Kobe Bryant is still selling out arenas. Just not in the way we're used to.
Bryant is the new pitchman for Ele.me, a food delivery startup backed by Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba Group. Ele.me translates to "Are you hungry?"
In this new ad, created by McCann Worldgroup Shanghai, according to Ad Age, Bryant appears to be a professional table tennis star. Hunger brings down Bryant's play, but the tide turns when the five-time NBA champion's Ele.me is delivered.
The crowd goes absolutely wild for the most famous athlete in China, per ESPN's World Fame 100.
"Kobe's worth the money spent, no matter how much," Tomaz Mok, chairman of McCann Worldgroup China, told Ad Age.
Bryant fans waited a few months now to see where the Black Mamba applies his ultra-competitive spirit next. It looks like table tennis is in the running, although Chinese advertising star may be a safer bet.
More NBA:
-- 7 NBA Stars Missing Out On New Salary Cap
-- After Retirement, Tim Duncan Gives Rare, One-Hour Interview
-- Kevin Durant On Shoe Line: 'I'm Not A $88 Player'
-- Follow Jeffrey Eisenband on Twitter @JeffEisenband.
