Championship Diamonds- Jason Of Beverly Hills

I had a blast writing this and I love the way it’s laid out. I’m also glad I tracked down one of the key players behind NBA Championship jewellery. Jason, as you can tell by his “of Beverly Hills” alias, is such a character. Who else would have two children also named Jason? This guy.

“Jewellery is a form of communication. It says how we feel about ourselves, who we remember and what we believe. A necklace might convey wealth, religion, marital status or pure, unfettered, fresh to death, wipe me down, swag. 

No matter what the jewels proclaim, Jason of Beverly Hills loves the conversation. Drake and ASAP Rocky’s favourite iceman, he adorns A-listers, royalty and the mega-rich. Jason’s lockbox includes diamond-encrusted loafers, a $400k iPhone case and the priciest toy car ever made. Basketball, however, is the soul of the operation.

Around half of all active NBA players wear Jason’s product. His reputation for educating rather than fleecing stars means he’s often introduced right after they’re drafted. LeBron, Kevin Durant and Draymond Green all met the jeweller before their first games.  

Financial wisdom aside, players also depend on JBH’s discretion. He’ll produce a disco-ball chain for a draft pick, help surprise their childhood friend or privately commemorate their loved one. JBH will polish the wedding ring – he’ll also appease the side-chick who didn’t get invited.

Jason’s so ingrained in the NBA; he’s learned to interpret the signs of a long career as well an upcoming blowout. Jewellery purchases say more than you’d think.

When a player examines what they’re buying, to learn what separates the VVS from the cubic zirconia – that attention to detail often translates into their wider career. A rookie who’s savvy with diamonds will likely read a sponsorship deal closely or think twice about leasing that third Mercedes. 

Read the full piece here.

New Freelance Work - A Kung Fu/NBA crossover

Animated tiles by my man Steve Duck, I think they look sick.

Damn I have been writing a lot lately. My brain is actually kinda sore. Anyway, I wrote this piece for Homecourt about the time Kareem starred in a Bruce Lee flick. It was actually super interesting to research. Might have to buy Lee’s autobiography next. Read on…

Bruce Lee stepping to Kareem is an event which belongs in your imagination. A basketball martial-arts crossover featuring a seven-foot centre playing a light-sensitive demon is so ridiculous it has no right to exist. I’ve refreshed Wikipedia and taken a cold shower just to double-check I didn’t make it up. And yet, here we are. 

The world’s standalone Kung-Fu fighter duked it out with Jabbar in 1972’s Game of Death. Bruce Lee’s final outing has the storyline of a Nintendo side-scroller. A retired champion pummels his way through a five-story tower looking for his sister. After defeating a dozen black belts, masters of Korean and Filipino traditions, a kicking adept and a praying-mantis style warrior, Bruce’s final boss is… an NBA champion. Stupid, right? Maybe. But it’s also amazing.   

For those unaware, Bruce’s fusion of swag and fury cannot be replicated. His tenacious smirk pierces the soul. Lee’s shadowboxing is spiritual communion with God. Watch as he two-steps enemies into submission.  

Tomes have been written about Bruce’s influence. He was the archetype for Goku. Neo mimics his beckoning hand in The Matrix. Lee’s melding of martial art disciplines inspired the UFC. There’s a striking resemblance to *Michael Jackson’s choreography. Even his octave shattering pitch sounds like a Jacko ad-lib. 

Before Lee’s untimely 1973 death, he spent years training Kareem. They were introduced while the latter was still in college. Abdul-Jabbar was an aikido disciple. A friend suggested he meet Bruce and try his Jeet Kune Do mechanic. 

Read more here.

Round 2 - NBA Photographer Nat Butler

Just like Usher’s Confessions II, Sometimes the sequel is as good as the original.

Part two of me versus famed NBA photographer Nat Butler. We cover the time he met Nelson Mandela and had to move away from the window because of snipers. Also travelling Paris before Magic Johnson's AIDs diagnosis. Read it below.

Within the NBA’s airtight bubble, Mr Butler is one of the few to eyeball this year’s playoffs. Joining a handpicked roster, Nat shoots from a delegated corner. Typically, he’d pace the hardwood like Frank Vogel after a bad foul. This year is different. Butler’s visuals of Tyler Herro overlooked by disembodied avatars are peak 2020. After four decades; Nat has officially seen it all. 

