basketball court murals from around the world
As a sport, basketball has deep rooted foundations in street culture, some might even say that basketball was born on the street.
It continues to bring communities together today, particularly on public courts, and is a common shared interest amongst people from all walks of life and of varying ages, shapes, sizes and races. This sport and the surface it is played upon really is a critical part of the social infrastructure for communities globally. There are tons of readily available ‘show up and play’ public courts all over the world but in a lot of cases they are run down (and potentially hazardous), uninspiring, lacking in colour and straight up boring. In some countries the courts, parks and surrounding areas are in such bad condition that they are set to actively drive families away rather than bring people together. Public parks are the centre of a lot of communities and the basketball court itself is the centre of these public parks. It’s the beating heart. Thankfully there are organisations and artists across the globe injecting life into these play arenas and putting a bounce back into the step of ballers everywhere.
artist: trueart19 - Location: Guadalajara, MX - Photo: project backboard
artist: JENDAYI “JEDI MAJI” BERRY - Location: SOUTH MINNEAPOLIS, MN - Photo: project backboard
Painting an area of this size is no easy feat though, especially when the canvas in question is literally lying at the artist’s feet as well. The standard size for a basketball court is 28m long and 15m wide. Now that’s a lot of ground to cover, a hell of a lot of paint and of course many hours of painting (it takes around 2 weeks for full mural coverage). Some courts also have surrounding walls, a spectator’s area or even an additional half court added to it so multiple games can be played at once. So, a lot of work goes into the job of making a basketball court mural, but it is a very worthwhile cause. The benefits that come from this highly skilled form of creative restoration leave a lasting effect on communities by bringing an abundance of colour to an area, thoroughly improving the play experience and giving local people a pleasant place to come together as one.
nba australia commission, blank walls
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Although the finished product of a brand new, sparkling, shiny, bouncy, colourful basketball court is what it’s all about, the process of making it happen is another key aspect which needs to have its moment in this written piece too. As previously mentioned above, many abandoned courts require more than just a designer’s iPad pro and a lick of paint - they need fixing first! What better way to support local people and put money into the community than by calling upon local workers and contractors to help? Organisations such as Project Backboard hire these teams to physically repair any cracks or uneven surfaces, immediately removing hazards and making the court a safer place to play. Goodbye roots coming through the free throw line, hello grassroots basketball!
ARTIST: xeme - LOCATION: hong kong - PHOTO: COURT HUNTER
The mural projects are always a collaborative effort and are a very attractive thing for volunteers to be a part of, especially if it involves the restoration of their local basketball court which they regularly play on. These large-scale, government funded projects are an immense gesture of hard work and kindness, bringing locals together and giving them something to be proud of. These actions and attitudes are contagious and will encourage others to take responsibility for the smaller things as time goes by and the court gets weathered. People are subconsciously encouraged to take pride in what they have been given by attending to jobs such as replacing ripped nets for the hoops, or even simply just picking up rubbish to keep the court and mural clean and tidy. It’s also inspiring for the younger generation to witness people grouping together to make something special out of a basketball court, which will inspire them to get involved and give back to society in other ways as well.
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We recently spoke with Austin Bell aka @court.hunter, a talented and adventurous photographer from North Carolina. When in the shoes of this superhero-esque pseudonym he specialises in aerial photographs of basketball court murals from all over the world. “Super” being the operative word here, his photography is awesome and the mural art he documents is no different.
“I personally love how the art on the court transforms an otherwise drab space. the specific act I do of flying over the courts to shoot them is a new experience each time, it’s an honour to share my perspective with the world and show what most people might not otherwise see.”
Here are a selection of basketball court murals from across the globe that we really like the look of, including some from court hunter himself.
artist: Sean cort - Location: NYC, USA - Photo: court hunter
Sean Cort and team were commissioned by Adidas to redesign the Black gates basketball court in Harlem’s foster housing projects. It presents inspiring imagery surrounded by words of further inspiration, set upon a green canvas whilst surrounded by nature. It’s a reminder to kids and young adults of the community to break free from the vices and setbacks they will come across in life. Cort, a part-time school teacher, commissioned former students as assistants for this project, continuing to teach them and showing them the importance of giving back to their communities.
artist: akacorleone - Location: lisbon, portugal - Photo: court hunter
Entitled “Balance”. AkaCorleone used a complex array of shapes and lines to create this awesome piece in the heart of Lisbon. The colour palette is reflective of the jaw dropping architecture that surrounds this basketball court, as seen in the 2nd picture.
