NBA: The Best NBA Finals Ads

Jun 3, 2013; Miami, FL, USA; The Miami Heat celebrate winning game 7 of the 2013 NBA Eastern Conference Finals at American Airlines Arena. Miami Heat defeated the Indiana Pacers 99-76 to win the series 4 games to 3 . Mandatory Credit: Robert Mayer-USA TODAY Sports

The NBA and ESPN just released the new NBA Finals commercial.  London-based animator Richard Swarbrick created a unique animation celebrating the best moments in NBA Finals history through art and music. He painted great plays from Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Tim Duncan, Julius Erving, LeBron James, and many others, immortalizing them as art, set against Mint Julep’s triumphant “Save Your Season.” The commercial ends with the classic “Never underestimate the heart of a champion” by Houston Rockets coach Rudy Tomjanovich

Over the years the NBA has made some incredible advertisements for the NBA Finals. Here are my favorites:

• 2011- The NBA let the “ball” do the talking, no pun intended. A talking basketball broke down classic NBA Finals moments from his perspective . After Michael Jordan won his third NBA Championship on Father’s Day he headed to the locker room, laid on the floor with the game ball at his side and cried.

• 2010- The year auto-tune took over America, not even the NBA could resist. The commercial features the normal slew of highlights we have all seen numerous times, but the classic lines from Red Auerbach, and Magic Johnson are auto tuned.

• 2009- Without a doubt, one of the best ads in the history of sports. The “Where Will Amazing Happen This Year” commercials featured two memorable NBA Playoff moments. One was the Magic Johnson “baby skyhook” to beat the Boston Celtics and the other was the Kobe Bryant alley to Shaquille O’Neal in their comeback win over the Portland Trailblazers. The special effects guys had a field day, removing each player from the court and dropping them in as the play involved them. Also fun to imagine these games being played and not a soul in the stadium.