NBA 75: Artist Series features original 1-of-1 works of art, 75 exclusive artist editions and an ... [+]
Throughout the past 75 years, the NBA has transcended the hardcourt, crossing over into fashion, music, art, politics, lifestyle and pop culture.
In an effort to not only celebrate the league’s anniversary but also further its involvement in the art world, the NBA and Bleacher Report teamed up with five artists across a variety of disciplines and mediums to create a one-of-its-kind collaboration.
NBA 75: Artist Series features original 1-of-1 works of art, 75 exclusive artist editions and an apparel collection designed by Frank Miller, Sue Tsai, Greg Yuna, Bandulu and Hank Willis Thomas.
“Basketball has become more than just the on-court product—it melds fashion, art and lifestyle elements, and bringing that to the forefront and having artists celebrate some of our past logos, teams and designs in these different ways is representative of where we see the league at this point,” says Adrienne O’Keeffe, NBA associate vice-president of global partnerships and media. “It’s looking back on the past 75 years but also looking forward to what lies ahead, and we thought this really captured that intersection.”
Known for his gritty noir aesthetic across comics, novels and films, Miller made three pencil-and-ink illustrations reimagining the logos of the Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers and Toronto Raptors. Thomas, a conceptual artist whose themes relate to perspective, identity, commodity, media and popular culture, made a large-scale quilted NBA logo from a collection of team jerseys. Tsai, a visual artist whose bold-yet-feminine aesthetic crosses into art, fashion and pop culture, created four paintings celebrating the Chicago Bulls, New York Knicks, Brooklyn Nets and Lakers.
Prominent luxury jeweler Greg Yuna made three pendants encrusted with precious gems of the Knicks, ... [+]
Prominent luxury jeweler Yuna made three pendants encrusted with precious gems of the Knicks, Lakers and 75th anniversary NBA logos featuring more than 1,200 precious gems, including 500 diamonds. Bandulu, the label founded by artist Pat Peltier known for transforming vintage clothing and sportswear into one-of-a-kind garments through custom embroidery, made three hand-embroidered tapestries honoring the Philadelphia 76ers, Miami Heat and Celtics.
“For me it was an amazing opportunity because I am a huge fan of basketball because it was my bonding thing with my family growing up,” Tsai says. “My art and brand crosses over into basketball a lot, so it was the perfect opportunity to actually use NBA IP and their amazing history and fuse all of that into my artistic style while working creatively alongside some other amazing artists as well.”
To complement each 1-of-1 original artwork, each artist created 75 artist editions, including numbered and hand signed giclee prints, embroidered patches, pigment prints on aluminum and printed blankets of quilt. The apparel collection, available online starting today, includes long and short sleeve T-shirts, hooded and crewneck sweatshirts, embroidered bomber jackets and sweatpants.
Sue Tsai's artwork showcases the tropical botanics of Los Angeles and glamour of the city by ... [+]
For Bleacher Report, NBA 75: Artist Series is another significant collaboration with the league, following successful e-commerce collaborations and collections including Space Jam, Allen Iverson World Tour, NBA Remix and Homecoming. Bleacher Report has been collaborating with the NBA on merchandise since 2019 and became an official licensee last year.
“In large part because we’re a media company, people don’t come to Bleacher Report and expect to see products, never mind be sold products,” says Jake Cohen, Bleacher Report senior director of e-commerce. “So we want to make sure everything we do, specifically these larger collaborations and collections, tells a story, so it’s not just, ‘Hey, we’re Bleacher Report, buy some products from us.’
“It’s really important for us to be the storytellers ourselves and collaborate with all the artists. We get very involved in the creative process and it’s really important for all of our work to stand apart. We want it to stand on its own and tell a story, and of course the products need to look great.”
For the NBA, the collection further expands its presence in the art world following the league’s exhibition at Art Basel Miami Beach in 2019 which featured never-before-seen memorabilia and video installations among the immersive experience.
“We are always trying to push the boundary and find new ways for fans to engage with the league,” O’Keeffe says. “We don’t just want to stay in one lane and dive deep, we want to make sure we’re engaging with fans in as many ways as possible. What we’ve seen from our fan base is that they have an appreciation for art and we felt we would meet them and provide this product to them in a way that would be engaging and celebrate the 75th year of the league.”
