A Childhood Connection
My love affair with the Phoenix Suns began in 1988, when I was five and the team’s bright orange jerseys first captured my imagination.
Collecting basketball cards became my way of turning that fandom into something concrete; the glossy sheets of paper were more than toys, they were miniature portals to the players I idolized.
In the early 1990s, SkyBox pushed the envelope with visually striking designs, using bold colors and futuristic motifs that made each card feel like a piece of art.
Rediscovering the Past
Years later, while browsing an online marketplace, I rediscovered those very cards, and the familiar images unlocked a flood of memories from my childhood.
Inspired by that nostalgia, I set out to redesign the 1990 and 1991 SkyBox Suns cards, swapping the old rosters for the current Phoenix Suns players and giving the layouts a fresh, modern twist.
Reimagining with Modern Tools
I chose Affinity as my design tool, appreciating its precision and flexibility, and spent evenings tracing the original artwork before layering in the new faces of the team.
One particular card, the 1991 SkyBox Michael Jordan, caught my eye for its artistic quality; I recreated it with the contemporary Suns aesthetic, blending the legendary Jordan imagery with today’s roster.
The project turned into more than a hobby; it became a therapeutic bridge between the past and present, reminding me why I fell in love with basketball in the first place.