#26: The Basketball Hitchhiker's Guide to the Holidays

J.D. Crabtree: A basketball court and a holiday calendar both have a common construct: a set of boundaries and rules for their players. But the brilliant warp the rules in their favor and challenge the ole status quo, evolving the way a system supposedely works.

Mid Range readers, we are not bound by the corporate holiday gifting schedule! And while Christmas, Hannukah, and Kwanzaa have passed, we can just get started. As you read this you armed with gift cards, exchanged item credits, end-of-year bonuses, and the annual gusto of a new year pushing for all-encompassing upgrade. We decide when the holidays end.

I would like to introduce you to the first ever Basketball Hitchhiker's Guide to the Holidays, an assembly of A-list Bball creators for you to C.

Deck your Halls:

For the lost teammate looking for the light

The Heat Check Candle by Victor Solomon

Victor and his creative studio, Literally Balling, bring out their third candle edition : "Ivory". The basketball candle with fragrance notes of birch and black pepper burns for approxiamately 50 hours. Burn baby burn.

SHOP THE HEAT CHECK HANDLE

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For the basketball genius in your Day 1 circle

The Joy of Basketball by Cookies Hoops

The Joy of Basketball celebrates the meteoric rise of basketball over the last quarter century by ignoring the bland, traditionalist binary of wins or losses. Instead, the book's focus is on everything else. Using text, charts, and illustrations that upend conventional jock wisdom, the book details the most incredible players in history, draft flops, long-limbed oddballs, superteams, the international talent wave, brawls, scandals, the rapid evolution of contemporary gameplay, coaching, fashion, crime, positional erosion, tragic tales, memes, and the sacred Kardashian Blessing.

SHOP THE JOY OF BASKETBALL

For the teammate looking to carry the bag

Le Tote by Le Court

This invention is a 100% Handmade and handwoven tote bag with authentic nylon basketball netting woven into a bright orange nylon frame which includes a shoulder strap, handle, and support base.

SHOP LE TOTE

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For the player who understands the agony of defeat

Halftime by Victory Journal

Victory Journal’s second double-issue, Halftime, explores sporting and artistic expression at a moment of intense pressure and promise. New York City bicycle gangs finding community amid emptiness, and the iconic images of kingmaker Walter Iooss Jr. and his most famous muse. They reveal a personal history of the Ruff Ryders motorcycle stunt crew through the eyes of Yayi the Queen, fall in love with high school baseball in Japan, witness virtual cross-country in Washington State, and marvel at interpretations of  “homecoming” at a supercharged North Carolina drag ball.

SHOP THE HALFTIME EDITION

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For the friend looking to go out rather than order in

Visitors Sweatshirt by Franchise

Franchise is ending the year with a Winter ‘21 drop, and in the rotation is this washed 14oz crewneck sweatshirt. Get your crew in a crewneck.

SHOP THE VISITORS SWEATSHIRT

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For the fundamental wing that's into the classics

Mona Lisa with Basketball by Elias Stein

Art wins. Dr. Stein gave us another wall-worthy creation combining basketball and the Louvre’s most prized possession. Each print is gallery quality with archival ink and ready to frame.

SHOP MONA LISA WITH BASKETBALL

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For the player who once worked in advertising, and lived to tell the tale

Soled Out: The Golden Age of Sneaker Advertising by Sneaker Freaker

More than a decade in the making, Soled Out is the definitive – and only – collection of sneaker advertisements from the footwear industry’s golden age. Lovingly written and compiled by Simon ‘Woody’ Wood, founder of the legendary Sneaker Freaker magazine, this colossal volume combines nearly 900 vintage images with a punchy narrative full of insider stories and historical revelations.

SHOP SOLED OUT

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For the new lover building trust by taking on DIY projects

INSTALL TEAM Heavy Duty Supply Bag by New York Sunshine

The design-first team unveiled functionality and fashion with a heavy duty supply bag. Reflective taping included.

SHOP THE HEAVY DUTY SUPPLY BAG

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For the friend who's decidedly a sneakerhead

New Balance 650R by Aimé Leon Dore

The crossover on every streetwearer’s list. New Balance hasn’t surfaced as a leader on the actual hardwood, but their rise off the court must not be ignored!

SHOP THE NEW BALANCE 650R

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For the open teammate looking to burst into the local art scene

Common Practice: Basketball & Contemporary Art

Gathering basketball creations by more than 250 artists from the 20th century to now, this collection reveals a  little-discussed point of overlap between art and sport, in part to be found in the titular phrase “common practice”—“practice” in the sense of “to perform an activity or exercise regularly in order to improve or  maintain one’s proficiency.” This book argues that the need to rehearse,  discover and explore through the act of doing makes these two very different ideas of perfecting one’s craft very similar.

SHOP COMMON PRACTICE

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For those more interested in global warming than warming up

Mini Basketball Planter by Plantsketball

Plant-based basketball is on the rise. This planter comes with your choice of display: leather hanging set or a tabletop ring. Plants not included. Plant your own.

SHOP THE MINI BASKETBALL PLANTER

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For the basketball crypto crossover enthusiasts

Hoops for Good Community Fund by SLAM Magazine

I still don’t know how crypto works, but if you have any of it you can use this fund as a force for good to renovate public courts among other basketball community efforts. The Hoops for Good Community Fund will support the following organizations: Project Backboard, PeacePlayers, Shooting Touch, New Heights Youth.

SHOP HOOPS FOR GOOD

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For the baller who moonlights as a writer

Issue 3 by Flagrant Magazine

Flagrant Magazine is an inclusive print publication created by women for all hoops fans. The third issue is out with a collaboration from WNBATwitter.

SHOP FLAGRANT MAGAZINE

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For the high-flying friend who's in denial of their vertical leap

Crowd Pleaser Tee by Dunk Comp

Don't fake the funk on a nostalgic dunk. A team completely focused on slamming and jamming has just the shirt for your high-rising apparel needs.

SHOP THE CROWD PLEASER TEE

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For the player who believes New York's best years are behind them

St. John’s 1984-1985 Retro Shorts by 19nine

Ahh, 1985 in New York City. What a feeling. A team loaded with local talent with a Hall of Fame coach captured the imagination of a city that's tough to charm with a No. 1 ranking and a Final Four. Chris Mullin approved.

SHOP THE ST. JOHN'S SHORTS

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For the friend trying to keep their shoes out of COVID protocol

Basic Shoe Cleaning Kit by Sneaker Lab

Keep fear at bay. Accelerate the breakdown of dirt with this starter kit designed to keep your sneaks looking neat.

SHOP THE SHOE CLEANING KIT

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For the wanderlusting world traveller

World Court Basketball by TACHIKARA

A basketball made of synthetic leather with high grip and durability. By adopting a deeper and wider deep pebble groove, TACHIKARA basketballs creates a feel that sticks to the hand even when outdoors.

SHOP THE WORLD COURT BASKETBALL

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