It’s difficult to appreciate everything the New Yorker has witnessed. Magic’s 1987 game-winning skyhook looks like a museum artifact. Nat’s Slam 1996 cover was one of my first magazines. 

Butler shot early games in monochrome because some newspapers didn’t run colour. He’d develop film rolls hoping his single button press captured a nanosecond of action. Nowadays, his visuals are available to a team of editors within seconds. In minutes, they can reach millions. 

Nat typically spends at least eight months with athletes. He’s in the locker room, at the medical centre, in the gym and on the floor. Players don’t censor their conversations because they know Butler. He’s not thirsty. Clout-chasing isn’t in his consciousness. He knows when to put the camera down and when to immortalize the scene. 

“It starts at the top. If you were good with MJ then you were good with the rest of the team. If you’re good with Lebron, then you’re good with everybody else,” he says. 

More jewels here.

Finding Zen in Mastery: A Conversation with Photographer Adam Marelli

Few know like artistic greatness like Adam Marelli. The New York photographer has documented master craftsman across the globe. I couldn't resist the opportunity to dig further into his brain. On this content elevator, there's a written feature below and an audio interview up-top. I can write a word or two, but this is my first time recording sound. It's not a podcast. It's an experiment. Stay for the wisdom, ignore the rookie presentation. Thanks! - Jimmy

Master Yasuhiro Hirakawa expertly moulds a knife in his Japanese studio.

Adam Marelli has decoded mastery. Through decades of studying craftspeople and notable artists, he's unravelled the mystique of perfecting a skill. 

Shooting maestros in their reclusive workshops enables Marelli to observe vocation honing up-close. From Japanese knife makers sharpening a 400-year-old practice to Venetian carvers chiselling wooden gondolas, Adam has a rare intimacy with excellence. 

Marelli's credentials as a builder and creative participant grant him access to sequestered workrooms. Makers guard their techniques and transfer skills to a select few. Their timeworn knowledge is the product of multiple generations and often passed through oral tradition. 

Documenting elite creators defines Adam's work as a photographer, teacher and artist.

Luckily, he's sharing the learnings for those not invited to the grandmaster's studio. 

Marelli began scrutinizing artists as a juvenile and later at NYU. He probed the biographies of Da Vinci, Michelangelo and other mythic figures for insight into their process. Seeking the key to their brilliance while attempting to hone his own, he unmasked the myth of innate talent. 

Historic maestros weren't immediately capturing the pillars of the Parthenon. They started simple and progressed slowly. 

Leonardo sketched hands a thousand times. Van Gogh drew apples, many apples. Artists weren't slogging through the 10,000-hour rule like scientific research. They enjoyed the creative process. They had fun. 

Yes, they even failed. Lighting master Caravaggio had several works rejected; the Renaissance equivalent of a public scandal. Bands make bad albums. Million-dollar statues get hidden away in cupboards. 

Bow makers at Shibata workshop just outside of Kyoto.

Despite cliched accounts of painters leapfrogging between achievements, Adam's career is closer to reality. He wasn't the born savant of Netflix biopics. As a 10-year-old, Adam was only marginally ahead of his classmates. There was no divine gift. In his own words, he had to "take some time to really suck." 

Adam also admits to a "touch and go" relationship with work. Most artists he knew were of the struggling kind. Marelli also undertook the typical hospitality jobs after college. Unimpressed with his NYU experience, his formative study was entirely unacademic. He spent ten years apprenticing with a master builder and studied under a Zen monk. 

Somehow his unorthodox path made sense. Marelli's now a multi-platform artist; working in sculpture, painting the ocean's surface, designing celestial building installations and of course, taking photos. 

Rather than further mystify the artistic journey, Adam sets the roadmap for others. His photography classes are a bright pearl in the digital sea of lukewarm content. Marelli's lucid curriculum makes the journey from rookie to adept feel less like wizardry and more like the inevitable consequence of making an effort. 

"I can just lay out a few lily-pads to get you where you want to go and then you can expand endlessly," he attests. 

Roberto Tramontin precisely shapes a Venetian gondola. His company D. Co Tramontin E Figli was founded four generation ago in 1884.

Adam removes the pomposity from art. This ensures the formidable topic is not only understandable but enjoyable for those of us who've ever felt silly at the museum. 

He says artisans have laid a roadmap for anyone to learn from, but their expertise is camouflaged by pretension.  

