Iconic Spurs’ HEB ads get a brand new cast – San Antonio Express-News

“I was tall,” Johnson recalled. “So I was like the tree that just stayed in the back.”

If nothing else, Johnson’s early turn as Sycamore No. 3 prepared him for the role of a lifetime.

The 22-year-old is among the all-new cast for this year’s round of Spurs-themed H-E-B commercials, which filmed earlier this week on a day off from training camp.

Guard Derrick White and center Jakob Poeltl are also among the newcomers set to make their H-E-B debuts.

“It was a long day, but it was fun,” Poeltl said. “I think they turned out pretty funny.”

The Spurs’ offseason roster overhaul meant the H-E-B cast had to be remade, too.

The attrition began in the middle of last season, when LaMarcus Aldridge — one of last season’s stars both on the court and on the screen — asked for and received a contract buyout to leave the Spurs.

The H-E-B ads involving Aldridge were pulled from circulation, leaving a single usable spot for the final two months of the season.

That was a “Cooking With the Spurs” segment featuring DeMar DeRozan, Rudy Gay and Patty Mills.

DeRozan now plays for Chicago, Gay is in Utah and Mills is in Brooklyn, an exodus that has opened the stage door for a new wave of H-E-B stars ready for their close-ups.

Poeltl fancies himself the Marlon Brando of the Spurs’ latest H-E-B cast. His mythical IMDB page includes appearances in ads for Google as a member of the Toronto Raptors.

“It’s more of a natural thing to me,” Poeltl said. “It just comes naturally.”

The Spurs’ roster of former H-E-B commercial stars is as impressive and star-studded as a list of “Saturday Night Live” alumni.

The campaign launched in the mid-2000s, with Tim Duncan as the sole attraction. He was soon joined by teammates such as Brent Barry, Bruce Bowen, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker, and later Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green.

One year, coach Gregg Popovich contributed a brief cameo.

In San Antonio, taking a lead role in an H-E-B commercial is akin to following Laurence Olivier as Hamlet. Johnson said he is aware of the Duncan-sized shoes he is being asked to fill.

“It is an honor and a blessing to go and put on a jersey for the Spurs and to be in those commercials,” Johnson said.

Thematically, the commercials traditionally range from silly to comically absurd — think Ginobili and Parker wearing Greek togas, Bowen playing bongo drums or Leonard overpronouncing the word “indubitably.”

Asked who has the best lines in this year’s crop of commercials, Poeltl went full Hollywood with his answer.

“It’s got to be me, right?” Poeltl deadpanned. “I’ve got the best delivery for sure. But I don’t know if they fed me the best lines.”

Fans will have to wait a few more days to see the final product. Scripts for each year’s crop of spots are tightly guarded until opening night of the season.

One teaser photo from this week’s shoot depicts Johnson, White and Poeltl decked in futuristic space suits. Another shows the trio frolicking on the ground with a litter of puppies.

The Spurs’ social media accounts also posted a short video clip of those harmonizing on a jazzy “Go Spurs Go” chant.

For Johnson, his first H-E-B commercial shoot day beat another morning of wind sprints and pick-and-roll coverages.

“I had a blast,” Johnson said. “It was amazing.”

And unlike his first acting job, Johnson at least had speaking parts in this one.

“I had a couple,” Johnson said. “Derrick and Jakob’s parts were longer than mine, though.”

Added Poeltl, jokingly: “Keldon could have stepped it up a little bit, to be honest.”

The rebuilding Spurs may or may not make the NBA playoffs this season. The way at least one player sees it, the real pressure comes when the first H-E-B ads air.

“I’ve seen a lot of the past ones,” Poeltl said. “I thought there were some really good ones. Hopefully, we can live up to the hype.”

jmcdonald@express-news.net

Twitter: @JMcDonald_SAEN