Packaged in their original boxes and encased in glass, basketballs are here removed from their usual function. Instead they are presented as objects for veneration and desire. Koons produced this artwork in 1983. The 'Equilibrium' exhibition in 1985 included Nike advertisements starring basketball players and other athletes, as well as aquariums containing basketballs suspended in water and cast bronze readymades. The pieces captured the aspirations of young working-class Americans who sought to find fame and wealth through sport. However, according to Koons the basketballs ultimately symbolize mortality, implying that total equilibrium is only possible in death.