NikeBasketball.com

NikeBasketball.com has a new video on the front of the site that is worth the significant load (click the 'Change the Game Feature' if it doesn't load automatically). Taking the best of Nike's hoop atheletes, putting them in a gym and animating graphically their individual styles results in an amazing presentation. The pattern on Kobe's new shoes appears behind him and on the floor as he demonstrates his moves and Shawn Marion's Matrix-esque leaping ability is accentuated by flying ribbons of light around him.



After the intro video is complete, check out the interviews with some of the key Nike players. It's nice to see Amare Stoudemire front and center. After being injured for the entire season, he plans to return to the Pacific Division leading Phoenix Suns in March. (If you forgot why this is significant, watch this and this. Note: Some of the music is not suitable for all audiences.) Amare's inside presence is a pretty good addition to a run-and-gun jumpshooting team.

Another great move by Nike comes in the form of their Hoop Shoe Designer's Blog. All the latest shoes, designs and news directly from the talented team in Beaverton.

Tags: nike, video, basketball

Chessboxing

A hybrid sport which combines the sports of chess and boxing. Inspired by cartoonist Enki Bilal, a match of chess boxing was a major plot point of his graphic novel Froid-Équateur.

From Wikipedia:
"A match between two opponents consists of up to eleven alternating rounds of boxing and chess sessions, starting with a four-minute chess round followed by two minutes of boxing and so on. Between rounds there is a 1 minute pause, during which competitors change their gear. The form of chess played is "blitz chess" in which competitors have a total of twelve minutes. Competitors may win by knockout, checkmate, a judge's decision or if their opponent's twelve minutes of chess time elapses."

Link: WCBO Official Site

Tags: sports, chess, boxing

Canstruction

Architects and engineers competed to see who could build the most spectacular structure using cans of food at Canstruction, the 13th annual NYC Design and Build competition in New York. At the end of the competition on 23 November 2005, the 130,000 cans that are part of the exhibit were given to the Food Bank of New York City.

Tags: design, art