Artwork details/tombstones
Frank Miller
Boston Celtics
Pencil and ink on art paper
11” x 17”
Los Angeles Lakers
Pencil and ink on art paper
11” x 17”
Toronto Raptors
Pencil and ink on art paper
11” x 17”
Hank Willis Thomas
Untitled
Basketball jerseys and mixed media
2’ x 4’
Greg Yuna
Diamond NBA 75th Anniversary
Pendant of gold, white diamonds, blue sapphires and rubies; 23 grams, 3.5 carats
- Gold, 23 grams
- White diamonds, 135 pieces, 0.9 carats
- Blue sapphires, 160 pieces, 1.2 carats
- Rubies, 203 pieces, 1.4 carats
Statement: This piece was created to honor the 75th anniversary of the NBA, and the design started with the logo. We wanted to bring the logo into our world. Greg and the design team began to plot out how the piece would be created and the way the stone layout would work the best. We kept this one super classic and true to the logo. The precious stones consisted of white diamonds, blue sapphires and rubies. The rubies and sapphires were carefully picked to match the tones of the color used in the logo. The piece features 498 individually hand set stones totaling 3.5 carats and is made of solid 14kt white gold.
Diamond Los Angeles Lakers
Pendant of gold, orange sapphires, amethysts and diamonds; 19 grams, 2.46 carats
- Gold, 19 grams
- Orange sapphires, 64 pieces, 0.5 carats
- Amethysts, 163 pieces, 1.2 carats
- Green diamonds, 81 pieces, 0.54 carats
- Black diamonds, 18 pieces 0.2 carats
- White diamonds, 6 pieces, 0.02 carats
Statement: The Diamond LA Lakers piece was about incorporating an element of LA into the famed logo. We decided to remix the classic logo by incorporating a palm tree, a symbol that has grown to be synonymous with the west coast. The edges of the piece feature polished edges to contrast with the luminous stones and bring the shape to life. The piece includes 332 handset stones ranging from colored diamonds, amethyst and sapphires.
Diamond New York Knicks
Pendant of gold, diamonds and sapphires; 36 grams , 3.29 carats
- Gold, 36 grams
- Black diamonds, 110 pieces, 0.75 carats
- Blue diamonds, 59 pieces, 0.45 carats
- Yellow diamonds, 58 pieces, 0.42 carats
- Red diamonds, 51 pieces, 0.4 carats
- Blue sapphires, 74 pieces, 0.52 carats
- Red sapphires, 59 pieces, 0.4 carats
- Orange sapphires, 42 pieces, 0.35 carats
Statement: The Diamond NY Knicks was inspired by New York City itself. The color palette, look and feel of the piece came from the sunset over the NYC skyline. There is something special to be said about a summer sunset in the city and bringing that twist to the Knicks logo. Within the basketball a nod to the NYC skyline is depicted with gradient stones to bring to life the sunset behind the shapes of the city. The piece includes 453 stones totaling 3.29 carats of diamonds and sapphires.
Sue Tsai
Los Angeles Lakers
Acrylic on canvas
30” x 30”
Statement: Sue Tsai reimagines the Lakers logo embellishing it with a floral basketball hoop. The artwork showcases the tropical botanics of Los Angeles and glamour of the city by adorning the net with crystal drops. A crystal “75” dangles to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the NBA.
New York Knicks
Acrylic on canvas
30” x 30”
Statement: Inspired by the “concrete jungle”, Sue turns the iconic Knicks’ secondary basketball logo into her signature flower bomb. The Rafflesia jungle flower bomb represents the power and explosiveness of the game while paying a small homage to the 88-89 Knicks “Bomb Squad”. At the root is a stem mimicking a NY street sign and leaves sprouting the 7th ave and 33rd street intersection of Madison Square Garden. A concrete block NY shows the strength of the city while wall stickers pay homage to the 75 years of the NBA. A young fan waters the Knicks flower helping it to blossom and reminds us that growth has no off-season.
Chicago Bulls
Acrylic on canvas
30” x 30”
Brooklyn Nets
Acrylic on canvas
30” x 30”
Bandulu
Boston Celtics
Single needle hand embroidery on heavy weight canvas
17” x 22”
Hand-framed in studio
Philadelphia 76ers
Single needle hand embroidery on heavy weight canvas
18” x 23”
Hand-framed in studio
Miami Heat
Single needle hand embroidery on heavy weight canvas
17” x 23”
Hand-framed in studio
Statement: Bandulu celebrates the 75th anniversary of the NBA through three East Coast teams that connect authentically to the Bandulu values and community: the Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers and Miami Heat. Being born in New England, being inspired by the heritage of Philly’s iconic city and players, and fueled by the artistic community in Miami, Bandulu sought to tell a narrative that uplifts the East Coast. Each piece took over eight hours of meticulous hand embroidery to create a visual extension of these iconic teams’ logos. Each team has a compositional twist to the way the logo comes to life through pictorial abstractions.
