My New Favorite NFT Artist

Never have these eyes seen such an exquisite collection of NBA-themed digital artwork. These are the pieces your children will cherish.

To be fair, a statement like "my new favorite NFT artist" would imply that I had a favorite NFT artist to begin with. I can't say that I actually did have a favorite before today. What I can say with 100% conviction is I now have a favorite NFT artist and this person is amazing. With the news cycle picking up the digital art phenomenon, there are now millions of people who have heard of NFTs or "Non-Fungible Tokens." But if you have yet to discover the wonder that is N8APaint's Opensea.io collection, buckle up. Never have I seen such a remarkable blend of intentionally sub-par, marvelously funny artwork. All of this art is created with Microsoft paint. I don't think I'm being unfair by calling it sub-par at least from a traditional aesthetic viewpoint. That doesn't mean we can't find serious enjoyment in my new favorite NFT artist.

We don't know much about N8APaint. What we do know is the person makes "really good basketball art." This description is self-provided but it is far from a lie. What is good art? I actually have no idea. I look at some modern art and I see something that doesn't vary much from something that my 3 year old daughter has drawn. But then I see works like "Staring into Space" from an artist like George Condo and I want to give Masterworks all my money. Is N8APaint a good artist? I don't know. I don't care. I got an immense amount of joy out of scrolling through this collection. So much so, that I'm now sharing my 10 favorite N8APaint NFTs in reverse order.

10) - Derrick Rose

Solid petal work on the Rose head. I also like the added feature of Derrick's whole body being a stem complete with thorns. With the red frame, this one is limited to just 7.

9) Paul Pierced Nipples

I love Paul Pierce despite his perceived faults. It's been a busy year for him. Strippers, loss of employment, and immortalized in an NFT with nipple rings. The black frame makes this a 1 of 9 piece.

8) Willie Cauliflower

Another 1 of 9 work in the set. I've definitely made this same connection. I hear Willie Cauley-Stein and I think, "that sounds like Willie Cauliflower." Great minds think alike.

7) Karen Baynes

The hair is everything here. Side note: nobody was more impressed with Aron Baynes than the late great Tommy Heinsohn. RIP, Tommy. With the handmade frame, Karen Baynes is limited to just 2.

6) Shaquille Oatmeal

This one is a slept-on gem. Does it make sense to me? No. Does it need to? No. It's just funny. Black frame means 9 people can claim this example.

5) PJ Party

What do you have when you see PJ Washington, PJ Tucker, and PJ Dozier in footsie pajamas together? Obviously a PJ party. This is a great offering. Silver framed gives it a 1 of 4 scarcity.

4) Malcolm in the Middleton

This is probably one of the darker expressions in the collection. Poor Khris Middleton. It can't be easy having a former teammate like Malcolm Brogdon rip through your belly. As one of the more unique offerings from N8APaint, it gets high marks for creativity. Additionally, a cap tip for the reference to the early 2000's FOX comedy. Red frame. 1 of 7.

3) Fred Van Fleet

This one also comes in the 1 of 7 red frame. We get the obvious visualization of Fred in van form, complete with a face for a grill. What really sets this one apart is the full fleet of Fred vans. There's an intellectual excellence in this Fred Van Fleet work that makes me smile.

2) Tennis Rodman

Tennis Rodman is a standout pure and simple. Does Dennis Rodman play tennis? I have no idea. But if he did, he'd surely dye his hair to look like a tennis ball as depicted in this artwork. The artist very obviously holds this one in high regard by giving it gold frame 1 of 1 status. Would I pay 1 ETH for this? If I was a crypto millionaire, maybe. To me though, if I'm paying a full ETH for a paint image, I want the best work in the whole collection. To me, I think we actually find that in a different piece.

1) Paul George Costanza

I had been chuckling and laughing while perusing this collection. When I made it to "Paul George Costanza," I lost it. Like laughing to the point I'm in tears lost it. As a 1 of 4 silver frame piece, there are four people who can take ownership of this masterpiece. And it is a masterpiece. I can't even describe why this was so funny to me. Costanza in the photo shoot is one of the funniest moments of imagery from one of the greatest television shows ever. I don't believe I've ever thought of George Costanza when I see Paul George, but I will now. It's just such an odd pairing. A truly bizarre expression of how a real person and a fictional character can relate by having a similar name. It's super out there. But I can't find anything wrong with it. I might have to buy one. I'm not there yet.

For full disclosure; I have no connection to this person. I have no idea who it is. But if you're interested in supporting this artist and can't wrap your head around dropping hundreds of dollars on digital versions of Microsoft paint drawings, you can order shirts or prints at the artist's nbapaint.org site. I grabbed a PJ Party print and look forward to hanging it in my office. N8APaint can also be found on both Twitter and Instagram. I hope you enjoyed this journey through the mind of N8APaint as much as I did. Not every NFT is going to crush it as an investment. The cream will rise to the top and these works may fail to do that. It doesn't really matter. If nothing else, this is one NFT collection I'm going to admire for a while.