The Tribune

By TENAJH SWEETING

Tribune Sports Reporter

tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

THE 27th edition of the Michael “Scooter” Reid Peace on Da Streets Basketball Classic returns to a new Hope Community Center basketball court next week Monday.

Event organiser Carlos Reid and a few of the tournament’s sponsors were in attendance yesterday at the Hope Center in support of the basketball extravaganza.

The six-day competition will feature eight teams across five divisions including the 13-and under, 16-and under, 19-and under, church and open division.

The event will get underway from July 24 leading up to Family Fun Night on July 30, showcasing the championship games and celebrity game between the clergy and politicians.

Reid talked about the expectations of the competition level at the Basketball Classic. “We are expecting a number of college basketball players to showcase their talents as this event has become the elite basketball tournament in The Bahamas and over the past several years we have attracted college coaches that come down with the hope of offering scholarships to some of our young players,” Reid said.

The winners of the open division will receive a cash prize of $2,000 and the runners-up will receive $1,000 for their efforts.

The event organiser shared why the basketball classic’s prize money increased for the 27th edition of the tournament.

“This is the premier basketball tournament, persons have gotten scholarships, a lot of the players that play professionally say that they played in this tournament… this is why we decided to up our prize money because some of these brothers have real needs,” the event organiser said.

The eight teams will get to battle on a revamped Hope Community Center basketball court before play transitions over to the Kendal G L Isaacs Gymnasium for the championship games.

Outside of division play, competitors will have the opportunity to compete in other basketball competitions for cash prizes. Persons can partake in the IHOP-sponsored Slam Dunk Contest or the Mr Ship It Three-Point Shootout.

Despite not having a women’s division this time around due to lack of numbers, Reid welcomes the ladies’ teams to join the basketball classic because the organisation is ready to support them.

“Persons have said before that we do not look out for the females, but the two years that we decided to on two different occasions we only had three teams…if we are guaranteed that the females are interested we can easily put it in because we have the capacity and support behind us to do it,” Reid said.

He added that they would like to cater to the women but they need full participation to include the division.

Although there will not be a division for the ladies, fans can expect to see the Lady Politicians and Lady Pastors going head-to-head in a free throw shootout for bragging rights.

Reid had some strong words for the politicians ahead of next weekend’s celebrity game.

“I saw them in the House of Assembly putting up these new uniforms but I just want to let them know uniforms do not win games … if y’all are looking to win this year you all are in a sad state,” he said.

The Basketball Classic has gotten great support from corporate sponsors, including title-sponsor Brice Newball Foundation, Sun Oil, