Dozens of celebrities have crowded Flushing Meadows to embrace the 2026 US Open, from Yankees slugger Aaron Judge to Knicks legend Carmelo Anthony to legendary comedian Kevin Hart. But a certain NBA champion who just won the Larry O’Brien title is trading the basketball court again, for the third time, for a completely different kind of pressure. Candid photography.

After securing his financial future, Landry Shamet has spent time behind a camera, working as an unpaid photographer while most hoopers use the offseason to recover, according to Front Office Sports. For Shamet, photography has become much more than a hobby. It is a craft he keeps returning to.

The Knicks star was most recently spotted among fellow US Tennis Association photographers at Jessica Pegula and Emma Navarro’s quarterfinal match. He sat there peacefully and did nothing to draw attention to himself. Attire-wise, he wore a simple black shirt and green pants, paired with a backward cap.

In case you were wondering, this isn’t a childhood craze. It’s a hobby Shamet picked up not long ago. A close friend suggested he pick up a camera in 2021, and although he was hesitant at first, he hasn’t put it down since.

“Even when we go on the road, I always have a camera with me,” Shamet told AP. “So whether it’s just like as a hobby, walking around, shooting stuff that I like to maybe print out and put on the wall in my house or doing things like this, it’ll always be there.”

Shamet immersed himself in the craft, poring over technical manuals, learning from seasoned professionals, and steadily refining his gear. His kit features a high-end Sony a7R V. That dedication eventually led him to volunteer with the USTA. Despite his NBA stature, he agrees to work long hours alongside experienced photojournalists.

“[Shamet’s] action photos are really tremendous,” USTA photographer Jen Pottheiser said last year. “He really is a student of photography here. He’s asking amazing questions. He’s frankly a great teammate. I’m sure any New Yorker knows that.”

Fellow athletes such as baseball Hall of Famers Ken Griffey Jr. and Randy Johnson, and NFL’s Marshawn Lynch have also transitioned into professional sports photography.

Fans can view Shamet’s work through his personal brand, “Medium: by Landry Shamet,” on Instagram at @landryshamet.jpg. One of his notable projects is “Ferocity,” a black-and-white series documenting Aryna Sabalenka’s championship run. It went viral with over 10,000 likes!

For Shamet, the unpaid role seems more about the work than anything else. He keeps coming back because he enjoys the process of finding the right frame. When he was at the US Open last year, he said his goal was to “figure” out free agency and what was next in his NBA career.

Boy oh boy, did he figure that out.

Landry Shamet: From US Open Photographer to NBA Champion

Landry Shamet signed a one-year contract with the New York Knicks last September. Early in the season, he scored a career-high 36 points against the Miami Heat, hinting that he was much more than a bench piece. Despite a shoulder setback that ruled him out for weeks, he became a perimeter weapon, especially in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Cavaliers.

During the four-game sweep, Shamet connected on 11 of 12 three-point attempts, giving the Knicks a scary shooting option off the bench. It was a 97 percent clip, the highest ever in a postseason series by a player with at least ten shots.

After helping New York win its first championship in 53 years, Shamet entered the offseason with a very different decision to face. But the Knicks wanted him back, and on July 6, he inked a four-year, $24 million contract averaging $6 million per season, keeping him in NY as they begin their title defense.

Right before news of his re-signing became public, Shamet posted the famous “I’m not leaving” scene from The Wolf of Wall Street on Instagram. Funnily enough, he photoshopped his face onto Jordan Belfort’s body. “This is up there with Da Vinci bro,” Shamet wrote over the video.

In a way, Shamet also made a financial sacrifice to remain with the Knicks. He turned down larger offers from contenders and accepted a below-market deal. That decision let the Knicks keep more flexibility around their championship core while Shamet secured long-term stability in the city. And with Mitchell Robinson leaving the scene, Shamet’s sacrifice instills hope.

So, there are two very different sides to Shamet’s offseason. One involves a $24 million contract and the responsibility of defending a championship. The other involves sitting in a photo pit without pay, waiting for a tennis player to hit the exact frame he wants.

For a player who has already found financial security through basketball, the second pursuit says something about what motivates him beyond hooping.

In short, Shamet does not need photography to pay his bills. He simply loves it enough to keep showing up.