Springfield, Mass. – The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced today a partnership with First Hoops™, created by photographer Michael Paras in cooperation and Hall of Famer Nancy Lieberman. First Hoops™ is a series of images and videos that document the first-ever basketball hoops of Hall of Famers, basketball celebrities, contemporary stars and fans from around the world. The project focuses on the original baskets and courts where basketball players of all levels first fell in love with the game at their earliest ages.
“Through the years, the Hall of Fame has celebrated some of basketball’s great players, teams, officials and contributors,” said John L. Doleva, President & CEO of the Basketball Hall of Fame. “Now, we will collectively look through the lens of First Hoops™ to tell the incredible stories behind the dreams of every player and fan, from the moment they held a basketball in their hands and took their first shot.”
The First Hoops™ images will appear as an exclusive exhibit in the Basketball Hall of Fame summer of 2014 for one year. The exhibit will be on display during the 2014 NCAA Final Four weekend, with plans also to travel worldwide in the future. The partnership will also include dedicated social media outlets, marketing campaigns and a line of unique “First Hoops™” merchandise that will include signed prints, posters, books and other related items.
“First Hoops™ is about capturing basketball at its most fundamental levels,” said Paras. “These images will showcase the raw passion for the game and share emotion that goes well beyond the basketball courts and into the lives of people around the world.” First Hoops™ transcends the world of sports and tells the story of inspiration, sacrifice, family, motivation, determination and achievement touching the hearts of everyone.
For more information, please visit FirstHoops.com or follow @FirstHoops on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr.