Basketball Hoop Photography Book

American Backcourts is the accumulation of 8+ years spent driving hundreds of thousands of miles throughout the country in search of basketball hoops that tell a different story about the game of basketball

Why This Book

These aren’t staged courts or polished arenas. They’re weathered backboards and bent rims - signs of games that never made the highlight reel. If you’re into basketball culture, Americana, or photography, this book belongs on your coffee table.

What’s Inside

143 page book with full color and black+white photographs as well as two written essays offering insights about the project and my life as a professional photographer.

About The Project

The photographs from this book and ongoing series have been exhibited in fine art galleries/museums, published in ESPN, Sports Illustrated, NBA TV, and SLAM, and featured in multiple international books about basketball art and culture.

How It Started

My mother raised me on Celtics basketball in the 80’s which meant that I was a Larry Bird fan. No way around it. He was the guy. For Christmas one year she gave me Bird’s book “Drive”. All these years later I can’t tell you a lot of what was said, but the image inside of his childhood hoop is forever burned into my memory. It was nothing more than a rusty rim and wood backboard hanging on a dilapidated barn at the end of his driveway. I didn’t understand how his greatness came from such humble beginnings. The best players in the world all came from the city and were afforded the greatest facilities, I thought! Now, with all we know about Larry Bird, that image still tells his story the best.

During my travels across the country while working on other projects I would see hoops like Bird’s and was forced to stop and photograph them. Always wondering what stories those hoops could tell, but not giving the images much thought afterwards. 8+ years later, after traveling hundreds of thousands of miles (with my dog Mojo), I had somewhat unknowingly amassed a large body of images that became “American Backcourts”.

Call it my love letter to the sport. Call it whatever you want. Either way, it’s a series I’m very proud of and excited to share with everyone else who loves the game in any sort of capacity. It’s also exciting to still be working on this project 15+ years later.

FAQ

How do I get the file? You’ll receive a download link immediately after purchase by email.
Can I print it? No, your download is for personal digital use only and cannot be printed.
Refunds on digital items? Digital downloads are non-refundable. If you have trouble with the file, I’ll help.
Will there be another print edition? Since this book was printed back in 2020 I have continued photographing old hoops across the country, and plan to make another book, but it won’t be for several years.

Licensing

Interested in licensing images from the series? I license for editorial and commercial projects. Contact me for details - rob@robhammerphotography.com

Fine Art Prints

All of the photographs from my American Backcourts series are available as fine art prints HERE. Contact me directly if you’d like to purchase a print not currently listed.