Awesome Basketball

The 2024-25 NBA season is off to an injury-riddled start, but it’s also one that’s exciting and intriguing, with many worthy challengers to the reigning champ Boston Celtics. The NBA is maintaining the hype in the greatest way possible by giving us a rare peek at the practice sessions and training camps of 10 teams, including the Warriors, Lakers, and the champs.

The second basketball sneaker from rising shoe brand EQLZ. The 360 was designed for fast and fluid movement. But we can’t deny that it looks badass off the court as well. Its knitted upper is caged in a heat-molded leather overlay. The eyelets are on the overlay, making it easy to customize the shoe’s fit. Drops 11.2024 for $130.

“I’m like a… king of all trades. I think that’s what the saying is?” Netflix’s upcoming series goes behind the scenes of the 2023-24 NBA season through the eyes and experiences of LeBron James, Jason Tatum, Jimmy Butler, Anthony Edwards, and Domantas Sabonis. We know how it ends, but this time, we find out how they got there. Premieres 10.9.24.

Michael MacKelvie dives into the alluring concept of The Hot Hand in basketball: the belief that when a player makes a couple of successful shots, it increases the probability that they will make succeeding ones. For decades, it was considered as statistical nonsense. But more recent studies factor in the human element: confidence. Just ask France.

After Steph Curry’s stupendous Paris Olympics gold-medal performance, there apparently was an unexpected career goal on his checklist: play himself in a sitcom. Not a big stretch for the big guy, but he’s hilarious as the former 6th-grade teammate of a down-on-his-luck memorabilia dealer looking for redemption. Streaming now on Peacock.

Half as Interesting simplifies the math behind the underhanded free throw, AKA the granny shot. Popularized by NBA legend Rick Barry, the shot makes players shoot significantly better in exchange for looking like they don’t know what they’re doing. Even the greatest of stat stuffers couldn’t bear to stick with it. It’s a fun reminder of human nature.

The tale that exploded with “the tape heard around the world.” Based on the 30 for 30 podcast The Sterling Affairs, Clipped is a six-episode mini-series centered on the 2014 racism scandal of former LA Clippers owner Donald Sterling. Starring Laurence Fishburne as coach Doc Rivers and Ed O’Neill as Donald Sterling. Premieres 6.4.24 on Hulu.

Shane from Stuff Made Here already invented an unmissable basketball hoop. But what do you do if the basketball hoop is 16 feet off the ground? To give himself a fighting chance at making extra-tall dunks, he built a pair of telescoping boots that lift him to the net like Inspector Gadget’s leg springs. They work but look dangerous as hell.

Engineezy has engineered all kinds of neat mechanical devices, including an overcomplicated candy dispenser and a robot that types. This time, he built a pair of machines that endlessly toss tiny basketballs into each other’s hoops. You can purchase a 3D printable model of the Roboballer on his website.

Nike offers a fresh take on its classic 1990s b-ball shoe, with a graphical treatment that looks like a rippling pool of monochrome liquid. Made from molded polyurethane for structure with an Air Zoom unit for responsive cushioning on the court. Drops 3.31.23 at 9am ET.

Ben Affleck directed and stars in this drama about athletic wear giant Nike as it struck its game-changing partnership with Michael Jordan. Affleck portrays Nike boss Phil Knight, while Matt Damon plays the man who took a gamble on a rookie NBA player to help spawn the company’s new basketball division. In theaters 4.5.23.

We’ve all found ourselves tossing wadded-up paper into the garbage to show off our hoop skills. Why not make it official with this basketball-inspired wastebasket? It features a woven metal net that sits on a wooden base and a small backboard for bank shots and for keeping missed shots from landing on the floor behind it.

Basketball shoes are meant for playing basketball. But Marko took the concept literally and crafted custom sneakers out of a Wilson basketball. The leather and rubber from the ball look like they were difficult to work with, but the finished shoes look like they were worth the effort. That flame paint job is sweet!

If you’ve ever seen a grade school dance routine, you know how hard it is to get kids to move in sync. But these little girls have been taught not only how to dribble two basketballs without losing them, but to do it in perfect time with their classmates while performing a choreographed routine.

A couple of years back, Stuff Made Here created a basketball hoop that was always in the right place to catch the ball. Now he’s back with an upgraded, cable-driven robot with six degrees of freedom so it can catch balls thrown long or short or off-axis. Like all good engineering projects, it required lots of failures along the way.

If March Madness betting means you’re reaching to fill (or empty) your wallet, this full-grain model from ProStyle Sports will do the trick. It’s made from Horween basketball leather, so it looks, feels, and even smells like a pro ball. Inside are eight credit-card slots – nearly enough for season tickets, parking, and $20 beers.