Make Something!!

Basketball and creativity go hand in hand.

The behind the back pass, the cross over dribble, and the 360 dunk - these are all physical manifestations of creativity in flow of the game, easy examples that capture the thrill of split second decision making.

Creativity born from the game finds space beyond the court as well. Writers are often inspired by their passion for hoops, most famously John Edgar Wideman, who chronicles his engagement in Hoop Roots: Basketball, Race, and Love (2001). Photographers, like Rick Telander who with the fantastic Heaven is a Playground captured the spirit of 1970s street hoops, have regularly found winning subject in the city game too.

The legacy of artistic enterprise inspired by basketball found new voice in the recently completed “Make Something!! Workshops.” A five-week program, “Make Something!!” was initiated by Nike Sportswear and culminated in finished product displayed throughout last weekend’s (August 12-15, 2010) World Basketball Festival. Ostensibly, the Festival celebrated the global game of basketball, highlighting youth initiatives and international play. Games at Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall and Rucker Park drew national teams from Brazil, China, France, Puerto Rico and the United States. All-Star teams from the New York City area filled the gaps, and all the play functioned as a reminder of basketball’s continued global growth.