GREEN & WHITE BASKETBALL

Denzel Valentine's 1st commercial hits the internet

Dan Kilbridge

Lansing State Journal

Denzel Valentine walks out of the New York subway during a promotion video for Macy's ahead of Thursday's NBA Draft. Macy's is his first endorsement contract.

For college basketball players, one of the great things about turning pro is the ability to make money. Seriously, there are no NBA regulations stating players can not be paid for their likeness. It's even encouraged! What a novel concept.

Former MSU basketball player and Associated Press Player of the Year Denzel Valentine took advantage in the days leading up to the NBA Draft, signing on with Macy's and shooting a commercial for its Bar3 fashion collection in New York City before he was taken No. 14 overall by the Chicago Bulls.

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The commercial debuted on YouTube Thursday afternoon and features Valentine interviewing various people in NYC donned in a Bar3 suit. Valentine handles himself well, responding to one youngster who didn't know where Lansing is on the mitten, "He doesn't know where Lansing is. Needs to go to geography class."

Check out the 1-minute ad below: (bonus points if you can identify the LSJ staff member who makes a brief cameo):