"Most art books, the ones that I read in school, they were crushingly boring. You'd have to be a lunatic to really get into this stuff, they were so dry. Artists lives were anything but dry, but they were passed through this academic filter."

In the above audio , we discuss Adam's beginnings and his humble career path. We also examine what he learned capturing remote tribes in Vanuatu, the similarities between master craftsman across the globe, and his advice for pursuing mastery in our own lives. 

All photos by Adam. Check out his website here: http://www.adammarelli.com/

Educate yourself on his workshops and online tutorials: https://amworkshops.com/

Adam's YouTube tutorials live here. Follow him on Instagram too. 

Audio credits: 

Intro California by Soyb & Amine Maxwell https://soundcloud.com/soybmusic https://soundcloud.com/aminemaxwell Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0 Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/syb-amine-california Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/aXCwXsa2T4E

Outro Beat Provided By https://freebeats.io

Produced By White Hot

A Brave Saga: The First Iranian in the NBA Draft

I love this story. Arsalan Kazemi flew from Iran to America at age 17. He was scared, alone, could barely speak English and was interrogated at customs for six hours where security asked him outright if he was terrorist.

Arsalan spent every day wanting to come home, but he persevered.

For many Americans, he was their first encounter with an Iranian. The teenager shouldered the responsibility of being a national exemplar and grew into a college star. Kazemi was the first of his nation to receive a US sponsorship, play NCAA basketball and become an NBA draftee.

Inspirational, and a cool dude too. Read the piece below.

“Arsalan Kazemi didn’t set out to be a diplomat – he just wanted to ball. Unfortunately, his heritage fixed the rules. Being an Iranian on the global stage ain’t easy. Arsalan’s career is a perpetual mosaic of triumph and resilience. Luckily, he’s forged for the challenge. Maybe that’s why his name means ‘lion.’

Kazemi’s homeland is a nation of diverse culture, rich art heritage and palatial architecture. Iran has luxuriant forests, sweeping mountains and a tradition of warm-hearted hospitality. Sadly, these qualities are veiled by conflict. Political upheaval and decades of intercontinental head-butting have been the country’s 50-year headline. 

After an inspirational college run, Arsalan returned home from the States in 2015. He’s currently plotting his next venture as Iran is ravaged by Covid-19. The infections are endless, fatalities are soaring and the basketball season has been sidelined. U.S sanctions have also shackled the economy. Any opportunity to earn a livable player salary is on a cliff-edge. Times are truly uncertain. 

As a kid, Arsalan had no clue about domestic affairs, but he did know basketball. Day and night, night and day, it didn’t matter – he would spend every second putting up shots.” Read more at Homecourt.

The NBA's Global Talent Search: From Africa to Australia

I wrote this article in partnership with the NBA to document their search for the next international champion. Head of global talent Chris Ebersole was kind enough to fill me in on the details. The league has tapped into recruits including Toni Kukoc, Enes Kanter, Marc Gasol and Joel Embiid. It was also interesting to discover who Ebersole’s favourite player is, what they look for in recruits and how committed they are to giving any person an opportunity. 

“Sport is a human pursuit. The quest for athletic mastery slices through border, regime and financial status. Whether post-soviet parish or emerging megalopolis; talent should be the only obstacle to ballin’. If you’re good, you’re good; no matter where you live. The NBA understands this. Their vast network trains and discovers hoopers from 100+ countries. With eyes on Africa, Asia and Australia, they want to reach every player, in every corner of the map. 

When the talent pool widens, the NBA only gets better. Imagine the court-pummelling contest of a league that fully scours the globe. Bol Bol and Nikola Jokić are just the beginning. There’s a trove of extraordinary swagger and strategy waiting to add horsepower to an already kinetic league. 

Far from an imperialistic crusade; the NBA’s offshore activity is people-first. They pour considerable resources into altering lives off-court. Going pro is merely a potential destination on the express-lane to upskilling mentally, emotionally and physically. NBA camps have reached more than 3000 participants, they also build facilities and support impoverished communities.

With a towering occupational title like “Senior Director of International Basketball Operations and Elite Basketball,” Chris Ebersole knows hoops. He commands a squad which consults in every major league and demographic you can think of. 

Like asking a cobbler about shoes or a cop about crime, when you speak to the head of the world’s leading basketball network, you have to ask: What makes a player good enough for the NBA?” 

