Kobe Bryant And Tim Duncan Remade A Classic Movie Scene In 1998 Sprite Commercial

Zachary Draves | Aug 16, 2024

Nov 14, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant (24) and San Antonio Spurs forward Tim Duncan (21) react at Staples Center. The Spurs defeated the Lakers 93-80. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan were the fiercest of competitors.

At the same time, they shared a mutual respect for one another. In fact, they were once featured in a Sprite commercial in 1998 with Missy Elliot.

Bryant was early in his career with the Lakers as the hot-headed high school phenom. Duncan, too, was fresh off being the No. 1 pick in the 1997 draft.

Missy Elliot was riding high of the success of her `97 debut album Supa Dupa Fly , which sold 1.2 million copies.

The commercial payed homage to the 1982 film Wild Style, one of the most memorable in the history of hip hop. They remade the "Basketball Throwdown" scene where rap crews The Cold Crush Brothers and the Fantastic Five battled it out on the basketball court.

Prince Whipper Whip of the Fantastic Five alongside Grandmaster Caz of the Cold Crush Brothers appeared in the commercial. Caz was on Bryant's team whereas Whipper Whip was teamed up with Duncan.

The commercial came along at a time when the mergence between the NBA and hip hop was center stage in the pop culture zeitgeist. Bryant later tried his hand at rap by recording songs with singer Brian McKnight and supermodel Tyra Banks.

Duncan, on the other hand, never picked up the mic. It was actually commercial appearance for the quiet superstar.

Zachary Draves is a contributor to Back In the Day Hoops On SI. He can be reached at zdraves1013@gmail.com and on Instagram @zdraves0633.



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