Kobe Bryant Slam Dunks With Latest YouTube Stunt
YouTubers love a good show -- whether it's the brainchild of a viral-marketing campaign or not.
The gravity-defying clip (right) of Lakers player Kobe Bryant dunking a basketball over a swimming pool full of snakes has tallied nearly 2.5 million since it was first posted last Friday to the video site.
Like the Levi's back-flipping jeans that blazed through the net earlier this month, the hyper-real feat was filmed by Nike as a way to promote a new line of shoe wear debuting this summer.
There's just one catch: Unlike the Levi's ad, there's little question that Nike is behind the video, which features Bryant fooling around with Jackass megapranksters Wee-Man and Party Boy before nailing his stunt.
Last month, Bryant performed a similarly orchestrated stunt to promote a line of Nike's Hyperdunk footwear. Nearly 4 million YouTubers tuned in to watch Bryant leap-frogging over an Aston Martin convertible.
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I'm pretty sure Kobe's insurance company insisted on having the fangs of every individual snake removed while monitored by a notary public.
And even if not, I just don't appreciate this screwing around with animals.
Yeah, you can tell this is fake by the unnatural way he straightens, leans, and lurches toward the goal. The way they composited him in or used something to assist him that was painted out clearly shows. Nice way to get people to watch though.
I highly doubt Nike would want the bad press of harming any snakes, so you should rest happy Marcel. The snakes could do far worse than stunts like these as their gigs, such as being killed just for existing in several parts of the world. :)
FAKE!