Basketball is art. Poetry in motion. A symphony of runs and stops, set to the rhythm of a drum on the hardwood. As the game has evolved and changed, so has the way it’s expressed: from versatile big men to entire squads, equipped with sharpshooters, now leading a renaissance from the three-point line.
Always an innovator in all things sports and culture, DraftKings is capturing the spirit of the game with an entire Artist Series collection: collaborating with four renowned artists, the collection contains hoops-inspired pieces that showcase the energy and character of the cities they’re from, all while incorporating the DraftKings signature crown.
The Artist Series Collection spotlights Louis De Guzman from the Chi, whose work tells the story of the immigrant journey and his experience as a second generation Filipino American; Philly’s own King Saladeen, who blends his city’s gritty landscape with his experiences on and off the court within his art; Sue Tsai, an artist from NYC whose work is as bold and edgy as the Mecca and, finally, Timmy Sneaks, who is from Boston and capture’s the city’s aura with bright colors with iconic pop characters.
Together, these creatives and DraftKings have intertwined artistry and style with exclusive, basketball-inspired merch that displays their art, all while telling the story of four unique cities, home to some of the most historic sports franchises. The launch of the Artist Series Collection comes at a perfect time as the NBA celebrates premiere matchups with Rivals Week, which includes Celtics-Lakers, Nuggets-Timberwolves and more.
As one of the game’s most respected visionaries, SetFree Richardson helped bring the Artist Series Collection to life. “Being able to work and partner with DraftKings and being a curator for the project, we wanted to make sure that we picked artists that represent the city the right way, has ties to basketball and sports and understands the world of DraftKings and basketball,” Richardson tells us. “[Their] graphics represent a great collaboration with authenticity, organic artwork that [resonates] for the fans of sports, betting and basketball culture.”
When deciding which artist to partner with, it was important to them that each individual reflected their community in their work. What they found were four artists that are fully intertwined in sports culture: Saladeen once rang the bell at the 76ers game, Tsai partnered with the League for their 75th anniversary, Timmy Sneaks has murals around The Town and De Guzman has worked with the Bulls for NBA All-Star in 2020.
“It was important to make sure that the artists love the sport,” Richardson says. “All these artists bet on themselves. Being an artist is not an easy way to live and…being a part of sports and connecting that with DraftKings, it made sense. All of them are big fans of basketball, [too].”
Amidst an exciting and entertaining NBA season—”Steph[en] Curry is still doing it. Damian Lillard is one of the sharp shooters, Trae Young is incredible,” Richardson adds when asked about his thoughts on what’s happening across the League—DraftKings’ Artist Series Collection is putting the essence of artistic expression at the forefront, from the canvas to 94 feet and beyond.
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