In the heart of Harlem The Ball Room was set up as a museum to tell the story of 100 years of basketball but also as a showcase of current product innovation. The highlight: the Make Me Better/Basketball Evolution Wall.
The first day of the WBF started out with a trip to Harlem, the home of The Ball Room, a museum-like exhibition space providing visitors with a look at the past, present and future of the game. In a combined effort, the three brands supporting the WBF, Nike, Brand Jordan and Converse had brought together artifacts of the sport's history.
On display at the Jersey Wall were vintage pieces such as the 1930's NYC Harlem Renaissance jersey and basketballs from the various eras, some of which were on loan from the renowned Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame. The Legends Wall told the story of the game, honoring its inventor, Dr. James Naismith as well as some of its most iconic figures: Chuck Taylor, Michael Jordan, LeBron James and Yi Jianlian. On display here were the size 22 Converse All Star worn by Bob Lanier and Kobe Bryant's Nike Zoom 1 which he scored 81 points in on January 22., 2006. Within the glass displays of the Innovation/Future Display the design-process of a basketball shoe was laid out and included sketches, inspirational materials (objects, fabrics) and various elements of the shoes themselves, a number of which were also part of the Footwear Wall showcasing the evolution of the basketball shoe through the lens of the three brands. The Make Me Better/Basketball Evolution Wall presented a stark contrast to the historic pieces on the Jersey and Legends Walls: 5 55-inch touch screens offered a digital experience of the game, the athletes and the evolution of their footwear over the years.
Besides telling the story of basketball in a rather comprehensive way - from the three brand's point of view - one of the most interesting aspects of The Ball Room was actually the fact that we also got to learn about some of the non-professional players, based in NYC, some of whom equally famous as their major league colleagues. These guys are the ones still playing the public courts, such as Rucker Park, and maybe provide for a more direct link to the sport for the audience and youth than the superstars on television...
| INTERESTING LINKS: | Nike Basketball: The Ball Room |
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The Ball Room | Giant Project | Make Something!! | Radio City Music Hall | Rucker Park | Apollo Theater | The Trip |
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