“The concept behind this project was to play with the notion of duality, of two different points of view, two different sides that complement each other like opposite versions of the same reality that can only be understood as one.” - Akacorleone
artist: piskv - Location: rome, italy - Photo: court hunter
Along with a dedicated team of volunteers Piskv created a masterpiece which shows a player dunking within the grounds of the colosseum, it is impressively listed as one of the largest painted courts in europe (around 800 sqm). Backed by Red Bull, this court mural was made to be the home for the 2021 Red Bull half court competition in Rome.
artist: Jlaw - Location: baltimore, USA - Photo: coachhawkinsumes, project backboard
Another beauty, this time from artist Jordan Lawson (also known as Jlaw) who brought this piece together from design to a dunker’s dream court. The row of houses and blue sky in the mural gesture towards the feeling of community within a closely knit neighbourhood. Lawson reached out to locals via his Instagram page urging them to sign up for a chance to join in with painting and be a part of this artwork.
Put together by our good friends and trusted partners at Concrete Candy in Germany, with artist duo Zebu for Adidas Originals. This court uses shapes, lines and colours in a way that suggests a camouflage style which is a pretty damn cool aesthetic. Not only has the court had a full revamp but the team also installed a grandstand for spectators, which doubles up as a skateboarding grind rail.
artist: dante mdante - Location: Tbilisi, Georgia - Photo: court hunter
Aptly titled “JUMP” Dante’s beautiful realism piece is breathtakingly detailed and lies upon a carefully selected backdrop of colours. The prancing antelope has the same stare of determination that I would imagine most young ballers have when in their element, playing the sport that they love, on a court that has been designed with such skill and patience. This particular piece took over a month to complete and was made possible by Niko Street Art.
artist: madsteez - Location: brooklyn, USA - Photo: court hunter
LA born artist Madsteez has brought life to these basketball courts in Brooklyn’s park slope playground in New York City. The hands reaching for one basketball in unison symbolise the teams that pull together to make these murals possible, not just in this case but for all community based projects where without the help of many hands the rejuvenation of public courts would not be possible.
Commissioned by sportswear giant Nike as part of their ‘New York Made’ campaign, Brooklyn born artist Kaws brought his cartoon character based style and bold colours to the courts which he used to walk past every day as a kid growing up. making this job a personal and familiar experience for him. What a way to honour the cookie monster and elmo in abstract form.
artist: ANDREA BERGART - Location: NYC, USA - photo: court hunter
This epic piece of court symmetry lies just minutes from times square. It was pulled together by Project Backboard and created by Miami based artist Andrea Berghart. She says: “I see painted basketball courts as a way to expand and develop how people can participate in an urban basketball community. The court murals that I design transform a traditional basketball court into a dynamic place offering an artistic experience for players and community members.”
artist: hannah hunter/SWISHH DREAMS - Location: FLORIDA, USA - photo: SWISHH DREAMS
The board game ‘Candyland’ was the chosen backdrop for this basketball court mural, considering the court is located in Candyland Park, Florida, this was a no brainer. Users can play a life sized version of the game or simply shoot hoops and practice their crossover skills. It was made in collaboration with NBA topshot, Project Backboard and lead by artist Hannah Hunter. Hannah is founder of the brand Swishh Dreams, they sell many custom-made products and 100% of the profits go to the mission of finding and renovating neglected public outdoor basketball courts. Hannah: "Basketball and art are my two loves and definitely the areas where I can exist and be the best version of myself, So I’m grateful to combine all of that together into one thing."
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Have you got a court in your local community that could do with some colour? Drop us a message and we’ll find a way to paint it, working collaboratively with councils, communities and sponsors to turn a blank space into a beautiful place.
