There are a range of elements that make a sportsman a household name, and one of them is a story. Is there something interesting about the star as a person that makes them stand out in the crowd?
Well the NBL looks set to find those stars if their latest commercial campaign is anything to go by.
Over the past two weeks new commercials have been seen on FOX Sports which have helped flesh out some interesting facts about the lives of Majok Deng, Alex Loughton, Fin Delaney, Mika Vukona, Craig Moller and Ramone Moore among others to make the players more relateable to fans.
For instance did you know that Majok Deng came from wartorn Sudan? Or that Alex Loughton is an artist? Or that there is a special and emotional reason Ramone Moore wears number 10? Or that Craig Moller gave up his AFL dream with the Fremantle Dockers to pursue a spot in the NBL?
Well, now you do.
As trivial as those facts may seem they are interesting, and they may just cause a casual onlooker to lend their eyes to the league.
Last season the NBL showed signs of marketing the personalities and stories of its players through their “in their own words” series, which was notable for reuniting Jason Cadee with a Sydney mother who had stayed with him after a horrific car accident.
It was just the kind of story that made people invest in the player, team and league.
The NBL has done a great job this season creating a “hype train” for its fans to hop aboard, whether through its announcement of games against NBA teams, its Summer League videos, or NBL Blitz highlights packages.
However this commercial campaign suggests that the league will be getting up close and personal with its stars this season in a way it never has before.
Check out the short, yet enticing clips below:
Jarrad Hurley's professional basketball aspirations led him to the dizzying heights of the Adelaide social league circuit. After an epiphany that his hoop dreams would go unrealised, he put the ball down and picked up a pen. Jarrad lives vicariously through the successes of Australian basketball, is a mad 36ers fanatic, and might just cry if the Boomers ever medal.