Full article here

Latest Basketball Article - An Interview with a Jordanian MVP

This piece is the first in an ongoing series I pitched to tell the story of the NBA’s global influence. With help from FIBA Asia, I spoke to Jordanian basketballer Mahmoud Abdeen.

Just like every other kid in the world, Abdeen practiced Allen Iverson’s famous crossover in his backyard and stayed awake far past his bedtime so he could catch NBA games in a Middle Eastern timezone. Mahmoud is a perfect example of the globalization of a formerly American sport and he’s now using his own unique career to change the face of sports locally.

“The bustling metropolis of Amman sits within Jordan’s sun-scorched hillside. Pharaoh Ptolemy II dubbed the region “Philadelphus” after his own alias. A millennium and multiple dynasties later; a stateside settler recycled the title for a Pennsylvanian colony. He christened the future home of The 76ers; “Philadelphia,” due to its translated meaning “brotherly love.” 

Amman’s basketball ruler Mahmoud Abdeen continues the historic exchange. The MVP of Jordan’s premier league, Abdeen forged his gameplay on Philadelphia royalty. His signature crossover into step-back three was defined by hours of mimicking durag don A.I.

“[As a kid] I remember I was watching Allen Iverson,” Abdeen recalls. “I [would] go to my garden and I was trying to make his move. I had a video of him crossing over, stepping back, like repeating the shot again and again.”  

Trained via NBA highlight reel, Mahmoud’s heat-seeking jumper is a crack-shot. A hardwood sniper, the 32-year-old Jordanian meditates to the sound of swishes. He repped Jordan in the FIBA world cup twice and proudly carries the nation on his back.”

Full piece published here.

Campaign Experience and Shoot Production

Photo by Dan Ross

During my past life in advertising, I honed shoot production, content and campaign knowledge. I consider these to be foundational in my current work as a photographer and writer.

Below is a brain-dump of projects I’ve been involved in. This might include concepting, pitching to client, budgeting, campaign schedules, finding talent or crew, insurance, film permits, contracts, managing amends, or driving four hours in the wrong direction when looking for an Icelandic waterfall.

Simply put; I know all of the moving parts involved making something cool.

Feel free to hit my email to discuss specifics and get the full breadth of my experience. This isn’t a complete list of my campaign work, but more of a taster. Think of it as the corn chip platter before we devour a Ceviche de Pescado… or just keep reading.

Some examples:

Adidas: Black and White, Crazylight, China Creators One and Two, Real Madrid. Bonus.

Audi: Here.

Ballantine’s: Whiskey.

Chromebook: One, Two and Three

Goretex: Barcelona shoot One and Two.

Jaguar: One, Two, Three and Four.

Levono: Madrid and North Carolina

Music videos One and Two.

Copy and Content: Moon Reuse

I’m currently helping Melbourne based, green product company Moon-Reuse relaunch their website and online branding. This entails constructing the copy on their UK site, from product descriptions to editing all blog posts. I also tinkered endlessly with their Instagram profile bio and took the owner’s photo for their upcoming About Us page. Next up is launching and managing Moon’s LinkedIn page.

Time for some fun: Dennis Rodman's Wrestling career

From reporting on murder trials to selling mosquito repellent, I’ve written copy about almost everything. This time around; I decided to dabble in something humorous. Pieces like this enable me to be as creative as I want, so I had lot fun.

Behold: A dive into Chicago Bulls forward Dennis Rodman’s wrestling career for Homecourt magazine.

“Dennis “The Worm” Rodman. Hair-dye vanguard, party-monster, and U.S diplomat. A true radical. More defence than cybersecurity, more arms than Shiva, Rodman was unrelenting. Rebounding was his lifework. The Worm’s tattooed physique assaulted every pocket of the court. Forever energized, the Bulls forward furiously exercised post-game. Dennis’ double-helix is different. When The Last Dance revisits his WCW appearance, nothing feels impossible. Number 91 is the most vibrant human being named Dennis. Who else skips training for a TV brawl, neck-deep in the run for an NBA championship? Rodman’s side-hustle makes uncanny sense. He already acted, looked and trash-talked like a ringside beefcake. Rodzilla was snatching mics and kicking camera-men before it was part of the gig. It would be stretching the spandex to insinuate his wrestling was masterful; but god it was entertaining.

Full piece here.

More Words: An interview with LA Laker Robert Sacre

I’ve been pretty productive with the ol’ writing this month, and fingers crossed that may continue. I love this stuff.

