ROLE

Concept / Design / Illustration / Production

CLIENT

Bottleneck Gallery

OVERVIEW

TRIBUTE TO 23

As a long time sneakerhead, I designed this figure with the concept of honoring some of the GOAT’s many accomplishments. From the “Banned” Bred colorway of my favorite kicks, down to the iconic wagging tongue, I wanted every detail to tell a part of His Airness’ storied career.

The 2 teeth shaped like the top of the key represent his back-to-back All-Star Slam Dunk contest wins. The figure is elevated by a transparent base, capturing the essence of infinite hang time. The 5 levels on the base symbolize each of his 5 NBA MVP Awards. The rod of the base creates a 6th level representing his 6 Finals Championship wins and 6 Finals MVP Awards.

The Sick Air hang tag and Retro card are additional details to celebrate sneaker culture, and the package branding is an acknowledgment to his performance in the famous 1997 NBA Finals “Flu Game”.

COLLABORATORS

Joel Freeman: 3D Modeling
Jason Forbes: Hangtag Fabrication

TOOLS

Adobe Illustrator / Cinema 4D