Back in 2006, the NBA's 55th All-Star Game was being played at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. The East team included the then 21-year-old LeBron James, who nabbed 29 points and became the youngest player to win MVP—and Dwyane Wade was also on the court playing alongside James. Big names such as Steve Nash and Kobe Bryant were on the West team.
Getty photographer Jesse D. Garrabrant was also on the scene, photographing some of the players with a Polaroid camera—something he had done the previous year at the MSG Training Facility in Tarrytown, New York, with that year’s group of rookies.
What makes Garrabrant’s photos of these NBA all-stars and rookies so special is the gear and technique he used to capture these guys. His use of the Polaroid transfers creates a truly unique image, that when printed, has natural imperfections—the dye transfer sometimes spotty and colors slightly muted. The end result is thoughtful portraits of some of NBA’s biggest legends.
