This Animated Promo for the NBA Finals More than Achieves its Intended Purpose

ESPN paired with London-based designer Richard Swarbrick to showcase their Spurs-Heat broadcasts, which begin tomorrow night, and the results were superb:

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grdzCU3VbJ4&feature=youtu.be]

Swarbrick's film company Hotspur & Argyle describes how this animation was made:

As with Richard’s previous iconic sporting pieces, each frame of the animation was crafted by hand using a combination of techniques. After an experimental phase using inks, paints and paper, the bulk of the drawing was done using a Wacom tablet. The palette in each shot is limited to the three or four colours from the relevant team jerseys and the background colours aim to accentuate the different eras.

These are a few of the artist's previous works, all of which are similarly outstanding:

Wayne Rooney's bicycle kick was "like a right foot with an explosion."

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAD0z8G4stM]

Leo Messi stands out.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ma4AkKgxzxc]

Maradona is a symbol of artistry and magic.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSHVZmvJjtM]

Gareth Bale is quite incredible.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRZMjHzWXQc]

It's never just the ball.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lTO7EdDl8Q]