nba

Kobe Bryant with family

Kobe Bryant’s Widow Wins $16M Over Leaked Crash Photos

The widow of Kobe Bryant has been awarded $16 million in damages in a lawsuit against Los Angeles county over leaked graphic photos of the helicopter crash that killed the NBA star, their 13-year-old daughter Gianna, and seven other victims in January 2020.

What it’s Like Photographing the NBA Finals

Boston-based sports photographer, Paul Rutherford, shares what it was photographing the last three games of the 2022 NBA Finals, including his multiple photo positions, coverage of the pregame and postgame, and how he sends images to editors.

The Bright Flashes During NBA Games You May Never Have Noticed

Here's something you might not be able to "unsee" if you've never noticed it before: during an NBA basketball game, whenever there's some exciting action around the rim, there's a good chance you'll also see a bright flash of light illuminate your screen for a split second. These are the powerful strobes installed high overhead by photographers.

Photographing Tim Duncan, the Best Power Forward of All Time

I covered Tim Duncan during countless games, including their three NBA Finals titles in 1999, 2003, and 2005. I probably took thousands of photos of him, but on the occasion of his quiet retirement, I picked a few out just for this article.

Kevin Durant Was a Photographer at Super Bowl 50

Guess who was on the sidelines photographing Super Bowl 50 yesterday? Kevin Durant.

The NBA star (and MVP two years ago) was a credentialed photographer at the championship game, shooting for The Players' Tribune. One day earlier he was shooting basketballs against the Golden State Warriors at nearby Oracle Arena in Oakland.

How I Shot NBA Star Anthony Davis Dunking the Sun

Red Bull recently came to me with an interesting idea: "We'd like you to photograph NBA star Anthony Davis dunking the sun.”

I responded, “Can we also have him dunk the moon?”

LeBron James Hits Head on Baseline Camera Lens

One of the fixtures of NBA games is the row of photographers and cameraman sitting under the hoop near the baseline -- something the players have complained about for years. That debate was reignited during Game 4 of the NBA Finals last night when LeBron fell into the row of cameras and slammed his head straight into the lens of a heavy broadcast camera.

Shooting a Skyline Portrait of NBA Star James ‘The Beard’ Harden

I’ve dreamed about shooting Houston Rockets guard James Harden for a long time. How can you go wrong with that beard? He’s just awesome looking. I wanted to pose him with ZZ Top for the last couple of years -- or at least with Billy Gibbons -- but alas, no one has bitten on that idea yet. (You hear that Texas Monthly? It would be a great cover. Trust me.)

Anyway, the call finally came some weeks ago from Sports Illustrated. Harden had a super tight schedule with the All-Star Break coming up, and the editor asked if we could put together something with the iconic Houston skyline with only 24 hours notice.

Victor Oladipo Records His Experience at the NBA Draft Using Google Glass

At this year's NBA Draft, the Orlando Magic used the second overall pick to select former Indiana University guard Victor Oladipo. For Oladipo, this day at the draft represented the fulfillment of a life-long dream. And thanks to Google Glass, we get to experience a lot of that special day for ourselves.

Photographing the “Big Three” of the San Antonio Spurs for Sports Illustrated

With the NBA Conference playoffs nearing completion and the Spurs already a lock for the Finals, I got a call from Brad Smith, the Director of Photography at Sports Illustrated, asking if I could quickly get to San Antonio.

Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, and Tony Parker rarely if ever pose together, but had reluctantly agreed to pose for an SI cover which would come out a couple of days later, to coincide with the beginning of the finals.

The Greatest Sports Photo of All Time

This photo is the greatest sports photo of all time -- at least according to Sports Illustrated. The magazine has published a gallery containing 100 of the greatest images (from an American's perspective), and the #1 image is the above shot of Michael Jordan hitting the game-winning shot to help the Chicago Bulls beat the Utah Jazz and win the 1998 NBA Finals in 6 games.