Art But Make It Sports: Epic Matchups Where Art and Sports Collide

Review Quotes:
A Junior Library Guild Selection

Biographical Note:

LJ Rader is the founder and one-man operation behind the social media account ArtButMakeItSports. A graduate of Vanderbilt University, he is a lifetime sports professional, starting his career at NBC Sports, where he won an Emmy Award for his work on the XXII Olympic Winter Games. LJ was on the product team at DraftKings and is currently the head of the Broadcast Product Group at Sportradar. He's also a diehard sports fan and passionate about art (go figure), spending free time at games, museums, galleries, and auction houses. In addition, he's recently become obsessed with propagating plants, as well as dipping his toes into art collecting. He lives in New York City with his wife, son, and their dog, Rosie (shout-out to the ASPCA).

Epic moments in modern sports are masterfully paired with their fine art doppelgangers in this incredible compilation of side-by-side images that sports fans will marvel at. Featuring photographs from basketball, baseball, softball, football, soccer, tennis, hockey, golf, the Olympics, and more, matched with paintings and other pieces of historical art that mirror them, the undeniable similarities will keep you turning the pages!

• Is it LeBron James holding up the NBA Cup after the Lakers defeated the Indiana Pacers in the 2023 In-Season Tournament Championship, or is it Salvador Dalí's Man Holding Up a Baby?
• Is Caitlin Clark posing for a portrait during the 2024 WNBA draft, or is that Judith with the Head of Holofernes by Charles Mellin?
• What about Jason Kelce celebrating a touchdown. Is it a good time amongst friends, or is it The Feast of Bacchus by Phillips Koninck?

And there's more than just the one-to-one visual comparisons--the thematic connections present in each pairing are equally fascinating. Just as in Eugène Delacroix's 1830 painting Liberty Leading the People, we see Sabrina Ionescu (of the New York Liberty) encapsulate the same themes of power and strength as she leads her team to victory during the 2023 WNBA Playoffs. You won't be able to tear yourself away from the surprising and sometimes eerie comparisons that await you in this book, an unbeatable gift for sports fans and art history lovers alike.

BELOVED ACCOUNT, BRAND NEW CONTENT: From the popular Instagram and X account @ArtButMakeItSports comes this entertaining volume full of fan favorites and brand new content, sure to keep you mesmerized.

• Sports fans
• Art history lovers
• Readers who enjoy funny art books like Men to Avoid in Art and Life, Fat Cat Art, and Basketball (and Other Things)
• Gift-giving to someone who "doesn't want anything" for a special occasion (but will love this anyway!)

Review Citations:

• Library Journal 02/06/2026 pg. 1 (EAN 9781797236834, Hardcover)
• Publishers Weekly 04/06/2026 (EAN 9781797236834, Hardcover)