NBA Tournament And ‘The Sopranos’ Star Michael Imperioli Borrow From ‘Ocean’s 11’ To Stage A Caper
It’s Michael Imperioli with the steal, as the NBA has enlisted the actor from The Sopranos to hype the league’s first in-season tournament, which begins Nov. 3.
The in-season tournament – borrowed from similar ones in European soccer – is intended to create excitement in the least-exciting part of the regular season. Winning team players will get $500,000 apiece as incentive, which means they may play defense. The teams will wear different uniforms and have different floors to play on.
The initial marketing, released Wednesday, is a nearly 2-minute spot that borrows its theme from the Ocean’s 11 caper film. It features Imperioli narrating how seven players — Anthony Davis, Trae Young, DeMar DeRozan, Julius Randle, Kawhi Leonard, Darius Garland and Draymond Green — plot to steal the NBA Cup.
“We’ve launched what we believe is a comprehensive and engaging program to promote this new tournament,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said Wednesday. “We hope these efforts get fans as excited as we are about this new competition.”
“Looks like you’re all going to have to play for it,” Imperioli says as the spot ends.
Watch the video below