Jonas Wood, an LA-based artist and sports fan known for his vibrant and athletic-themed works, discovered a new muse in the LA Clippers basketball team. A life-long basketball fan and a Clippers’ season ticket holder himself, Jonas envisioned a unique collaboration with the NBA franchise after he was approached with a proposal to design the bold and inspired “City Edition” uniforms and merchandise. His imagination extended beyond the gear—to include the court of the newly built Intuit Dome.
Balancing creativity and artistic independence with the Clippers’ and NBA’s regulations and constraints could have been a formidable challenge, but Jonas had the support to make his vision a reality.
Powering forward
Jonas is an internationally renowned contemporary artist. Through their studio’s relationship with Nixon Peabody, Jonas recognized the opportunity to leverage Nixon Peabody’s Arts & Cultural Institutions, Entertainment, and Sports experience to bring his collaboration with the Clippers to fruition.
Together, the NP team negotiated an innovative deal with the Clippers and the NBA, allowing Jonas to design the basketball court, uniforms, and limited-edition merchandise. While collaborations between NBA teams and local artists are not new (the City Edition uniforms were first unveiled in 2017), this venture represents the first deal to include court design and name, image, and likeness permission structure within the agreement.
Drawing his own lines
Jonas ensured his sketches and prototypes met the league’s standards for floor size, visibility, and marking requirements as well as following the NBA’s uniform and merchandise specifications around color, size, and placement, while letting his vision take center stage.
The collaboration resulted in a stunning basketball court featuring an orchid illustration and old-school Clippers’ language. The court will be used nine times this year, along with the team uniforms. Limited edition merchandise is available through the Clippers’ store and through licensed retailers.
Game-changing impact
By successfully balancing the artist’s vision with the league’s rules, Nixon Peabody’s unique crossover practices helped bring an exciting look to the Clippers and introduced Jonas Wood’s art to a whole new audience. That’s what we call a slam dunk!
