Chris Rock Asks If 'Playoff Mode' Is a Thing in a New NBA Spot

With the NBA Playoffs 2024 fast approaching, the basketball league has gathered its top players, as well as famous fans and hall-of-fame, to star in a new spot narrated by American actor and comedian Chris Rock. 

Directed by Felix Brady, the spot "PLAYOFF MODE. IT'S A THING" is exactly what its title suggests.

Made together with Black-owned creative agency Translation, the one-minute commercial sees Rock questioning several NBA stars if "playoff mode is a thing," which suggests athletes are more driven and heated during the playoffs.

However, the players adamantly deny it.

"Playoff Jayson is not a thing," Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum says in a press conference. Still, Rock believes otherwise, as proven by Tatum's track record in previous playoffs.

We then see other popular NBA players continue to deny the phenomenon's existence.

These include Cleveland Cavaliers' Donovan Mitchell, New York Knicks' Jalen Brunson, Denver Nuggets' Nikola Jokić, Minnesota Timberwolves' Anthony Edwards, and Milwaukee Bucks' Damian Lillard.

Amid a montage of outstanding plays by different players during the playoffs, the Grown-Ups star can't help but wonder:

"How else do you explain playoff teams going on playoff runs and making everybody ask: but is this their playoff year?" 

Rock then enlists the help of celebrities, including Playoffs Tunechi (a.k.a. artist and rapper Lil Wayne), Guy Fiery, and NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal to prove the truth about "playoff mode" through a series of cameos, but to no avail.

Closing the spot, Rock invites us to catch the NBA playoffs to see the "playoff mode" in action for themselves. 

Capturing the Sounds of the Game

According to NBA CMO Tammy Henault, the company's latest campaign plays with the idea that playoff season unlocks an "elevated version" of players and fans alike. 

In addition, the NBA has unveiled its first sonic brand identity in partnership with Google Pixel, characterized by the sounds of the game including the bounces, the squeaks, the swooshes, and the crowd cheering inside a stadium.

It debuted on April 15 in the NBA Original all-access postseason docuseries “Chasing History,” available on the NBA app. 

The sounds will be accompanied by a new NBA logo animation, which will be showcased across the league's digital portfolio. 

"We are also thrilled to unveil a new original sound that captures the spirit of the game, and over time, will build an association with our fans around the world, instantly igniting their excitement for the NBA," Henault said in a press release. 

Blake Griffin Announces Retirement

In a surprising turn of events, six-time All-Star player Blake Griffin has formally announced his retirement from the NBA.

 

 

 

 

 

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Several of Griffin's co-workers have given praise to the NBA star for his dedication to the sport over the years. 

"Blake was one of the most dynamic players we've seen in this league for a long time as far as athletic-wise. One thing he doesn't get credit for is his passing ability. He had a great career," Clippers Coach Tyronn Lue, who served as an assistant during Griffin's L.A. career, shared.

Griffin first joined the LA Clippers out of Oklahoma back in 2009. In between 2010 and 2011, he was hailed as the Rookie of the Year.

Eventually, he joined the Detroit Pistons and the Brooklyn Nets, before signing with the Boston Celtics, where he closed the chapter to his basketball career.