• by Tanya Gazdik , May 17, 2017

The NBA is debuting a TV spot featuring one of the most well-known and iconic basketball players of all time, Julius (Dr. J) Erving.

The 30-second spot from Translation premieres Wednesday night during the season finale of ABC’s "Designated Survivor" and will run until the end of this season’s NBA Finals.

Part of the “This Is Why We Play” global platform, “The Stage” is the final installment in the Playoffs and Finals ad series, which has featured players sharing their perspective on what it takes to win in the Playoffs and Finals. The previous spots featured Shaquille O’Neal and Scottie Pippen.

In “The Stage,” Erving shows off his style and elegance while selecting which shirt and tie to wear and speaking directly to the camera, saying: “The Finals. We’re talking about the ultimate stage.” Historic NBA Playoff highlights are interwoven as Dr. J. proceeds to don his dapper attire, saying: “All that elegance, all that style. None of it really matters if you don’t win. Because when it’s over ... you either have a ring, or you don’t." He then slips on his most important accessory — his NBA Championship ring.

The previous spots in the NBA Playoff series included “Larger than Life,” featuring Shaquille O’Neal, which broke in late April. Seen in an elevator, where he speaks directly to the camera, O’Neal says: "So you want to know about the Playoffs? It's larger than life,” and continues to talk about getting pumped for a big Playoff game, getting riled up before a man and woman entering the elevator, interrupting his excited monologue. The spot was accompanied by outtakes from on-set.

The first spot in the Playoff series was “Forget,” featuring Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen. The spot, which broke in early April, shows Pippen wrapping up an interview, while detailing the mental toughness needed to forget past performances, and push through every obstacle to advance to the next round.