Exploring the NBA’s Exciting NBA Finals Promotion Featuring Jimmy Kimmel, Queen Latifah, and Ken Jeong

The ‘The Toast’ initiative also showcases Dwyane Wade, Magic Johnson, and WNBA athletes Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso.

A clandestine speakeasy, co-hosted by Miami Heat icon Dwyane Wade and Queen Latifah, boasting a guest roster that includes Masked Singer and The Hangover luminary Ken Jeong, late-night host Jimmy Kimmel, Lakers legend Magic Johnson, and WNBA standouts Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso? It sounds like a fantasy, but it’s a creation brought to life by the NBA for its latest advertising campaign dubbed “The Toast,” designed to hype up the imminent NBA Finals.

“We aimed to stir up genuine excitement among fans and pay tribute to the thrilling season just witnessed, while also igniting that anticipatory buzz,” explains Tammy Henault, the NBA’s Chief Marketing Officer, in an interview. “We wanted to capture that sense of anticipation while uniting fans in a collective celebration of this significant moment. We understand our audience well, and we wanted to create an inclusive atmosphere for fans and the NBA family to come together and revel in the season, building excitement along the way.”

Crafting a campaign for the NBA Finals presents its challenges, particularly because plans are devised long before the teams in contention are determined. This is why “The Toast” relies heavily on iconic figures and familiar faces to commemorate the Finals.

“We aimed to feature prominent figures and legends, with Dwyane Wade serving as our distinguished host,” Henault elaborates. “His widespread recognition made him the perfect choice to lead this grand affair. As for selecting the rest of the cast, we looked at data and trends to identify celebrities who resonate with our core fan base – those you’d expect to see courtside. If we were throwing an NBA family party, who would we invite? That’s how we arrived at these familiar faces. Jimmy Kimmel, Ken Jeong, Queen Latifah, and others were chosen for their appeal to the specific audience segment we’re targeting for this year’s finals.”