The spot comes from creative agency Translation, director Karim Huu Do and cinematographer Chayse Irvin.

High-wattage talent

CBS Sports called the In-Season Tournament “a years-in-the-making idea, one that the league has thrown a lot of resources at to try and drum up interest and add more excitement to the regular season.”

The media outlet also recently reported that Marcus Smart of the Memphis Grizzlies said publicly that “nobody cares” from a player perspective about the in-season matchups. 

In part to dispel that attitude, “The Heist” recruited a range of veteran and young players as a show of support for the new venture.

“For fans to buy in, we need the players to be bought in,” Henault said, noting that the cast is filled with “fan-favorite stars that represent the high level of competition” expected in the tourney.

Per StubHub, there’s been a 60% year-over-year increase in NBA sales, which the ticketing app attributes to the new competition and the second year of NBA Rivals Week.

The In-Season contest tips off Nov. 3, culminating in single-elimination semifinals Dec. 7 and championship Dec. 9 at T-Mobile Arena in Vegas. Broadcast partners ESPN and TNT will air 14 games, beginning with a doubleheader (New York Knicks versus the Milwaukee Bucks, and Denver Nuggets versus the Dallas Mavericks).

In its hero and cut-down forms, “The Heist” will air in more than 15 languages across 215 countries and territories. Additional promos will come via out of home, digital, social, audio and print ads. There will be two more incarnations of the campaign, including one spot that will feature basketball legend Magic Johnson.