Why the Best Ideas Come from Play | Maxwell Pearce | TED

Coaches kept telling Maxwell Pearce to stick to the fundamentals. Good thing he didn't listen. A Harlem Globetrotter and artist, he went on to build a global reputation for gravity-defying dunks and a theory that the same playful rule-breaking is what powers progress in every field. In this joyful talk, he makes the case that play isn't the opposite of serious work — it's the secret ingredient behind it. (Recorded at Play@TED on May 14, 2026)

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