Staff Reports | Happenings & Events
Western Spirit: Scottsdale’s Museum of the West has opened Rob Hammer: American Backcourts, which will be on view through April 13, 2025.
American Backcourts presents a collection of images that capture the essence of basketball in the West— where the sport, though not traditionally associated with the region, embodies the pioneering spirit that defines the American West.
Over 13 years and 300,000 miles, Mr. Hammer has traversed the Western United States, documenting rustic and makeshift basketball courts that tell the stories of resilience, ingenuity, and the enduring love of the game, Western Spirit representatives tell the Digital Free Press.
Inspired by a photograph of NBA legend Larry Bird’s childhood hoop in French Lick, Indiana, Mr. Hammer’s journey reveals how even the simplest setups can nurture greatness. His work showcases the raw beauty of handmade hoops crafted from whatever materials are at hand, placed in environments as diverse as the Western landscape itself—on dirt, grass, clay, and gravel.
“The Midwest may be basketball’s heartland, but American Backcourts shows that the West is its frontier,” said Andrew Patrick Nelson, chief curator at Western Spirit. “Rob Hammer’s photography offers a captivating and unexpected vision of the modern West, where a lone basketball hoop can stand as a symbol of grit and community.”
This exhibition marks a significant milestone in Mr. Hammer’s career, as it is his first solo show and the first time his basketball hoop photography will be displayed in a museum. Mr. Hammer, a commercial and fine art photographer based in Denver, Colorado, has built an impressive portfolio that captures cowboy culture, lifestyle photography, many of the world’s greatest athletes.
“This project has truly been a labor of love, and I’m thrilled to share it with the world at Western Spirit,” Mr. Hammer said. “The basketball courts I’ve photographed are more than just places to play—they’re part of the fabric of the communities that built them. They represent the true, unfiltered essence of the West, where people make the most of what they have and find joy in the simplest things.”
