The Huddle, in partnership with the NBL, headed to the Moomba Festival on Labour Day to bring communities together through the power of basketball, with the 3x3 Community Hustle.

To commemorate the event, five female artists from across Melbourne came together to create ‘Globall’.

Lorraine White, Nnenna Okore, Varsha Gopinath, Xiaolan Li and Ariana Chase’s cultures are represented on individual panels of the basketball, highlighting aspects of their culture and recognising the sense of belonging.

Presented to The Huddle CEO, Cameron McLeod, NBL Commissioner, Jeremy Loeliger, the Hon. Minister for Multicultural Affairs, Minister for Community Sport and Minister for Youth, Ros Spence, Lord Mayor of Melbourne, Sally Capp, and Chairperson Multicultural Commission Victoria, Viv Nguyen, the ball represents the rich history and beauty of our diverse cultures telling an intricate story of connection to community, self and the people around you.

The first artists to paint the basketball, Lorraine White, said she drew her inspiration from the need to communication between clan groups.

The marks carved into the wood denote the origin of the stick and the message itself; often an invitation to join a kangaroo fire drive hunting event, or ceremony.

“The design was inspired and represented ‘Mak’, message sticks. ‘Mak’ were used to communicate important news between clan groups,” White said. 

“Mak’ is an important tool used to bring the wider community together to embrace and celebrate one another.”

African artist, Nnenna Okore, said her inspiration came from her son, who cherishes the importance of storytelling and connection to the world.

“Representing how different individuals and groups of people rally together for play, storytelling and conversations in Africa, the piece celebrates the idea of communal living,” Okore said. 

“Even though the painting is suggestive of an African rural setting with simple images of huts and people, it moves our eyes beyond the structures and invites us to think about earthly experiences, like the blue skies and the sunlight that unites all people around the world. 

“The images of people at the bottom of the picture and those projected against the blue sky represent Africa’s global presence.

“It shows how Africans are extending their reach into different parts of the world to make a difference.”

Drawing inspiration from the Lotus flower, Indian artist, Varsha Gopinath, speaks on the resilience of community through her artwork.

“The Lotus is a sacred flower which occupies a unique position in the art and mythology of ancient India,” Gopinath said. 

“Though conditions are tough, the Lotus heeds the call of the sun each morning, breaking the surface of the water and blooming untouched by the mud with clean and pure petals.

“Closing at night, it sinks below the water’s surface only to resurface again in the morning. In the same way, humans too can grow through dark times and difficulties.”

Symbolising strength and the free spirit, Xiaolan Li, represents her community with a Han Dynasty Dragon.

“We know the dragon has always been a symbol of Chinese culture and the patter itself is symbolic of the Chinese spirit,” Li said. 

“This dragon is special to me because it represents the free spirit, full of energy and good will. These are some of the essential values that bring people and culture together.

“Closing the gap between cultures is important for us all because it is through understanding and sharing that we can connect on a deeper level.”

Maori artist, Ariana Chase, completed the design with her panel of the basketball speaking of ones connection to their community.

“Maori are very connected spiritually to nature and therefore use many of its elements as symbols to tell our stories or to convey messages,” Chase said.

“In this painting I have used three koru (spiral) patterns you see in ferns as they grow from young shoots. 

“The three koru represent the beginning of life and the importance of having that village surround a child as they grow in Aroha (love) an essential quality that fills our wairua (spirit), a medicinal antidote that fends off evil and negativity. 

“A quality that gives one a sense of belonging and confidence to step out into the world and take risks knowing that she or he has the support, knowledge, and confidence behind them.”

The 3x3 Community Hustle tournament leveraged the power of sport to break down cultural barriers, empowering youths to build new connections and discover a new community through their shared passion of basketball.

A celebration of the rich cultural wealth of Victoria, 100 young people from 20 diverse backgrounds brought their skills to the big stage.

Thank you to the Victorian State Government and City of Melbourne for their support of the NBL 3x3 Community Hustle.