Los Angeles artist Jack Perkins has started a unique tradition this basketball season. After each Los Angeles Lakers game, Perkins, known as @purehoop on social media, creates comic-strip-style illustrations summarizing the game`s events. Each illustration focuses on a key theme from that particular game.
Throughout the Lakers` eventful 82-game season, Perkins` artistic detail has evolved, and so has the online buzz and anticipation surrounding his work.
`Initially, I aimed to create quick recaps within an hour,` Perkins shared with ESPN. `However, the excitement of creating them and witnessing the audience reaction has driven me to develop them into more elaborate pieces, which is exciting.`
Following Luka Doncic`s standout performance as a Laker – scoring 32 points, grabbing 10 rebounds, and dishing out 7 assists in a February victory over the Denver Nuggets – Perkins faced the challenge of capturing this significant game in his art.
For inspiration, Perkins revisited a previous illustration from an earlier Lakers-Nuggets game. In that piece, he depicted Denver`s Nikola Jokic emerging from a tunnel with graffiti art. For Doncic`s game, Perkins adapted the theme, showing Doncic in a similar tunnel with a `Doncic was here` message over `Denver Nuggets`. These posts resonated widely on social media platform X, accumulating millions of views.
Posted shortly after each game, Perkins` illustrations capitalize on the immediate post-game buzz, mirroring Doncic`s impactful start with the Lakers.
`The timeliness is crucial,` Perkins explains. `I aim for a style that`s quick to execute yet effectively conveys the game`s essence without requiring weeks of work.`
While known for his Lakers-themed art, Perkins` fandom began unconventionally. Growing up near Boston, a Celtics stronghold, he was drawn to the Lakers during their iconic rivalry in the 1980s. The battles between Magic Johnson`s Lakers and Larry Bird`s Celtics captured his imagination.
Despite his family`s Celtics allegiance, Perkins declared his preference for the Lakers, charmed by their `cooler` image, sunny Los Angeles setting, and Magic Johnson`s spectacular play.
This Lakers fascination intertwined with Perkins` lifelong passion for drawing, nurtured since childhood with the support of his artist father. He honed his skills in animation, graduating from the Rhode Island School of Design and now works as a full-time animator.
Perkins` online presence grew from creating custom Lakers merchandise in 2012, even gaining recognition when Clippers star Blake Griffin wore one of his designs. This evolved into game recap illustrations, strengthening his connection with the Lakers, culminating in an official collaboration in 2022.
Notably, Perkins` illustration for Pau Gasol`s jersey retirement, depicting Gasol and Kobe Bryant, went viral, earning praise from Gasol himself.
The season-long recap project was a long-considered idea that aligned with a break in Perkins` animation work and the Lakers` compelling season narrative.
`With a new coach and the excitement surrounding the Lakers, it felt like the right moment to capture the season,` Perkins said.
The season provided ample material, including memorable moments like the exchange between Ja Morant and LeBron James, which Perkins creatively illustrated.
When LeBron James surpassed Michael Jordan`s record for 30-point games, Perkins ingeniously captured the milestone by drawing James with Jordan`s fading shadow, highlighting both their similarities and unique styles.
Perkins` artistic process involves watching games without preconceptions, identifying key moments or narratives, and then quickly sketching his illustrations, leveraging his animation skills to efficiently bring his ideas to life.
Despite his primarily Lakers-fan audience, Perkins was surprised by the widespread positive reception to his recaps, finding it a humbling experience.
He plans to continue his illustrations through the postseason and is considering a mosaic print of all 82 regular-season games, potentially expanding it to include a championship run if the Lakers succeed.
`It would be a dream to depict a championship season in its entirety,` Perkins concluded, envisioning his illustrations as a unique chronicle of the Lakers` season.
