WATCH: Zach Edey Makes Appearance in KFC Commercial

Zach Edey the actor? The former Purdue star and two-time National Player of the Year made an appearance in a KFC commercial during Game 5 of the 2024 NBA Finals on Monday night.

Purdue center Zach Edey shoots free throws | Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY

We all know Zach Edey the basketball player, but allow me to introduce you to Zach Edey the actor. That's right, the former Purdue star and two-time National Player of the Year has landed a deal with KFC, making an appearance in a recent television commercial.

Monday night, a KFC commercial featuring the former Boilermaker aired during the 2024 NBA Finals matchup between the Dallas Mavericks and Boston Celtics.

The advertisement is promoting one of KFC's boxed meals for $4.99. The camera then pans to a sitting Edey, who says, "Whoa, this is a big deal."

A Kentucky Fried Chicken ad during the NBA Finals staring @Zach_Edey?!?!?!#BoilerUp #FingerLickin7Footer pic.twitter.com/xkT4pejDal

— Nick Yeoman (@NYeoman) June 18, 2024

That wasn't the only ad that featured the 7-foot-4 center. Another short commercial was seen on Instagram and other social media platforms during the NBA Finals.

Zach Edey making an appearance on a @kfc advertisement🍗

Seen on Instagram, TikTok, and now TV (during the NBA finals(!!!))

RIDICULOUS AURA.

Fantastic marketing strategy from KFC to associate themselves with greatness. pic.twitter.com/LdhutoO3o3

— EdeyMuse (@EdeyMuse) June 18, 2024

KFC is capitalizing on one of the biggest — literally and figuratively — names from the college basketball season before the 2024 NBA Draft. Edey became a household name after claiming back-to-back National Player of the Year awards, becoming the first player to accomplish the feat since Ralph Sampson (1981-83).

Edey also led Purdue to back-to-back regular season Big Ten titles in 2023 and 2024. The Boilermakers finished last season with a 34-5 record and made an appearance in the National Championship Game.

Edey left the program as the all-time leading scorer and rebounder.

After a stellar career at Purdue, Edey is now continuing his basketball career in the NBA. He's a projected first-round pick and has a "draft range" between No. 9 and No. 19, per a report from ESPN's Jonathan Givony.

Edey was one of the most decorated players in the history of college basketball. It's really cool to see the former Boilermaker get some air time heading into the NBA Draft.

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