The NBA season is almost over as the Golden State Warriors trounce the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals, but ESPN has a few hoops tricks up its sleeves.

Their latest ad, featuring Kobe Bryant and Jalen Rose, is absolutely brilliant. It's the kind of thing hardcore followers of the NBA will absolutely appreciate, with Bryant doing a great job delivering a hilarious moment for basketball enthusiasts. 

Kobe and Jalen will be tied together forever because of a single historical NBA moment. Bryant's 81-point game came at the expense of Rose, who was playing for the Toronto Raptors at the time. Kobe punished Jalen and the Raptors all night, overcoming double and even triple teams that night. 

Rose has been a good sport about it since, especially with how often he's teased for being on the receiving end of one of the greatest individual performances in basketball history. Kobe's 81-point barrage hasn't been topped since, with Devin Booker coming close with 70 points this season. 

Bryant's been busy expanding his resume, doing more in the realm of entertainment since he's hung up his Nike's for the last time. That's created some fascinating content, with the Black Mamba working closely with ESPN in recent months.

"I'll have a vodka martini," Kobe says. It's what he says next when asked how many olives he'd like that makes this spot perfect.

"81," Bryant deadpans to the waiter while staring down Rose. The camera pans back and forth a few times before Kobe clarifies he was only telling a joke, relieving the waiter of needing to grab 81 Spanish olives.

The ad is a perfect combination of rewarding NBA fans who immediately know the irony of the two being together, with a smart script and great delivery between the retired NBA stars. The stare down between them might be the best part of the skit, not needing words to get the point across.

Kobe's also been producing the "Canvas" series for ESPN, giving intricate details of various NBA topics ranging from defending LeBron James to what makes the Warriors' offense so difficult to defend. He's quickly finding his niche outside of the NBA, and he's barely scraped the surface. 

Bryant's been enjoying focusing his efforts on raising his profile as a star now that he's off of the hardwood for good, and he's done so gracefully. Spots like that ESPN ad are perfect for Kobe, amplifying the snarky aura many feel he has in a complimentary and hilarious way.