NBA Playoff Roster Boasts Aerosmith Track, Shaboozey, Rob Lowe

Translation floods the zone with stars

One day, perhaps, Translation will deliver a sedate, contemplative NBA Playoffs commercial with no Hollywood royalty, hoop stars or power chords. But don’t bet on it.

Aerosmith’s “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” and tons of celeb cameos drive the league’s latest extravaganza dropping today.

“The song choice was all about evoking emotion,” says NBA CMO Tammy Henault. “It’s a classic, and perfectly captures our message—every night there’s a play, or a player, who makes us stop what we’re doing and watch in awe, especially in the Playoffs. If you’re not tuned in, you risk missing the next historic moment in the game.”

Salomon Ligthelm directs with an impressive sense of cinematic scale and fantastical touches that make this one play like a blockbuster.

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“Regarding the casting, we wanted to be representative of the broad, diverse audience we know is tuning in, while also pulling in some recognizable faces from outside the sport—who we know are fans in their own right,” Henault tells Muse.

“Between instantly recognizable stars like Rob and Jerry, alongside country star Shaboozey and world-famous creator Khaby Lame, just to name a few, we’ve captured a cross-section of talent. It speaks to core fans and the casual fans we’re expecting to pull in throughout the postseason.”

Indeed, the NBA stages an impressive spectacle, mingling sights and sounds with outsized style. The song’s a tad too familiar. Still, this classic-rock fave fits the moment.

Also appearing: NBA all-stars Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokić, Donovan Mitchell, Jayson Tatum and Karl-Anthony Towns, plus Fede Vigevani, Dylan Wang and—give it up, ’80s kids!—Sheila E.

And here are some BTS highlights:

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