JBV Creative 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 JBV’s 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.
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.
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.
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.
It’s tricky enough for a cameraperson to keep their lens aimed at the right player during a fast-moving game like basketball. But this pro goes above and beyond the call, not only focusing on the action between the players but zooming in on the ball at precisely the right moment and then right back into the game.
This special-edition G-SHOCK watch was inspired by pro basketball player Rui Hachimura. Its copper-plated steel case shines, while its hands and secondary strap incorporate the national colors of the Republic of Benin, where Hachimura’s father hails from. Its case back wears the baller’s Black Samurai logo.
Want to play some basketball, but don’t have a court to play on? The Q came up with a version of the game you can play on a tabletop. Players each control a cable-driven robot arm to pick up mini basketballs and drop them through their opponent’s hoop. It’s not as slick as Toyota’s robot, but it’s a lot cheaper.
We love the creative ideas that LEGO builders come up with for Great Ball Contraptions. In this video, NDL-GBC shows off a machine that feeds miniature basketballs to minifig players who shoot them through a hoop. His design was inspired by a similar carousel by Charles Pascale. Build guide on Rebrickable.
Sprice Machines enjoys building overly-complicated machines to perform simple tasks. In this case, he created a machine that takes nearly 3 minutes to toss a toy basketball through a hoop. Like most Rube Goldberg machines, this one took a bit of trial and error. If the NBA played this slowly, games would end with scores like 8-6.
Do you suck at basketball? Maybe you need a robotic assist. Stuff Made Here has previously built a motorized basketball hoop that deflects a ball into the hoop, but only work if you at least hit the backboard. This new robot solves that problem, letting you toss the ball pretty much anywhere in its general vicinity.
In Japanese art, there’s a process called Kintsugi, a mending method which uses a mix of resin and gold powder to repair objects, accentuating the repair, rather than hiding it. Paying tribute to this tradition, artist Victor Solomon renovated a South L.A. basketball court using a similar method to fill in cracks in the court.
Creezy took nearly two months to set up and work out the kinks in this ridiculous Rube Goldberg machine he set up outside his house. It goes through a complex sequence of about 70 steps to drop a basketball through a net – which ironically is the same thing he has to do to get the machine started.
Nike’s Kevin Durant collection adds a great monochromatic colorway for the KD13. The high-energy basketball shoe features a full-length Air Zoom unit stacked on a secondary unit for added cushioning, and its lightweight upper gives a broken-in feel straight from the box. We really dig the grey-speckled soles.
Normally, basketballs are made from rubber. But DIYer Cammie’s Garage works in wood, so he decided to see if he could make one by turning layers of maple into a sphere instead. It didn’t take the stain perfectly, but it’s still pretty cool. He previously made a sweet wooden football.
Featuring a vibrant design inspired by Kobe’s bestselling children’s novel, these low-tops have colorful print straight from the book’s cover. Black accents on the tongue, laces, rear midsole, and swoosh graphic offer added contrast, while neon green, blue, and red splash their way across the sole. Drops 12/1/19 from Nike.
Cheer on your favorite baseball and basketballs teams with New Era’s collection of 9FIFTY snapback caps in faux denim blue. Each one is embellished with an assortment of patches for the team name, logo, city, and year founded, and features a high crown shape.
Spalding’s mashup of globe and basketball is perfect for your next game of Around the World. It’s an official, regulation-sized rubber ball, and would look great sitting in your living room on a globe stand when not in use. Exclusively available from Urban Outfitters.
This basketball is sure to bring a smile to every player’s face, driving down the court for a dunk, or grabbing a rebound off the backboard. This Urban Outfitters‘ exclusive design from Chinatown Market features the iconic 1960s Smiley face emblazoned on a yellow B-ball. It’s also available in a 3M reflective version for night games.
(PG-13: Language) Jean wanted to try out his new basketball. Instead, he ends up taking us on a tour through his star-studded neighborhood, filled with the likes of Brick Tamland, The Dude and Superman. A silly short by Collectif HOTU.