Ben Simmons on Nike commercial: "You’ve got to dream big."
Ben Simmons is the star of a new animated commercial from Nike, and its message is a great reminder to always follow your dreams.
Titled “The Dreamers,” the thirty-second commercial features a young man in board shorts, depicting a younger Simmons, boasting about his basketball dreams.
Making it to the NBA. Winning Rookie of the Year. Claiming Olympic gold for Australia. They are all covered.
Inspiration for the commercial was simple, according to Simmons.
“Just from being an Aussie with our Budgie Smugglers and Speedos,” Simmons told The Pick and Roll.
“It’s just one of those fun things you can play with. Nike always have great commercials.”
The commercial finishes with Simmons’ character boasting that, one day, his shorts will be more famous than the Australian kangaroo. However unlikely this sounds, Simmons sure has his sights set on doing something special.
“You’ve got to dream big,” Simmons said. “That’s what it’s about.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQ6EnAwSCis
The commercial’s tag line, “It’s only crazy until you do it,” is the central message of Nike’s 2018 movement. The slogan has been reserved for Nike’s high-profile athletes, most notably LeBron James, on his recent move to the Los Angeles Lakers, and Colin Kaepernick, on his civil rights movement.
Having now made it to the NBA and secured Rookie of the Year honours back in July, the next dream for Simmons, according to the commercial, is winning Olympic gold for Australia.
Brett Brown, Simmons’ coach with the Philadelphia 76ers, led the Boomers to the London Olympic Games in 2012 and knows better than anyone what awaits Simmons.
“I’ve been fortunate to go to three Olympic Games and two World Championships, so I’ve lived this life we are talking about,” Brown said.
Simmons and the 76ers continue their NBA season with a match-up against the Charlotte Hornets Sunday morning AEDT.