Okay, so I’ve been wanting to recreate the old Vancouver Grizzlies court in, like, a digital format, forever. You know, for nostalgic reasons. I finally decided to just do it. Here’s how it went down.
Finding References
First things first, I needed good pictures. Not just any pictures, but ones that showed the court from different angles, close-ups of the logo, the colors, everything. I spent a good chunk of time just Googling, going through old photos, and even digging up some old game footage. It was like a treasure hunt!
I created a folder, and put all the reference images in there. I wanted them easy to find.
Building the Basic Court
Next, I had to, you know, actually build the thing. Started with the basic shape. A big rectangle, obviously. Then I added the lines – the half-court line, the free-throw lines, the three-point lines… all that jazz. This part was pretty straightforward. Just making sure the proportions were right was the main thing.
I make it all by using lines. And I ensure the lines are connected.
Adding the Colors and Logos
This is where it got fun (and a little frustrating). Getting the colors exactly right was a pain. I used the eyedropper tool a LOT, picking colors from the reference photos and applying them to my court. The Grizzlies logo at center court was the biggest challenge. I had to trace it from a photo, which took some time and patience. Lots of zooming in and out, adjusting little points to make it look perfect. I will admit, this took the longest time.
I had to use a circle for center court, and then, fill in all the right colors in all the right places. I made a mistake a couple of times, but a simple undo took care of it.
Tweaking and Final Touches
Once I had the basic colors and logos in place, I spent a while just… tweaking. Making sure the lines were crisp, the colors were consistent, and everything looked good from different zoom levels. It’s all about those little details, you know?
I used a few different shades of the same color to give the floor that “wood” look.
The Finished Product
Finally, I had something I was happy with! It’s not 100% perfect, but it definitely captures the feel of the old Grizzlies court. Seeing it all come together was super satisfying. It’s like a little piece of basketball history, brought back to life. I might even try to 3D print it at a later date.
