Summer 2018. The iconic Quai54 streetball tournament in Paris was going to take place. An intense weekend full of basketball, hiphop and streetwear vibes. I had been to Paris various times before due to my family connection but never for work. I knew about the city’s incredible street vibe. The multicultural subway rides. The massive density of French rap in and around Paris. And of course the deeply rooted love for hip hop and basketball culture. Travelling there for the Quai54 now was a great chance to additionally shoot an authentic streetball editorial and promote the new KICKZ merch. I scouted a variety of ballers i would like to shoot with and had to find some spots to do so. I remember scanning instagram and google satellite view for hours. Shoutout to @arthuroriol and @otf_plaza0 at this point who helped out big time. In July kick off was on. I decided to head to Paris two days prior to the event to socialize and scout ballers at the qualifiyings and lastly do the shooting. I ended up with the friends Jordan, Lamine and the siblings Reda, Mounti and Maïmouna from local bball club @basketparis14 to participate. We spent a full day together, shooting hoops at courts like the Gláciere ground unter the M6 subway bridge and roaming around the gritty streets of Paris City. Ending the day with kebap and fries in one of Paris’ typic fast food corners. All pictures of the shoot are kept in black & white. 100% mood. Pure basketball. Cause Paris is #nevernotballin.
