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BEHIND THE WORK
Tots mock players in TNT spots
STRETCHING BACK IN a high director's chair, Shaquille O'Neal plays a game of match-the-mom-to-the-kids. He's spent all morning surrounded by a ring of small children there to taunt him with reworded nursery rhymes as part of a Spike DDB campaign promoting TNT's coverage of the upcoming NBA season. Mr. O'Neal tells the young actors' mothers that he has five children of his own, the youngest 10 months old.
He's a good sport, and is game for all 20 or so takes which feature a half-dozen kids who tease him about his professional performance. To the tune of "Farmer in the Dell" they sing, "Shaq rules the paint" but later add "but the Spurs won the West," and, "You better get back in shape." He glowers at them and they switch back to singing, "Shaq rules the paint," a reference to the area nearest the basketball net that Mr. O'Neal is known to dominate.
Other executions poke fun at other star NBA players. LeBron James, who joined the Cleveland Cavaliers fresh out of high school and is known as the baby of the league is featured in a baby carriage. The kids again sing lines such as, "You got to the NBA, you better earn your pay." Another features the New Jersey Nets' Jason Kidd being read Hickory Dickory Dock.
Director Spike Lee said that using the kids...