AD Durr was traded to the Atlanta Dream on Wednesday, but the Georgia native already starred for the team – in a commercial way back in 2008.
Durr’s father Terry knew someone involved in the production of the TV spot, and 10-year-old AD auditioned for the part at a park in downtown Atlanta, the Louisville Courier-Journal reported in 2017.
Throwback to little Asia Durr as a young Hooper for this ATL Dream commercial #DreamBig pic.twitter.com/edBiliWTBK
— Samantha Williams (@UTCoachSam) November 5, 2017
The ad starts with a group of boys playing basketball in a park. From the sidelines, Durr asks: “Hey, can I play?”
The boys reluctantly allow Durr to join, and they put on a show. A quick montage shows Durr blocking a shot, sinking a jumper, zipping a no-look pass across the court and more.
“Ever wonder what happens to girls like this?” a voiceover asks. The commercial provides an answer: They grow up to become WNBA players. The ad cuts to video of players from the then-new Dream franchise, which played its first season in 2008.
Durr recalls the first time they saw the ad on television.
“I remember I was at home sitting on the floor watching TV, and it came on out of nowhere,” they told the Courier-Journal. “When they shoot it they make you do the same takes over and over again, so I had never seen the final product.”
Now Durr, 25, has brought the commercial to life, joining the Dream via trade from the New York Liberty, the team that drafted them with the No. 2 overall pick in 2019.
AD Durr has been traded to the Atlanta Dream from the New York Liberty in exchange for Megan Walker and the rights to Raquel Carrera, a 2021 draftee who is currently playing in Spain.
The news was first reported by Spencer Nusbaum of The Next Hoops and later confirmed by the Dream.
“We are excited fort the opportunity to add AD to our roster,” Dream coach Tanisha Wright said in a statement. “We understand the obstacles AD has fought through to get back to playing basketball, and we look forward to teaming up with them and continuing that journey. AD’s talent speaks for itself, and we think there is no better place to unlock it than here in their home state.”
Durr is originally from Douglasville, Ga., just outside of Atlanta. The guard is in their second WNBA season after missing the past two seasons with long-haul symptoms of COVID-19. After being cleared to play last November, they have worked their way back on the court.
In their rookie season, Durr averaged 9.7 points per game. In 10 games so far this season, they are averaging 1.4 points in 7.0 minutes per game.