Barclays Center, February 4, 2025
Suspended in Time
Eight seconds left. Down four. It was over. Fans were leaving, shaking their heads, already carrying the weight of another loss. Then—Keon Johnson hit a three. A steal. A second chance. Suddenly, the ball was in D’Angelo Russell’s hands, and hope, impossibly, was back.
A Shot, A Fate Undecided
Russell rises. The ball leaves his fingertips. In that instant, the outcome is unknown. The stadium, the players, the fans—everyone is locked in that one second. This isn’t just a shot. It’s a decision, written in the arc of the ball, spinning toward its answer.
Capturing the Moment
Ink and gouache freeze the second before certainty. The ball, high in the sky, untethered from fate. The defenders watching, frozen in place. Russell’s follow-through, pure and unwavering. No celebration, no collapse—just the unbearable weight of waiting.
Details That Matter
Own the Moment
Some moments in basketball last longer than they should. The crowd may move on, but the feeling lingers. That One Second is about the space between doubt and triumph, where anything is still possible.
Inspired by a photograph taken by Nathaniel Butler during the Brooklyn Nets vs. Houston Rockets game February 4, 2025
