It’s hard to believe that it’s almost been eight months since LeBron James participated in one of the most tasteless media stunts in professional sports history. It still feels like yesterday when almost anyone outside of Miami would tell you that they were no longer a fan of James and would spend the 2010-11 NBA season rooting against the Heat.
Outside of Cleveland and New York, the team that felt the most snubbed by James’ decision was the Chicago Bulls. Most NBA analysts believed that Chicago would be the wisest decision James could make, and the team was stacked with the kind young talent that could hang banners in the United Center next to Michael Jordan’s squads of the 90s. So now, with the NBA playoff run turning into full gear after the All-Star break, Derrick Rose has led the Bulls to third place in the Eastern Conference, right behind the Heat. So, Chicago is going to start upping this rivalry with Miami, and Windy City-based Allstate, with the help of its agency Leo Burnett, has been calling out James–who’s endorsed rival State Farm, of course–for his silly decision.
As actor Dennis Haysbert says, Allstate is “from Chicagoland, for Chicagoland” as the company is offering lower rates to Chicago drivers. Basically, a car insurance company has more integrity than LeBron James, and Allstate isn’t afraid to say it.