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Three people in athletic wear sit side by side against a chain-link fence. They are talking and laughing together, with sports bags and a basketball resting beside them.

Shanghai's Ka Xiaoxi captures basketball kids for Nike

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Date
6 May 2015

A fantastic peek into the lives of some young basketball-lovers here by way of Shanghai photographer Ka Xiaoxi. A self-professed lover of street culture, Ka Xiaoxi churns out brightly-lit 35mm photographs for big brands like Converse, Bloomberg Businessweek, Volkswagen and The New York Times. This series entitled Basketball Kids was shot for Nike, and depicts some happy, healthy teens squeaking their sneakers around indoor and outdoor basketball courts all over Shanghai. Rather then your run-of-the-mill court side shots, Ka Xiaoxi has spent time with these young whippersnappers larking around after practice, cackling in sports shops and showing off in the way only teenage boys can. You can smell the Lynx and basketball rubber from all the way over here in the UK.

A person in a white Nike T-shirt stands with arms crossed, smiling in front of a wall of basketballs. A hand reaches from the left to balance a blue basketball on their head.
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Ka Xiaoxi: Basketball Kids for Nike

A person stands in the centre of an outdoor basketball court, holding a ball aloft in one hand. They wear a black vest and white shorts, positioned in front of a basketball hoop and a blue perimeter fence.
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Ka Xiaoxi: Basketball Kids for Nike

A person in a dark checked shirt sits against a white wall, looking at the camera. A basketball is balanced on their head, positioned directly below a large black Jumpman logo.
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Ka Xiaoxi: Basketball Kids for Nike

A person jumps to dunk a basketball into a hoop on an outdoor court. They wear a white T-shirt and blue trousers, positioned against a plain white tiled wall.
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Ka Xiaoxi: Basketball Kids for Nike

A person jumps in the air, gripping a white horizontal bar that obscures the upper half of their face. They wear a light blue Nike basketball jersey with “Nike League” on the front, white shorts and bright orange trainers.
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Ka Xiaoxi: Basketball Kids for Nike

A person in a dark basketball jersey hangs from a hoop after a dunk. A basketball is frozen in mid-air just above the rim.
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Ka Xiaoxi: Basketball Kids for Nike

A person in a black Jordan basketball kit sits on a metal bench, looking off-camera. A basketball rests on the floor between their feet in a gym setting.
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Ka Xiaoxi: Basketball Kids for Nike

A person in black sportswear holds a basketball, facing away from the camera on an outdoor court at night. In the background, other figures play under bright floodlights.
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Ka Xiaoxi: Basketball Kids for Nike

A group of people play basketball in a bright, high-ceilinged indoor court. In the foreground, three players stand close together, wearing athletic jerseys and shorts in blue, black and red.
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Ka Xiaoxi: Basketball Kids for Nike

A person in a yellow T-shirt and green basketball shorts jumps to hang from a basketball hoop. They look at the camera and make a peace sign with one hand.
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Ka Xiaoxi: Basketball Kids for Nike

Six people stand in a gym, each holding dumbbells aloft. They wear athletic clothing and trainers, posing in a line against a backdrop of weight racks and mirrors.
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Ka Xiaoxi: Basketball Kids for Nike

Three people in athletic wear sit side by side against a chain-link fence. A basketball rests on the ground in front of them.
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Ka Xiaoxi: Basketball Kids for Nike

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About the Author

Liv Siddall

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Liv joined It’s Nice That as an intern in 2011 and worked across online, print and events, and was latterly Features Editor before leaving in May 2015.

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