TAMPA, Fla. — Whenever Maddox Calmes is on the basketball court, he likes to emulate his favorite player.

Kyrie Irving is Maddox’s favorite. And the NBA star has this one move that Maddox has down pat.

This 12-year-old dreams of playing in the NBA one day, and all that comes with being a professional basketball player — the fame, the fortune and the endorsements.

He’s actually got a head start on that aspect of the pro life. Maddox recently starred in a McDonald’s commercial. He was featured along with several pro players promoting the McDonald’s All-American Game.

“I couldn’t believe it,” Maddox said. “I never thought I would be in a commercial.”

Talent agents initially discovered Maddox on his Instagram page, which is filled with lots of basketball videos. He traveled to Miami, where the commercial was shot, and showed off his acting and ball skills. The experience, his first in front of a camera, sparked something in Maddox and made him want to pursue other acting opportunities.

“The sky’s the limit for him,” his father Lee said. “He has a lot of different avenues that he can go in, not just sports, not just athletics. He’s a super sharp kid in the classroom. He competes in the classroom. He competes outside the classroom, so I’m just excited to see him as he grows.”

This Carrollwood Day School sixth-grader has been playing basketball since kindergarten. He practices and plays games in all of his spare time. He gets something out of this sport that he doesn’t get from other aspects of his life.

Basketball has already taken him places. And he dreams of it taking him even more places in the future.

“I just love it,” he said. “I love winning and getting better. And I’m going to try to make it to the NBA one day.”