Synopses & Reviews
ALL THE BEST THINGS YOU SEE IN PRO BASKETBALL TODAY WERE INVENTED 25 YEARS AGO IN THE SCHOOLYARDS OF HARLEM.
--Pee Wee Kirkland, NYC streetball legend
Nowhere does basketball reach such mythical heights as in the urban playground. It's there-in places like New York's Rucker Park and Soul in the Hole, the Venice Beach boardwalk, Detroit's St. Cecilia's gym and the Hank Gathers youth center in Philly-where hoops transform into a religion, and a single act of superb skill can live for decades.
SOUL OF THE GAME photographer John Huet captures the players, courts and attitude of streetball, that bruising contest of style and skill. In these pages, legends like Ray Lew, Arkansas Red and Earl "the Goat" Manigualt-whom Kareem Abdul Jabbar has called the greatest player never to have played in the NBA-finally get their due. And raps, hip-hop poetry and interviews with athletes from the street tell the game's story in its own rhythms and cadences.
SOUL OF THE GAME depicts street basketball as it has never been seen before, in all its intensity, grit, and beauty.
Synopsis
Soul of the Game is the soul of basketball, a celebration in images and voices that captures the players, the games, the shots, and the moves of the urban playground. From John Huet, the premier sports photographer who brought his look to the Nike "Trash Talk" ads, here are 100 powerful black-and-white, large-format portraits of Arkansas Red, Jackie Jackson, Nate Archibald, and Earl "The Goat" Manigault, playing on the most famous courts from Rucker Park in New York to Crenshaw High in L.A. Soul of the Game is a passionate tribute to streetball, as it's better known-a game played with hustle, flair, attitude, and athleticism. Poetry and hip-hop writing from the players themselves fill in this street hoops history with personal insights.
Synopsis
From the premier sports photographer who brought his look to the "Trash Talk" ads, here are 100 powerful large-format portraits of Master Bob Hocket, Munchie Mason, Dorian "Black" Graham, and Nate Archibald, playing on the most famous courts from Rucker Park in New York to Crenshaw High in L.A.
About the Author
John C. Jay is a partner and creative director for Wieden and Kennedy, and his designs have received over 150 international awards.John Huet has been photographing athletes for 15 years for commercial clients, including Nike, Gatorade, Fila, Speedo, and Kodak.Jimmy Smith is a senior copywriter on the Nike account at Wieden and Kennedy. He also co-created Nike's successful "Trash Talk" advertising campaign.