5 Funniest commercials starring LeBron James

LeBron James in Los Angeles Lakers colors
LeBron James in Los Angeles Lakers colors

LeBron James is undoubtedly the best NBA player of the 21st century. His prowess and achievements remain unrivaled not just among current players but amongst all that have played in the league in the last 20-odd-years.

Nearing his 19th season in the league, King James has been an All-Star 17-times. That means apart from his rookie year, he has been one of the best players in his conference, if not the league, for every season since.

Selected as the first overall pick in the 2003 draft, LeBron James began his career as a Cleveland Cavaliers player. He subsequently joined the Miami Heat, went back to Cleveland and finally joined the LA Lakers. LeBron is one of only four players to win a championship with three different teams.

His list of achievements is long and still being filled out. The 2003-04 Rookie of the Year has won four MVP awards and four Finals MVP awards. He was the 2007-08 scoring champion, the 2019-20 assists leader, a six-time All Defensive first team player and a four-time NBA champion.


Funniest commercials starring LeBron James

Such achievements bring extravagant fame and such fame brings high-end commercial deals. LeBron James is one of the most sought after celebrities when it comes to commercials and endorsements. His charm and wit make him the perfect individual for brands to market their products.

Here, we take a look at five of LeBron James' funniest commercials.


#5 Powerade Commercial

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"If you don't stay, you don't play," - Judge James.

This commercial starts with a court setting and a cop monologuing about the players that complicate the game of streetball unecessarily. The camera closes in on the judge's seat placed under a hoop. The chair swivels and LeBron James is revealed to be the judge. What makes this ad funny are the overly exaggerated monologs, peculiar on-court issues and Judge James' judgements.


#4 Verizon Commercial

This commercial starts with what seems like a physics class. A male student is shown with a physics book in his hands, nervously looking around. Later we are told that he was watching LeBron James' Cavs highlights instead of studying.

James suddenly appears out of nowhere during the ad and says:

"Mr. Ingles, he is not studying over here. He is streaming my game."

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#3 Nike basketball commercial

LeBron James in his special Christmas Nike Shoes
LeBron James in his special Christmas Nike Shoes

One of the funniest commercials starring LeBron James, the Nike Basketball commercial is more than 15 years old. The strange ad shows four different versions of LeBron James donning a variety of roles.

The player version is training in the pool and the older LeBron James berates him from the side of the pool all the while sipping on a chilled cocktail. The pool side LeBron berates the LeBron training in the pool by saying:

"You think Michael training in the pool?"

Two more versions of the former Miami Heat star stand on the diving board, one of them a kid, the other an agent/business man of some sort.

"Here I come, Cannonball," the kid version of LeBron yells as he jumps into the pool below.

The version of James who is shown to be training in the pool, continues to train, keeping his mind focussed and undeterred by banter and dives. The song used in this commercial - Summer Madness by Kool & the Gang - has now become a global social media phenomenon and is often used by influencers.


#2 Sprite Commercial

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LeBron has defeated many powerful foes in his career. With the Cavs, he put a stop to the Golden State Warriors rampage; with the Miami Heat, he proved his might in front of the San Antonio Spurs Big 3; and with the LA Lakers he bested the Jimmy Butler-led Heat squad.

Such conquests allow LeBron James to be the face of global brands. His commercial stint with Sprite is a telling example. The WannaSprite campaign involved LeBron James "not urging" viewers to drink Sprite.

An extremely meta take on why people should drink Sprite involved showing the crew, revealing the "supposed" dialog and repeatedly telling the viewers how James would not ask them to drink Sprite regardless of the situation.


#1 Intel Commercial

The commercial showed actor Jim Parsons alongside LeBron James to highlight the need to upgrade your computer and equipment. By far the funniest commercial starring King James, the punches and physical comedy were incredibly amusing.

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The commercial showed the former Cavaliers player in tight jersey and shorts dribbling a stitched leather ball. The ball diffused after only a few bounces and as James leaned in to pick it up, his shorts were ripped from behind. The ad aimed to show that it was important to update your products in a hilarious way.

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Edited by Anantaajith Raghuraman