Artist Turns NBA Playoff Highlights into Animated Masterpieces

By merging art with social media, Richard Swarbrick continues to churn out masterstrokes of sports greatness.

Commissioned by ESPN, the London-based artist and filmmaker has crafted a series of animated depictions of key moments from the 2014 NBA Conference Finals. 

Tom Ley of Deadspin spotted the Vines, which ESPN began releasing this week. So far, there are three works out there, the first showing Serge Ibaka’s nasty blocks against the San Antonio Spurs. 

Next up is LeBron James’ reverse dunk from Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals. 

The most recent Vine showcases Paul George draining a key triple in James’ eye during Game 5.

Swarbrick applies his art-as-videos style to all manner of subjects (his “Cats of the Internet” piece is the guiltiest treat of all), but seems to be finding traction in the world of sports. Before taking his brush to the NBA, the artist created an animated tribute to Liverpool’s 2013-14 season.

It’s unclear exactly what arrangement ESPN has with Swarbrick, but it appears as though he’ll be painting the rest of the postseason. After all, he can’t tease us with the Conference Finals and walk out before the last dance, can he? 

We’ll be on the lookout for more of Swarbrick’s work. He’ll certainly have plenty of fodder to choose from after OKC and San Antonio play tonight. Few things deserve a brush and canvas more than Tony Parker passes or Serge Iblockas.

On the Twitters.

Follow @Dr_Carson_