Blurring the lines of history by editing still photographs and classic video to put all-time greats and contemporary stars together on the court, it became an instant sensation; a YouTube video search for “NBA Forever’’ generates more than 16,000 clips.
“We knew all the fans were watching and that people in the industry were waiting and watching to see what would happen,’’ said Watkins, who worked with a small team that included a compositor, a final-cut editor, an editor who worked with the still photographs, and a couple of free-lancers. “We just wanted to give them something that felt good, that put the game in a good light, and reminded people why they liked basketball rather than thinking about the situation in coming off the lockout.’’
It does not cross over to hyperbole to say the clip is dead-on perfect aesthetically, nostalgically, and especially in tone.
Seeing Paul Pierce jog out of the tunnel behind Tommy Heinsohn, or Derrick Rose give a casual fist-bump to Michael Jordan, or Larry Bird feed Ray Allen for an open three, or . . . well, a sports fan never expects to actually see those “what-ifs,’’ but that’s exactly what happened.
The inspired pairings - did we mention Steve Nash chatting up fellow hardwood creative genius Pistol Pete Maravich? - reveal a deep reservoir of knowledge about NBA lore. Watkins, who has been at Turner since 2000 and has worked in NBA studios for his current employer and ESPN, confirms as much.
“I have a special place in my heart for basketball,’’ he said.
The visual concept that struck such a chord actually germinated from a song.
“I was in a hotel lobby last summer in Oklahoma City while we were filming something with Kevin Durant,’’ Watkins said. “This song was playing and I was listening to it and thinking, ‘This is a really interesting song.’
(The song was “Live Forever,’’ by Drew Holcomb and The Neighbors.)
“I loved it and wanted to use it for something, but I didn’t want to use it for something that wouldn’t be fitting. So I sort of put it away in the back of my mind.
