As the nation took to the streets to protest racism and police brutality over the summer of 2020, artist Set Free Richardson turned to sports, watching with a curious eye to note how the basketball world would respond to this crucial moment in time.
You have seen his artwork, even if you didn’t realize it. Meanwhile, he has seen the way the game and broader culture intertwine, the former helping to shape the latter. But when the power and grace of NBA athletes would be on full display, he felt that this might be the moment when everyone else would realize it.
It was only a matter of time before he had a role in the movement considering he has long worked to help athletes use their voices for something more, and he’s now working with the National Basketball Players’ Association to shape and project a united vision for the future.
He seems genuinely in awe of having that opportunity, but it is no surprise: This beautiful and bold version of basketball that we all love so much now is, in so many ways, the vision of Set Free Richardson.
Changing the game
Richardson is a true modern-day Renaissance man who has worked across a variety of disciplines including production, art, music, fashion and sports. His projects are often specifically driven by his passion for basketball. In fact, his Bronx-based art gallery and boutique agency, Compound, exists in part as an incubator to help athletes get in touch with their creative passions. He has described the space as a creative playground, exemplified by moments like when NBA veteran Iman Shumpert was able to join a freestyle cipher with Yasiin Bey, the legendary hip-hop MC formerly known as Mos Def.
While he first made waves as a New York-based beatmaker in the 1990s, Richardson has deep roots in basketball, as he is best known as the creator of the AND1 Mixtape series. These groundbreaking VHS videos featured highlight compilations from street-ball legends like Rafer “Skip 2 My Lou” Alston playing at famous courts like Rucker Park, all set to the tune of iconic rap records.
“I always wanted to connect all of the things that I loved to make something different and to make something special,” Richardson told For The Win about the influential tapes.
https://youtu.be/GmoINTp6q24
In many ways, the AND1 tapes defined a generation of hoopers and helped shape the aesthetics of the sport. Within a year of its first volume’s release, NBA teams began hiring hip-hop DJ’s as in-arena entertainment. AND1 started working with pros including Chauncey Billups, Kevin Garnett and Ben Wallace. The league’s most popular players, like Allen Iverson, were starting to play more like what fans saw on the mixtapes.
Richardson’s role as an influencer for the sport, touching everything from the sights to the sounds, could not go unnoticed and is still felt around the nation even today.
“These days, when you look at the pregame tunnel, it’s replaced the fashion show for people who are not in the fashion world,” added Richardson. “If you’ve never seen a fashion show, the locker room looks more and more like a runway.”
His relationship with the game has only grown over the years and he has kept a close eye on the basketball community as he has continued his illustrious career. He has collaborated with NIKE on sneakers for LeBron James, video games for EA Sports (NBA Live) and Activision (Street Hoops) as well as apparel for basketball’s top stars, including the popular “7” hats worn by Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Durant, Kyle Lowry and Tyler Herro.
A new movement
This year, Richardson took notice of players like Jaylen Brown and Malcolm Brogdon, who were on the frontlines of protests. He admired how they were using their platform to make a positive change in the world and he wanted to lend his hand to the cause. Collaborating with the NBPA, he began to work on his latest campaign, which he knew would be bigger than basketball.
“I was trying to help give players a voice,” Richardson said. “I wanted to fully dig into my creative process so players could have something that would address change.”
After the COVID-19 pandemic caused a hiatus to the season and the league deliberated a return to action, the NBA’s focus on social justice was growing louder and louder. Players like Kyrie Irving were having important discussions about systemic racism and whether or not the resumption of play would distract from the momentum activists had built off the court to further the fight for human rights.
Richardson aimed to create a visual representation that supported players who were facilitating those conversations. He originally wanted to call the project Hold The Rock, a nod to what children would shout when playing ball in the street and something would stop the game.
But after the players ultimately decided that they could use the bubble as a way to amplify their voices, inspired by a dialogue between LeBron James and Barack Obama on HBO’s The Shop, Richardson pivoted to an aptly-named Play for Change.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CFNnPp-Hhap/
“The concept was to put a magnifying glass to what has been going on,” Richardson said. “I wanted people to understand it as soon as they saw it.”
By mid-September, Richardson released his own version of the NBA logo. Much like the imagery of Jerry West dribbling a ball that the NBA has used as its primary logo since the early 1970s, or the Jumpman visual of Michael Jordan for Jordan Brand, the Play For Change branding also features the silhouette of a basketball player.
His, however, reimagines the silhouette with influence from the 1968 Olympics when athletes Tommie Smith and John Carlos raised a fist in the air in what has become popularized as a symbol of Black power. The player, who doesn’t represent anyone in particular but instead aims to encapsulate hoopers all over the world, is wearing a headband and is holding a basketball at his hip.
Richardson printed hundreds of shirts and hoodies featuring the logo and had them sent to players in the Orlando bubble. Jaylen Brown, Jae Crowder, Danny Green, Donavan Mitchell, Mike Conley and Bam Adebayo have all supported the initiative. Brown even sported his while on the podium when he delivered his last interview of the postseason.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CFrqQF2nV1U/
“It’s the first time in my career that I’ve created something with meaning and purpose that is getting an overwhelming response,” added Richardson, deservedly proud of this project.
Que Gaskins, Chief Brand and Innovation Officer at the NBPA, said Richardson successfully captured “the tone and spirit” of the movement. Overall, the design was a natural complement to the social justice messaging supporting Black Lives Matter found on jerseys and on the court.
Carrying the vision forward
Richardson, meanwhile, still has ambitious plans to grow the initiative that began in the bubble now that the NBA has already returned to action for the 2020-21 season.
“I want to build this campaign so that it can help a lot of things that are going on in the world with a positive message through the lens of basketball,” said Richardson.
Next, fans will soon see a “Play For Change” commercial featuring a voiceover from New York rapper Jadakiss. The spot, which Richardson directed, will run nationally and includes a very powerful message about applying a “full-court press” against injustice. The video stresses that contributions from everyone are necessary for a more harmonious society.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwFiIiTJFQ0
Soon, he plans to partner with a local retailer for a wider release of the t-shirts and hoodies. He told For The Win that all proceeds from those sales will have a charitable tie-in to help stop gun violence in inner-city communities.
Richardson is also working with the Philadelphia 76ers on the first “Play For Change” mural. Evoking metaphors of a lifeguard that prevents people from drowning, he dreams of helping lead efforts to end violence at parks so kids can enjoy playing basketball without fear. For him, that’s what it means to play for change.
When talking to Richardson, it becomes easier to envision a world filled with more art, like the haven he has created at the Compound. He hopes that will create more peace.
“Basketball is setting a trend for guiding humanity in a positive way,” said Richardson. “It’s an exciting time for basketball. I can’t stop blushing right now.”
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