NBA Stars Who Collect Art: From Carmelo Anthony to Kevin Love

Several NBA players, past and present, have become serious fine art collectors, according to an Artsy editorial profiling five such stars, among them Carmelo Anthony and Kevin Love. The piece frames basketball itself as an expressive form — a point guard weaving through the lane, a center rising for a rebound, the stripped-down grace of a free throw — played out on what it calls a gigantic wooden canvas. Economics and logistics help explain the trend: the average NBA salary for the upcoming season stands at $11.9 million, players travel to major cities, and the offseason leaves ample time for outside interests. Many players now view art as a worthwhile investment, the article notes, weighing it against spending on a trip to Miami or a Range Rover. Desmond Mason is cited as a former player who became an established artist. The 1983 Robert Peak work, offered through RoGallery, illustrates the long visual relationship between basketball and art.