Nike Hyperdunk goes hyper-viral with Kobe Bryant/Aston Martin "stunt"
Video posted after the jump
No, Kobe Bryant did not throw caution (and the Los Angeles Lakers' playoff hopes) to the wind by leaping over a moving Aston Martin. If you don't know what we're referring to, don't feel bad. We were in the dark until emails began flooding in this morning.
Nike has unveiled its new Hyperdunk basketball shoe, which is endorsed by Kobe and will go on sale this July. To help ramp up awareness, the company filmed a new viral video in which Kobe shows off the new kicks and, in a demonstration of their lightness, wows teammate and observer Ronny Turiaf by jumping over an Aston Martin convertible that's driven directly at him.
Kudos to Nike: if our email inbox is any indication, you've created the buzz you're looking for. And if any of you were still wondering if the video were real, Kobe told a local news reporter, "Hollywood, baby!" when asked how he did it. We tend to agree with the speculation offered up by the Bleacher Report: Kobe really jumped (his leaping ability is not in question) as the car simply drove by beside him. Watch it for yourselves below the fold and tell us what you think.
[Source: KB24.com]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Franz 3:31PM (4/11/2008)
LOL. Way cool, no matter whether it's faked or not. I bet it's generating the desired hype. That's creative advertising right there.
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MKIV 5:13PM (4/11/2008)
What's the big deal? This is liek me jumping over a go kart. :-)
ALEXDB9 3:33PM (4/11/2008)
Props to Kobe.
He should try the coupe instead of the Volante.
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Rick 3:59PM (4/11/2008)
Who cares? Some guy jumped a Ferrari on That's Incredible nearly 2 decades ago.
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SPF 3:35PM (4/11/2008)
Not feeling the yellow..., I know it's Lakers and stuff, but I think it ruined the shoe. Hope they have different color combinations.
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Rafer 3:44PM (4/11/2008)
They have all black ones check the link in the article to the shoes.
SPF 4:07PM (4/11/2008)
Thank you. That looks a lot better, IMO.
kentavos 3:46PM (4/11/2008)
Looks like a blue screen to me. Not a drive by the side. The shadows look weird. It could be the quality of the video, but I'm guessing he did this in a studio.
If you notice, he's standing at the bottom of the lamp post shadow and the car drives directly over that shadow. Which means the car did drive over the spot he was theoretically standing.
I'm guessing when this comes out, it'll be he was in studio in front of a blue/green screen and the car was filmed separately.
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Aggrazel 3:50PM (4/11/2008)
LOL Kobe didn't jump "next to" a speeding aston martin, he was no where near a car. Digital manipulation. Kobe jumped in a parking lot and they digitally edited the car to come in underneath him.
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Kurt 10:08PM (4/25/2008)
Incorrect. If you look at the shadow cast by Bryant, he CLEARLY jumped NEXT to the car as his shadow rides across the entire side of the car, then is shown on the concrete once the car is gone. Sorry. This happened, but he did not jump OVER the car, just up while next to the car (closer to camera). No Green Screen here.
Pete 4:09PM (4/11/2008)
I am so trying that when I get home from work!
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Wamba 3:57PM (4/11/2008)
Off course I am not going to try this at home. How could I possibly drive an Aston Martin to the fifth floor of my building?
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Darrell 4:13PM (4/11/2008)
I guarantee that this isn't true for one reason: contract. If the Lakers structured it properly, Kobe would prohibited from riding a motorcycle, skydiving, or even skiing. I'm very sure that Kobe can jump over a moving Aston Martin, but when your making $130 million, why bother?
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Rob 2:20AM (4/12/2008)
Didnt stop Vladimir Radmanovic from breaking his collar bone snowboarding last season. But I'm sure this was just digital.
dan spalinger 4:27PM (4/11/2008)
Just goes to prove...even anal rapists can get sponsorship deals with Fortune 500 companies...
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Miguel 6:47PM (4/11/2008)
I'm not a Kobe apologist, but he was acquitted. His accuser withdrew her support for the prosecution when it was shown that her credibility was questionable at best. Besides that, Kobe may be a brilliant actor, but I'm in no position to judge his soul and neither are you. What I saw in his confessional press conference says he was sorry, and until such a time that I am shown otherwise, I'll take him at his word. So STFU.
Goes to show what the world is coming to when people make $130 million for PLAYING A GAME, anal rapist or not. Guy has got mad skills, though, no?
Lupo 12:43AM (4/12/2008)
You just had to go there, didn't you?
Irfan 10:27AM (4/12/2008)
what does his profession of being an analyst/therapist have to do with it?
LMBVette 4:28PM (4/11/2008)
That's a neat video.
I wonder how long it will be until some stupid kid tries this stunt for real and seriously injures himself.
After the kid's family sues and wins he can have all the Nike shoes he wants. LOL
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almost Dr. G.. 5:10PM (4/11/2008)
it has a disclaimer.. lol.. "DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME!!"