There are basketball reasons (no Stern-o) to love Ian Mahinmi. The 25-year-old Frenchman has provided largely solid two-way play as part of the Dallas Mavericks' big-man rotation this season, kicking in 6.4 points and 4.8 rebounds in a career-high 19.3 minutes per game for a Mavs team taking a center-by-committee approach to replacing Tyson Chandler. While Mahinmi's game certainly remains rough around the edges, he's remarkably athletic and fluid on the floor for a 6-foot-11, 230-pounder, and given a defined role and extended playing time, he's proven to be both a talent worthy of nurturing for the future and a valuable contributor in the here and now.
Today, though, none of that matters, because now we have this video, which gives us all the non-basketball reasons we'd ever need to love Ian Mahinmi.
The clip, posted to the "ianmahinmiTV" YouTube channel, features Mahinmi walking around a hotel in a plush blue robe, working out shirtless in hipster glasses and a bracelet, getting a massage on what appears to be the roofdeck of a luxury hotel, and coming face to smiling face with five doppelgangers, each of whom gives the blue-robed Mahinmi a hearty thumb's up. The whole shebang is soundtracked by a slick disco-remixed lounge groove, which makes everything infinitely more hilarious.
If you're someone who had no idea that Mahinmi had any personality or style — a share of the population that probably includes just about everybody except his friends, his family and total Mavs die-hards, since he's never gotten significant time until this year and he's still one of the least publicly recognizable figures on a Dallas team that features Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Kidd, Vince Carter, Lamar Odom, Jason Terry and Shawn Marion — this provides an amazing introduction. To answer your questions: Yes, we love blue robe; yes, we love man working out; yes, we love sunset; yes, we love smily [sic] face. Yes, we love Ian Mahinmi.
Important additional note: The short was produced by One Million Dollar Film, a French production company that has also created comedic spots for former NBA player Alexis Ajinca and Arsenal left-back Bacary Sagna, and boasts relationships with several other pro athletes, including NBA players Boris Diaw, Ronny Turiaf and Kevin Seraphin. I think I speak for everyone affiliated with the basketball Internet when I say that we very badly need to see one of these shorts starring each of those players immediately.
I'm thinking Diaw would make an excellent spy (or villain) in a Bond-esque piece, and it'd be very interesting to see Turiaf reinterpret Mickey Rourke's work in "The Wrestler." Those are just ideas, though; I'm only spitballing. I'm very open to your suggestions for French NBA comedy video premises, so feel free to leave them in the comments.
Hat-tip to friend of the program Rob Mahoney at Mavs-focused blog The Two Man Game.
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