Kawhi Leonard and Victor Wembanyama among stars in exciting launch of KIA NBA "The Tip-Off" campaign
Sport360 staff
12:28 07/10/2024
The NBA has debuted its 2024-25 season tip-off brand campaign, “The Tip-Off,” which is now streaming across all @NBA social platforms and on the NBA App.
In the spot, two-time NBA champion and six-time NBA All-Star Kawhi Leonard and two-time NBA All-Star Anthony Edwards are joined in the center circle by three-time NBA All-Star Bam Adebayo, five-time NBA All-Star Luka Dončić, reigning NBA champion and five-time NBA All-Star Jayson Tatum, and 2023-24 Kia NBA Rookie of the Year Victor Wembanyama as they compete to be the first to get their hands on the ball to begin the season.
Set to the iconic soundtrack of “Jump” by Van Halen, “The Tip-Off” showcases a frenzy of players, celebrities, creators and fans rushing the court to get their hands on the ball to tip off the season. As the cast of star players debate who will get the ball first, a stampede of NBA faithful, including GRAMMY® Award-winning artist Kelly Rowland, multi-hyphenate creator Drew Afualo and popular streamer Kai Cenat, scramble to get to midcourt for a piece of the action. Fan-favorite Denver Nuggets mascot Rocky soars above the crowd to deliver the game ball to the referee, who tosses the ball up. As players elevate, fans are left eagerly anticipating the result of the tip.
“The Tip-Off” uses the jump ball, the play that begins every game of basketball, to symbolize the start of a new chapter, when all 30 teams tip off with a clean slate and the journey to a championship begins. It also highlights the excitement of the league’s global fanbase as they gear up for another thrilling season and captures the anticipation of knowing that the Larry O’Brien Trophy is anyone’s to claim.
The full cast includes:
· Three-time NBA All-Star Bam Adebayo (Miami Heat)
· Five-time NBA All-Star Luka Dončić (Dallas Mavericks)
· Two-time NBA All-Star Anthony Edwards (Minnesota Timberwolves)
· Two-time NBA champion and six-time NBA All-Star Kawhi Leonard (LA Clippers)
· Reigning NBA champion and five-time NBA All-Star Jayson Tatum (Boston Celtics)
· 2023-24 Kia NBA Rookie of the Year Victor Wembanyama (San Antonio Spurs)
· Influencer, podcaster and New York Times bestselling author Drew Afualo
· Streamer Kai Cenat
· GRAMMY® Award-winning artist Kelly Rowland
· Denver Nuggets Mascot Rocky
Check out behind-the-scenes action here, showcasing the cast on set during the filming of “The Tip-Off.” The new campaign was directed by Mike Warzin and produced in collaboration with Translation. “The Tip-Off” will be supported across all channels with complimentary creative that comes to life in out-of-home, digital, social and audio assets.
Fans can join in to celebrate the start of the season by wearing their favorite NBA jersey and sharing to social media on Monday, Oct. 21 for the chance to be featured on league and team social media channels as part of the fifth annual NBA Jersey Day.
The regular season will begin on Tuesday, Oct. 22 with a doubleheader on TNT. In the first game, the defending NBA champion Boston Celtics will host the New York Knicks in a matchup of last season’s top two playoff seeds in the Eastern Conference (7:30 p.m. ET). In the second game, the Minnesota Timberwolves – coming off the second-best regular season in franchise history and their first Western Conference Finals appearance in 20 years – will visit the Los Angeles Lakers as NBA all-time scoring leader LeBron James of the Lakers starts his record-tying 22nd NBA regular season (10 p.m. ET).
The first five days of the 2024-25 NBA regular season (Oct. 22-26) will feature 11 national television games as part of Kia NBA Tip-Off 2024, with two doubleheaders each on TNT and ESPN and a tripleheader on NBA TV.
