Legendary Duke Bobby Hurley is back on the scene.
by Franklyn Calle / @FrankieC7
If you watched the NCAA Tournament, then you couldn’t have missed it. I’m talking about the Dove Men Care commercials featuring former Duke star Bobby Hurley, Lakers legend Earvin “Magic” Johnson and Georgetown head coach John Thompson III. The new series of the “Journey to Comfort” campaign, which in previous years has featured Drew Brees, Albert Pujols, Joe Girardi, and Andy Pettitte, was on display throughout the Big Dance across CBS, TBS, TNT, and truTV, as well as on their online properties. The “Journey to Comfort” series highlights personal accomplishments and experiences. Hurley and Thompson spoke about growing up alongside successful basketball coach fathers, while Magic touched on his upbringings, winning an NCAA Championship, hooping in the League, being an Olympic Gold Medalist and now an achieved entrepreneur. The marketing efforts included the launch of new Dove Men Care Antiperspirants/Deodorants and Sensitive Clean Personal Wash. Dove’s parent company, Unilever, recently become a new NCAA Corporate Partner, which facilitated the all-out promotional campaigns.
The good folks at Dove Men Care gave SLAM a few minutes to speak with Duke great and two-time NCAA Champion Bobby Hurley. For the commercials and behind-the-scenes videos, visit the Dove Men Care Youtube page.
SLAM: How did you get involve with Dove Men’s Care?
Bobby Hurley: I was contacted through representatives of Dove to be a part of their Dove Men Care 
campaign. It’s basically their body wash and their deodorant. The slogan is “My journey to comfort,” and being comfortable in my own skin. It’s kind of been a process for me starting as a player and feeling real comfortable of who I was as a basketball player. And then having different things happen along the way in my life, you know, my car accident kinda changed my perspective and made family more of a focus for me; being involved in the lives of my children. And now being a coach and impacting the life of the players. So Dove has given me this opportunity to discuss a lot of my personal life, my family and things that are really important.
SLAM: Describe the experience of being on the set?
BH: We’re doing interviews. It’s really nice because I have my brother Dan, who gave me the opportunity to coach with him at Wagner College, involved in the commercial. And then also my dad was being interviewed as well. We’ve been a very tight knit family. We are just very excited that Dove Men Care has given us an opportunity to talk about my journey to comfort.
SLAM: How comfortable are you doing commercials? It’s been a minute since you were doing some in your playing days.
BH: Last year I participated in one with CBS Sports during the NCAA Tournament. As a player in the NBA, I had a shoe endorsement commercial and I also did a public safety announcement for seat belt safety following my car accident.
SLAM: How has the transition from player to college coach been?
BH: It’s been a pretty easy transition. With my brother Danny, there’s a fine level of comfort with him — just in terms of knowing him and having a lot of confidence in his abilities. Being in the gym is second nature to me. Understanding the game of basketball is something that comes fairly easy to me. I’m excited about being in the gym and helping kids achieve their goals as I did mines as a player.
SLAM: Do you keep in contact with Coach K?
BH: I do. He was very supportive in my decision of getting back into coaching. He was excited for me. I think he knew that this would be something that would make me comfortable in my own skin — being in the gym, being around the game at a high level. When we spoke, he was excited for me and he was also aware that Wagner is 1-0 versus Duke lifetime. So he wasn’t too thrill about that (laughs).
SLAM: What drove you into coaching?
BH: It’s been something that I’ve been thinking for a while. It’s something that has been a big part of my life – the game has been. Growing up with my dad as the high school coach and being around the gym with him throughout my life. My brother Dan got into coaching after his playing days ended, and I wanted to get involve for a while but I had other things that kind of sidetracked me. But Dan gave me an opportunity and I’m very excited to be working with him. It’s a unique situation where it keeps us and our family closer.
SLAM: What struggles or adjustments have you found yourself making now as a coach?
BH: I think as brothers we are real competitive. We want it at a very high level. Dan was at St. Benedict’s Prep and has won at a very high clip — over 90 percent. So he’s had to adjust to losing a few more games. He’s not accustomed to losing; the same for me. We’re making progress. We surpassed the win total from last year, so our journey to comfort is moving forward.
SLAM: How has the recruiting scene been for you guys so far?
BH: This year’s has been pretty good in terms of that. I can just fall back on all the success that Dan has had at St. Benedict’s. It’s real fresh in a lot of kids minds at the high school level. My dad’s success as a Hall-of-Fame coach is another thing that we talk about with recruits. And then obviously all the success that I had as a player. I’m able to talk with guys about trying to get to that level – to know what things to work on in order to make it to the highest level. So those are things that we talk with recruits and we feel like we’re doing an excellent job in that area. We are upgrading talent and the future looks bright for us.
SLAM: Thanks for speaking with us, Bobby. Glad to see that your back in the game.
BH: Thank you for sharing my journey to comfort you. (laughs)
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