Oh look, more Suns disrespect on a national level

Through two preseason games, the Phoenix Suns have looked pretty good. At this time of year the results don't matter, but there's no doubt head coach Mike Budenholzer has this group playing with a more free-flowing style on the offensive end of the court in particular.

Rookie pair Ryan Dunn and Oso Ighodaro have given the group a nice boost that was lacking last season, and have taken their opportunity in these games well. They've gotten extended minutes and both look like they could legitimately challenge for a regular spot with the second unit once the season begins.

Yet disrespect is never far away for this franchise.

With the season edging ever closer, the NBA has released their #KiaTipOff24 advert to promote the upcoming campaign. In terms of creative effort from the league it is certainly not a bad effort, and you can check out the spot below to get you excited about what's to come. Notice anything about this package though?

You guessed it, there's no Phoenix Suns' involvement... like at all. Having Anthony Edwards as the first player in frame makes sense - he's being positioned as the next face of the league despite America's crown under threat from a host of Europeans - and he did just have a breakout postseason performance in destroying the Suns.

But he goes toe-to-toe with.... Kawhi Leonard? A player who admitted at media day recently that his knee is likely never going to be the same ever again. Can that guy even contest a jump ball anymore? All jokes aside, this looks a strange choice considering there are more healthy and relevant stars from Leonard's generation - such as Kevin Durant - that the league could have chosen.

Then there's Bam Adebayo - who is a fabulous player and perhaps the most underrated in the league - but does he sell tickets and excitement on the level of Durant or Devin Booker? Followed swiftly by Jayson Tatum, which fair enough you can't really argue with, and yet there's still something underwhelming about the newly minted champion.

Perhaps it is because he doesn't have the same magnetic personality as Edwards - and neither does Booker yet he comes off as more effortlessly cool - but the Tatum spot just feels a bit meh. Later on French phenom Victor Wembanyama joins the fray, with Luka Doncic backing him up to finally give the Europeans some props.

Even Denver Nuggets' mascot "Rocky" gets in on the act - and although the more serious fans know of their exploits - having them in over a Suns player seems ridiculous. Booker and Durant just won a gold medal with Team USA this summer, with Durant now the most decorated male basketball player in the country's history.

His exploits are fresh in the minds of fans, while Booker did his own personal brand the world of good over there by giving out shoes around Paris and coining the "I'll Do It" catchphrase that came to personify the USA's quest for another gold against the big bads from around the globe.

Mostly though this just feels like a missed opportunity, because Booker is marketable and popular and Durant at 36-years-old might not have many elite seasons left in him. Instead it was left to Kawhi, Bam and a mascot to generate the kind of hype that Booker and Durant give to The Valley on the daily. It's cool though, just more fuel for the fire over here.