NBA superfan Lil Wayne makes a shock cameo in a brand new Chris Rock-narrated advert for the 2024 NBA playoffs. The one-minute spot that dropped a day earlier than the play-in match spherical kicked off is premised on the notion that almost all A-list NBA gamers don’t even assume the playoffs are “a factor.”
It opens with a reporter asking Jayson Tatum if “playoff Jayson” is a factor, with the Celtics ahead dropping his head and saying, “nah,” as an on-screen headline reads: “Tatum denies ‘Playoff Jayson’ is a factor” within the spot titled “Playoff Mode.”
“Playoff Jayson isn’t a factor,” he says sternly at a pretend press convention. “Okay, Tatum, everyone knows it’s a factor,” Rock interjects in his patented clipped supply over a shot of Tatum throwing down a monster dunk. “Simply ask Playoff Spida,” Rock says as Cavs capturing guard Donovan “Spida” Mitchell drops his head and denies it’s a factor.
Equally, Rock will get a “not a factor” from Knicks guard Jalen Brunson, Bucks guard Damian Lillard, Nuggets Middle Nikola Jokić and Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards, who denies the playoffs’ existence whereas doing pull-ups with a ridiculously heavy weight vest. Lillard is so irritated at Rock’s suggestion that it’s time to lastly see “Playoff Giannis [Antetokounmpo] play with Playoff Dame,” that Lillard angrily rips off the “Playoff” tag slapped up over his locker.
“Not a factor,” Lillard says.
And eventually, Rock goes to the person who would know the perfect whether it is playoff season: Lil Wayne. “Playoff Tunechi is aware of it’s a factor,” the comic says over a shot of glasses-wearing Weezy concentrating actually onerous at a claw machine sport. “It’s sport time!” Wayne says as he tries, and fails, to seize an NBA participant plushy from the machine. The digicam then swings to a front-row shot of some celebs taking in a playoff sport, together with chef Man Fieri and Puerto Rican famous person Anuel AA.
However when Rock says “even Chuck’s playoff jokes are funnier,” NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal shuts that down rapidly, as he scribbles a mustache and glasses on a headshot of fellow corridor of famer and broadcaster Charles Barkley. “No they aren’t,” Shaq says pointedly.
The playoffs, an actual factor, proceed on Friday (April 19) with Chicago vs. Miami at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN and Sacramento vs. New Orleans at 9:30 p.m. ET on TNT, with the primary spherical of the playoffs scheduled to kick off on Saturday (April 20).
Watch the NBA commerical beneath.