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The Zoo Lake basketball courts got a revamp, and it's awesome

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The crocodile and cheetah were used in the artwork because they represent the qualities needed to master the game
The crocodile and cheetah were used in the artwork because they represent the qualities needed to master the game

The public basketball courts at Zoo Lake are looking the best they’ve ever looked.

The makeover is thanks to sportswear company Nike, which collaborated with two talented local artists – Faatimah Mohamed-Luke and Karabo Moletsane – to re-imagine the courts as pieces of art.

The artists combined their styles, and the design that graces the surface of the courts illustrates Jozi as a concrete jungle and brings a proudly South African narrative to the game.

Moletsane designed two animals in battle, a crocodile(emerging from the waters of a lake) and the cheetah (pouncing out of the grasslands or the zoo). The crocodile is considered to be a symbol of resilience and adaptability – it inhabits water, breathes air and has been on the planet since the time of the dinosaurs. The cheetah represents speed, prowess and precision – all of which are skills someone needs to excel at basketball.

The animals are overlaid by geometric shapes designed by Mohamed-Luke, which are inspired by natural elements.

“I’ve never done any kind of surface design before, so to have my first one be with such an iconic brand was surreal,” she said, adding that she loved working on this large-scale project.

The courts were unveiled last weekend at the Nike Battle Force Joburg three-on-three basketball tournament, which saw 32 teams compete. Be sure to pay a visit to this work of functional inner city art.

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