Rusted Rims and Torn Nets

Last week I gave a 2-minute presentation in my Entrepreneurial Design course in front of a small crowd of classmates and invited guests at our studio at SVA IxD. It was still nerve-racking. I was nervous that I wouldn’t be able to demonstrate in a persuasive manner why I want to start a blog about the culture of pick-up basketball.

A driving force for me is that basketball is a part of my identity and I want to build a community for those with the same feeling — to inspire them and connect them together! Wherever I’ve played the game, I have met people of all different kinds of backgrounds and developed relationships with them around the game of basketball. But, I have also found subtle differences in the way the game is played and local rules that could be debated for longer than some politics. Establishing were the “take-back” line should be located in a half-court game(the free-throw or three point line) is always a point of contention. If you’re an NY’er born in the 80’s or earlier it tends to be the free throw line (as it should be).

Although I’ve been able to play in many different places and against different people, not everyone has the same opportunity. Which is why I want to bring a sense of these interactions into the digital world and provide people a chance to hear the stories of other ball players that they may not ever get to meet in the physical world. Sure, everyone gets to read about an NBA All-Star’s history from where they came and how they were able to succeed, but most people will never be able to fully relate to that story. However, learning about another person who plays on the other side of the country or perhaps just in a different part of their city on the same kind of rusted rims with torn nets as they do can tremendously affect their perceptions of who they are and the expanding boundaries of their world that I hope my blog can provide. I also want to add depth to their stories by using 360º photography to allow a viewer to explore the court they play on and make them feel more alive.

If you find this idea intriguing, it would be great to get in touch to discuss your thoughts, and please share my story with anyone else you think might also be interested.

Thanks for reading.

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