BASKETBALL

While there are iconic basketball shoes and clothes, there is no equivalent in bags. Basketball players carry messenger bags, knapsack, and gym bags. But there is nothing specifically designed for their needs, or their lifestyle.

Beyond a list of genuine functional needs that weren’t being met by their existing bags (a place to keep a water bottle cool, a jewelry pocket for their earrings, a pouch for the ball, a cell phone holder), competitive basketball players felt their bags were vulnerable to theft while they played. This emotion was particularly acute at outdoor courts in the inner city.

“Security” became the design imperative. The brief was to create a bag that makes basketball players feel their gear is secure while they play, so they can focus on their game. The result: a bag with a built-in lock on a carabiner that could be locked around a pole or the base of an outdoor backboard. (Once the prototype was made, Nike raised the initial order from 10,000 units to 250,000 units, so the Hoops Jr. line went from being a $1 million revenue generator to being a $30 million business).