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Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Makes Commercial to Promote Wisconsin Tourism

The former basketball star teams up with Robert Hays to do an ad based on the 1980 movie Airplane!

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Former Milwaukee Bucks star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar with actor Robert Hays in a new Airplane!-themed ad for the Wisconsin Department of Tourism.
Former Milwaukee Bucks star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has teamed up with actor Robert Hays in a new Airplane!-themed ad for the Wisconsin Department of Tourism.

Abdul-Jabbar played center for the Milwaukee Bucks for six seasons.

Abdul-Jabbar and Hays starred in the 1980 American satirical comedy Airplane!, which riffs on the the disaster film genre. Now the two are hawking Wisconsin vacationing. 

The commercial reproduces many of the same jokes made in the original movie.

Control Tower: Striker, you're too low.

Robert Hayes: I know, but Wisconsin is so beautiful in the summer. So what should I do? Roger.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: What?

Control Tower: Boating, fishing, biking.

Hayes: I wish I was down there.

Control Tower: Roger.

Abdul-Jabbar: My name is Kareem.

Hayes: Surely you can't be serious.

Abdul-Jabbar: I am serious. And don't call me 'Shirley.'

Daniel Luzer is GOVERNING's news editor.
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