We Asked Our Photographers to Pick Their Favorite Photos from the Season 📸⬆️

Every NBA season tells a story. Sometimes it’s about buzzer-beaters, comeback wins, or heart-wrenching losses. But often, the most powerful moments aren’t found in the box scores—they’re captured in the still frames, the split seconds frozen forever through the lens of a camera.

This year was no different.

From opening night in October to the heated playoff races in May, our team of photographers was there—on the baseline, in the tunnel, behind the glass—chronicling every dunk, every celebration, and every moment of vulnerability that makes this league so special. So, as the season winds down and the Finals approach, we asked our photographers to look back and choose that one photo—the image that defined the season for them.

Here are their picks, and the stories behind them. 📸⬆️

1. The Moment Luka Let It Fly – February 6th, 2025

📍 Dallas, TX
Photographer: Mia Rodriguez

“Luka had just crossed half court with five seconds left. The crowd was electric, and you could feel something building. He stepped back, launched it from 35 feet, and nailed it. But it wasn’t just the shot—it was the moment after. The freeze-frame of him with his arms outstretched, staring into the crowd, soaking it in. I caught him mid-turn, confetti falling from the rafters. It felt cinematic.”

2. Tatum’s Tunnel Walk – April 3rd, 2025

📍 Boston, MA
Photographer: Greg Wu

“This wasn’t an in-game shot. It was pregame. Tatum was walking through the tunnel, headphones on, locked in. He wasn’t smiling, he wasn’t posing. It was raw focus. The lighting hit just right, the green jersey popping against the shadows. In that moment, I felt like I was capturing a gladiator before battle.”

3. Wembanyama in the Clouds – January 12th, 2025

📍 San Antonio, TX
Photographer: Chelsea Banks

“This photo almost didn’t happen. Wemby was going up for an alley-oop, and I had a terrible angle. But then he just kept rising. I tilted up and took a chance. Later, when I looked at the shot, it was perfect. He looked like he was floating above everyone—arms out, knees bent mid-air, defenders watching helplessly. I titled the shot ‘Cloud Level.’”

4. The Kid and Curry – March 16th, 2025

📍 San Francisco, CA
Photographer: Darnell Reeves

“This was after the game. Steph had just dropped 29, and as he was walking to the tunnel, a little boy leaned over the railing holding a ‘Thank you, Steph’ sign. Steph stopped, signed the kid’s jersey, and smiled. I got the shot just as their eyes met. No filters, no edits—just pure emotion. That’s what this game does. It inspires.”

5. Snowfall in Chicago – December 20th, 2024

📍 Chicago, IL
Photographer: Alina Chen

“It had just started snowing outside, and the game inside was a slugfest. Bulls vs. Knicks. Late 4th quarter. DeMar DeRozan had just hit a tough fadeaway. But what made the shot was the reflection. The arena lights bounced off the hardwood, and through the glass behind the basket, you could faintly see snow falling outside. That juxtaposition—inside heat, outside chill—it was poetic.”

6. Pure Chaos in OKC – November 30th, 2024

📍 Oklahoma City, OK
Photographer: Julian Martinez

“Chet Holmgren blocks a shot. Ball bounces loose. Giddey dives. Shai gets it. Full-court pass. Jalen Williams dunks it with two hands. The whole sequence took eight seconds. But I got the dunk, and in the background, you can see the crowd—on their feet, arms flying, mouths open. Pure basketball chaos. That’s what the young Thunder are all about.”

7. Dame’s Silent Night – January 5th, 2025

📍 Milwaukee, WI
Photographer: Olivia Tran

“The Bucks had just lost in overtime, and Damian Lillard sat at the end of the bench, staring into space. No one was around him. The lights above cast a soft shadow over half his face. It wasn’t dramatic—it was quiet, human. That’s what I wanted to capture. Not just the hero moments, but the heartbreak.”

8. The Crown at the Garden – March 9th, 2025

📍 New York, NY
Photographer: Andre Velez

“LeBron was back at MSG, and the crowd was buzzing. He hit a fadeaway late in the 4th, then turned and mimed putting a crown on his head. I was in the right place. The shutter caught him with one hand above his head, smirking, crowd blurry behind him. It was vintage Bron—part showman, part king, all legend.”

Every season tells a story. But photos let us feel it—beyond stats and standings. They capture the joy, the pain, the tension, and the triumph in ways words sometimes can’t.

Our photographers aren’t just observers. They’re storytellers. They chase angles, lighting, timing. They sit for hours, waiting for that one frame. And when it comes? Magic.

As we head into the NBA Finals, the cameras will keep clicking. Another dunk, another hug, another tear. Another story told in a still frame.

Until then, we look back and salute the moments that made this season unforgettable. 📸⬆️