Like everyone, I’m always intrigued by the underdog as well as those who have shaped their own untraditional career path. For this reason; I decided to focus on the professional benchwarmer for my latest basketball article. Those who play among the elite, but with none of the glory, fan love or respect. The worst of the best, if you will.

My choice had to be Robert Sacre. He became a fan favourite during his tenure with the Lakers and was permanently seen with a smile etched on his face. Sacre was a true rarity, where others may have become bitter, he remained good-humoured and stumbled upon his own kind of gratitude.

As a bonus, he was a cool guy on the phone with none of the usual ego which often comes when interviewing athletes, celebrities etc.

Former Laker Robert Sacre knows the struggle. Despite audience “MVP” chants at the free-throw line, Sacre was never an NBA Champion. There was no parade when he quit, no bronze statue cast, no jersey retired. Robert had limited minutes, never averaged over six points and was in the starting line-up just once during his final year. 

Surprisingly, Bobby’s grateful for his good fortune. Think about it. Being an NBA bench-sitter is still the best job in the world. A million dollars to train with the basketball pantheon? Sign me up. During four seasons, Robert even developed a “cool relationship” with Kobe (RIP.) He’s a lucky guy. It didn’t come easy though. 

Despite a lifetime of training, the lofty center barely skirted through. He was chosen 60th in the 2012 draft. You’d think a national star plus the son of an NFL player and a college basketballer, would be a shoo-in. But Sacre’s cognizant of how rare it is to ball with the greats. 

“Man, I’m blessed,” he stresses. “You’ve gotta have that mindset, no matter what. I learned a lot going in the NBA, even though I wasn’t always playing, just talking with hall-of-famers.”

Full piece over here.

Writing about Colour Theory and Masters of Tone

I’m quite proud of the writing in this one and it was nice to see my name in print. I used to be a full-time Fairfax journalist, but I haven’t written for any of the Melbourne or Sydney newspapers until now.

I was interested in this subject firstly as a photographer because colour theory is so key to our psychological responses when we view images. 

It was also inspiring to interview a master on the subject of colour, who talked with such vivid, descriptive language. Keith Recker (a self-dubbed Chromosapien) experiences tone in such a unique way to the rest of us. As someone with Synesthesia, his senses encounter sound, smell and various visuals when he sees colour. 

This article appeared on the cover of Melbourne's The Age and Sydney Morning Herald's Spectrum insert. It'll hopefully be the beginning of my own forays into considering colour a little more closely when it comes to my photography. Excerpt below.

From primordial cave sketch to fashion billboard, every culture is shaped by colour. A toolkit of expression, pigments trigger and convey the senses. As light is projected through our optic nerve, we encounter memory, emotion, even taste.

Colour experts track each generation’s palette. Whether mid-war modesty or ’60s psychedelia, hues reflect history. Every object, fashion trend or Star Wars reboot is tinted by the stories of its time. Tones also predict social values; how we’ll feel and what we’ll value moving forward.

This era is no different. As headlines display nurses in surgical turquoise or the patriotic red of Trump’s tie, colour gurus take note, looking to the future while keeping one eye on the past.

Full article available here.

Or here.

If you’re interested in learning more about Keith he runs Table Magazine and has recently written True Colors: Worlds Masters of Natural Dyes and Pigments.

Banner image photo credit: Joe Coca for Thrums Books

Above Image courtesy of Beyond Blue.

North Face Advertorial

With a 48-hour deadline, I enjoyed furiously writing this advertorial on the history of The North Face and their evolution in popular culture for JD Sports.

I love when people repurpose other cultures as a means of social mobility so this was felt right within my comfort zone. As always, excerpt below.

From cliff-side to street corner, The North Face protects pioneers of any landscape. No longer solely for frigid mountaineers; TNF’s evolution spotlights the ingenuity of inner-city youth. Like Dapper Dan reinventing Polo in his Harlem workshop; North Face's audience has finessed the brand to the cultural cutting-edge.   

TNF’s impenetrable feather-filled jacket is their hallmark. Its robust fabric shell emits hardiness and quality, making the puffer surprisingly symbiotic with rappers of the same ilk. Since being donned by MCs in the ‘90s, North Face is undergoing a resurgence thanks to Supreme collabs, Drake co-signs and Grime trailblazers. But how did an outdoor sporting brand begin shielding hikers and hip-hop heads alike? 

Read the full shebang here.