Imagine a world where Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Miami Heat for the 2012 NBA title. Imagine a world where James Harden won last season's MVP award. Imagine a world where LeBron James finally enters the dunk contest.
In short, imagine a drastically different NBA — but still one well within the realm of possibility. That's the premise of the extremely creative promo embedded above, which has become a hit with fans to the tune of 130,000-plus YouTube views in two days.
See also: 20 NBA Twitter Accounts to Make This Season a Slam Dunk
But is it real? Is it fake? The ad's clever approach has some online thinking it's actually a fan-generated fraud. After all, hoops-obsessed YouTubers have recently cut together some very cool videos, such as this comparison of Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan and this mashup of Derrick Rose and The Dark Knight Rises.
But wonder no more: This is a real spot that TNT ran before Tuesday night's first broadcast of the NBA season, as we confirmed Thursday with Turner reps. So watch the spot, ponder its existential questions, but rest assured — it's legit.
BONUS GALLERY: 15 NBA Stars Dominating in High School
The Chicago Bulls point guard starred at the Windy City's Simeon Career Academy in high school before playing one season of college ball then getting picked first overall by his hometown pro team in the 2008 NBA Draft. He was league MVP in 2011, and is currently on the road to recovery from a serious knee injury.
As a high schooler, he was the top-ranked player in the country. This video, which has over 2.6 million YouTube views, makes it easy to understand why.
Before becoming the rather husky swingman you see in Dallas today, Carter was known as "Air Canada" for his high-flying exploits as a Toronto Raptor. Before that, he starred at the University of North Carolina. Before that, he dunked all over helpless youngsters as a Florida high school legend.
The Oklahoma City Thunder guard is known as much for his epic beard as smooth game today. But just a few years ago, he was a baby-faced prep star leading Artesia High School to back-to-back California state championships.
This Ohio news report on a local high school sophomore by the name of LeBron James is priceless today. From coaches speculating that he might make the NBA one day, to his earnest interviews, it's amazing to compare this with the global icon we know today. Newsman Brad Forster, who you see in the clip, uploaded it to his personal YouTube channel in 2010.
Wall starred at the University of Kentucky for one season before becoming the first overall pick of the 2010 NBA Draft. This compilation is from his senior year of high school at Word of God Christian Academy in Raleigh, North Carolina, is pretty freaking sweet and has 6.8 million views on YouTube.
What makes this highlight reel even more impressive? It all comes from one game, when Kidd led St. Joseph's High School from Alameda, California, to the 1992 state championship. He then went on to star at Cal and is currently wrapping up his Hall of Fame career with the New York Knicks.
Jennings is a budding star for the Milwaukee Bucks. This video, which has more than 1.3 million YouTube views, shows him as a high schooler dominating for Oak Hill Academy and in various club team tournaments.
After being this awesome in high school, Irving played one year at Duke, became the first overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, then won the league's Rookie of the Year award in 2012.
This video of his high school exploits has earned more than 1.5 million YouTube views.
Davis, the first overall pick of the June's draft, is being counted on to help lead the New Orleans Hornets back to respectability. This is him destroying all comers during his senior year at Chicago's Perspectives Charter School way back in 2010 and 2011.
Davis will be joined in New Orleans by Rivers, another highly touted rookie. He's the son of Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers, and is seen here killing it at Winter Park High School in Florida as a senior in 2010 and 2011. The impressive mix has been viewed more than 2 million times on YouTube.
Who's that, you ask? Lillard, the sixth overall pick of June's NBA Draft, is a trendy pick among many analysts to take home the Rookie of the Year award this year. This is him back at Oakland High School in the Bay Area of California.
So Rondo's been doing that fake behind-the-back move forever! This is the current Celtics star during his final year of high school ball, in 2004 at national basketball power Oak Hill Academy.
Rondo was joined at Oak Hill that season by current Atlanta Hawks star Josh Smith. Now that's what's called an unfair advantage.
A couple years before that, current New York Knick Carmelo Anthony played for Oak Hill and, yeah, he was pretty good and dunked a lot, too.
And here's Anthony's current Knicks teammate Stoudemire completely taking a bunch of high schoolers to well, school, as a prep in Orlando, Florida. All these dunks and blocks, from just four games. What are you supposed to do against a kid like that?
Homepage image: beyondthebuzzercom, YouTube