The 15 Best Examples Of Basketball Art

Image via Complex Original

With March Madness raging, we figured it was a perfect time to check out art inspired by action on the hardwood.

Not surprisingly, the offerings are diverse. We've got iconic photographs, inventive works of street art, and even found a retired NBA star who has become a wizard on the canvas. From portraits to abstractions, and even landscapes, art related to basketball covers the full gamut of creative possibility.

Check out The 15 Best Examples Of Basketball Art.

15. Bill McMullen For K1X

4 Elements 4 Icons 4 Basketballs

German basketball brand K1X released a quarter of artist series balls in 2009. The best of these found Bill McMullen interpreting the element of fire. McMullen, born in San Diego, is one of the most sought after designers in hip-hop. Just ask the Beastie Boys, Method Man, DMX, and the rest of the Def Jam artist for whom he provided iconic cover art.

14. Costicos Brothers

Dale Ellis: The Silent Assassin

The Costicos Brothers are responsible for the most iconic of all 1980s sports posters. There vision of athletes as heroes brought amusing narrative to a previously staid niche. Dale Ellis might not be one of basketball's true legend, but this poster is pretty amazing.

13. Shepard Fairey For Upper Deck

Michael Jordan

When MJ was inducted into the Basketball Hall Of Fame in 2009, Shepard Fairey teamed with Upper Deck to create a trio of commemorative prints. Iconic moments were the core theme, and this famous image of Jordan as a UNC Tar Heel reigns supreme.

10. Tommy Heinsohn

Landscapes

You might be surprised to find that seven-time NBA champion Tommy Heinsohn is no stranger to a paint brush. And, perhaps more astounded to find he's not that bad. Clicking with his New England ties, Heinsohn produces pretty solid landscapes. This sensitive side makes up for his commentary on the Boston Celtics.

11. Atiba Jefferson

LeBron James

This portrait of high school-age LeBron is iconic, if nothing else. Jefferson knows hoops too. At on point, he served as staff photographer for the Los Angeles Lakers.

10. Keith Haring

Crack Is Wack

Yeah, this is not explicitly about basketball. However, it is near a basketball court, so we are sneaking it in.

9. Joel Kimmel

Stephan Marbury (Starbury)

Canadian illustrator Kimmel whipped up this killer portrait of Coney Island's most famous baller back in 2007. Regardless of what has happened since then, Starbury's local legend remains and this portrait sums it up. Plus, you can't fault old to the neighborhoods circus heritage.

8. Garbage Time All-Stars

NBA Comics

Josh Frankel is a cartoonist and illustrator with a lot of love for the NBA. His Garbage Time All-Stars site posts regular basketball comics. Post it on your RSS feed. 

7. Justin Bua

The Baller

Born in New York, Justin Bua specializes in visualizing the rhythm of the city. It shouldn't be much surprise that basketball is a subject well suited to his style. Aside from fine art prints and paintings dedicated to school yard courts, Bua has also provided graphics for EA Sports NBA Street.

6. Cope2

Shadow Jump Shot

Cope2 offered this work, painted on a piece of the 2011 All-Star Game floor from Los Angeles, for the Art Of Basketball. The pop-up exhibition ran at Art Basel this past December and also featured works by Ewok One, Joe Lurato, and David Cooper.

5. Jonathan Mannion

Steph & KG

Mannion has produced a dizzying number of tremendous portraits in his career. In basketball, few are as memorable as this iconic shot of Steph and KG published in SLAM magazine back in 1997.

4. Brent Rollins

Walt "Clyde" Frazier Tote Bag

Rollins is responsible for all your favorite album covers (Black Star, anyone?), and also this tremendous ode to the super stylish Walt "Clyde" Frazier. The bags were used during The Undefeated x Puma Cali Canvas Clyde drop of 2011.

3. Clay Patrick McBride

Allen Iverson

This is, point blank, the greatest portrait of Iverson of all-time. SLAM, 1999.

2. Jeff Koons

Three Ball Total Equilibrium Tank (Two Dr J Silver Series, Spalding NBA Tip-Off)

Koons, famous for his balloon-like dogs, made great strides in the art world during the 1980s commenting on the growth of consumerism. This sculpture, created in 1985, is among the works that transformed everyday objects into fetishized goods. In Koons' eyes, and mind, the three suspended basketballs become suggestions of death (or, "the ultimate state of being). This particular example is in the collection of the Tate Modern.

1. Walter Iooss Jr.

Michael Jordan

Iooss is one of the greatest sports photographers of all-time. He is responsible for the SI Swimsuit issue, but let's not forget he is also behind some of the finest portraits in the history of hoops. This shot from 1987 is straight up amazing.