Update 1/19/25: This video was posted to mark the passing of comedian Bernie Mac, who died in August 2008 at age 50. The ad in question ran in advance of LeBron James’ NBA debut in 2003 and featured Mac as a preacher reading from the “King James playbook” and touting James’ court vision. It could hardly have been known in 2003 — or even in 2008 — that James would have the remarkable career that he has thus far embarked upon. A four-time champion, four-time MVP and the all-time leading scorer in NBA history, James as of 2025 is in his record-tying 22nd season in the NBA.
More to the point of the commercial, which ends with a choir chanting “pass, pass, pass, pass,” James ranks fourth all-time in assists.
As for Mac, a stand-up comedian who became a leading actor in films like “Mr. 3000” and had supporting roles in blockbusters like “Ocean’s Eleven,” his material remains popular to this day, particularly his 2000s sitcom “The Bernie Mac Show.”
