The game of basketball is an art, and so are the shoes that hit the hardwood each night. Designed for athletes like LeBron James and Kobe Bryant, Nike Basketball shoes have helped players make history.

In celebration of this legacy and the NBA Playoffs, Nike, Converse, and Jordan are releasing the Art of a Champion collection — 16 shoes for the 16 total wins it takes to earn an NBA title. 16 artists have created original art pieces to commemorate each shoe and the players who have worn them.

Below, three artists explain the artworks they made for CT16 Nike Basketball footwear.

In 2006, Kobe Bryant sent Game 4 of the Playoffs into overtime. With 6.1 seconds left, he miraculously scored the game-winner. Ben Sanders’ painted tribute to those “Final Seconds” and the Kobe 1 includes a clock, the Black Mamba, and the sun setting (on the Suns). “I’ve always been a Lakers fan,” says Sanders. “My most vivid basketball memories involve watching Kobe play. For this painting, I was inspired by the surreal still lifes of Giorgio de Chirico, who played with perspective and pairing outdoor and indoor environments.”

In Game 5 of the 2007 Eastern Conference, LeBron James scored 29 of his team’s final 30 points, including 18 points in overtime, securing his first NBA Finals appearance. Mathilde Karrer’s photographic tribute to LeBron’s “25 Straight Points” and the Soldier 1 includes a whistle for LeBron’s way of commanding the court and chalk referencing his early pre-game ritual of tossing talcum powder in the sky. “I’m inspired by how athletes achieve their goals with determination and talent, without ever quitting,” says Karrer. “I worked on shooting this photograph from 10 a.m. until 2 a.m. I knew I had to include a crown. I was inspired by 17th-century still life traditions from The Netherlands, where all of the items in the paintings had meaning and told a bigger story.”

In Game 6 of the 2012 Western Conference Finals, Kevin Durant scored 34 points and had 14 rebounds, overcoming an 18-point halftime deficit and securing his first NBA finals appearance. Rizon Parein’s 3D-designed tribute to Durant and the KD IV includes a foam finger (for being the #1 scoring champion from 2010-2012), 34 coins, and 14 pieces of wood. “Though I wasn’t good at playing basketball myself, I have a passion for the sport, as well as architecture and product design,” says Parein. “I found an interesting composition between the coins, boards, and foam finger. I wanted the image to embody KD’s personality.”