Greece

Zakynthos Hoop, 2018

It all started in Zakynthos.

I was driving down the coast on the island of Zakynthos, Greece when I saw it. Something about it just caught my eye and compelled me to pull over. I’ve seen basketball courts all over the US and none had ever compelled me to stop what I’m doing to go and take a photo, especially of a court with no game and no one that I knew personally shooting around. There was something about it though.

I walked up to it and snapped a few photos from behind the fence. The sun was setting and painted the sky with these amazing colors. You could see the mountain range in the background, graffiti all on the pole and backboard, and the paint was so faded on the blacktop that you could barely see any of the lines on the court itself. Just so much character and pure beauty.

I never thought that this one hoop would set me on the path of hunting these gems down to share these with you.

Santorini Hoop, 2018

Sunsets weren’t the only thing to see in Santorini.

On this island you’re most likely getting around on a scooter or ATV, which makes it even more perfect to go off the beaten path and find this hoop.

Explored the northwestern side of island in search of black sand beaches and on the way back I took a turn off a dirt road to find this court on the hillside of this stunning volcanic island. It was definitely in need of some TLC, but more importantly seemed this court just needed someone to shoot some buckets on it and get a run in. With a beautiful ocean backdrop it was hard to see why this court had looked like it was neglected with its paint chipping away and backboards collecting dust. I couldn’t believe that a court like this surrounded by Santorini’s beauty could be so untouched.