dark Knight Rises.

But wonder no more: This is a real spot that TNT ran before Tuesday night's first broadcast of the NBA season, as we confirmed Thursday with Turner reps. So watch the spot, ponder its existential questions, but rest assured — it's legit.

Homepage image: beyondthebuzzercom, YouTube

Topics: Entertainment, NBA, Sports, Videos, viral video