Page 42 - The Book For Men Spring/Summer 2024

Buzzer Beater
Reigning Champ’s latest minimalist collaboration runs rings around other basketball arcade games
1981 WAS A BIG YEAR FOR BASKETBALL — JUST NOT NECESSARILY
on the court. For, while the Boston Celtics were beating out the Houston Rockets to the NBA Championship, a college basketball coach named Ken Cochran was recovering from heart surgery in Kansas. At a loose end, Cochran decided to bring his favourite sport home. So, by using a series of small basketball rims and a spare volleyball net, along with a frame built by a nearby machine shop and backboards cut by his local cabinetmaker, the coach created the Triple Shot — the world’s very first basketball arcade game.
Four decades — and millions of points — later, and Cochran’s Pop-A-Shot machines can be found in arcades and man caves the world over, with the brand’s more modern models featuring digital scoreboards, infrared sensors, and multiple game modes. There are pretenders and pale imitations of the original, but also luxurious, more expensive spins on the idea. Reigning Champ’s latest launch, a collaboration with Canadian industrial designer Calen Knauf, falls squarely in that second, higher-end hoop.
Led by the award-winning Knauf, a year-long process of devel- opment and design trials streamlined and spruced up the concept of a basketball game, and banished plastics in favour of hardwood and tempered glass. The idea was to muster the spirit and feel of a real basketball court, then condense it into an arcade-ready package.
There’s lots to love about the “Home Court.” We particularly like how retro it feels; despite the minimalist design, there’s a departure from modern, wireless trends. The machine also features visible cables to give it a tactile, more nostalgic flavour — one that stands in contrast to the clean, bright colours of its stark design.
Each machine will be made-to-order, and those lucky enough to land one will also receive 10 branded white leather basketballs, housed in a large storage space in the machine’s lower tier. The rims are cast from powder-coated steel and, for its final flourish, the nets are hand-knotted from cotton and silk sourced from a Vancouver-based artisan. If you’ve got pockets deep enough ($50,000), and a space in your basement, surely this one’s a slam dunk.
Lacing Up
Dior’s B57 sneakers offer a nostalgic athletic touch to the spring/summer season
DIOR’S EVER-EVOLVING SNEAKER PORTFOLIO IS STEPPING THINGS
up this season. The B57 Low sneakers — the low-top companion to the mid-top silhouette — seamlessly introduce a retro aesthetic to the range, and blend the brand’s famed savoir faire with sportswear, all the while staying true to the creative spirit of the brand’s artistic director, Kim Jones.
Embellished with Dior’s “CD” initials in signature Dior Oblique jacquard, the latest style is enhanced by distinctive features including contrasting laces, two-tone rubber soles, and a technical mesh lining. Available in a variety of hues — from pale blue and grey, to beige, black, and midnight blue — this closet essential is the perfect accessory to either complement a relaxed ensemble or juxtapose a tailored suit this summer.
42 BFM / SS24 PORTFOLIO
BUZZER BEATER: TEXT BY JONATHAN WELLS; LACING UP TEXT BY: SAHAR NOORAEI