Tenochtitlan triple double

I created these four mashups of Aztec gods + NBA players for a piece called “The Tenochtitlan Triple-Double” featured on The Step Back.

When Tenochtitlan’s point guard Ilhicamina (“he shoots arrows at the sky”) was able to rack up a triple-double on the ōllamalitzli court, it was literally twice the modern accomplishment — 20 points, 20 rebounds, and 20 assists — and that’s before you even consider the fact that the ōllamalitzli hoop was hanging like 20 feet in the air and the players were shooting the ball with their hips not with their hands.

Here’s one for James Harden.

LeBron James.

Draymond Green.

Russell Westbrook had 20 points, 21 assists and 20 rebounds against the Lakers on April 2nd 2019. He was the first player since Wilt Chamberlain to record a Tenochtitlan.

This set of illustrations was inspired by the work of Gwendal Uguen, whose complete collection of Aztec gods can be found in this gallery.

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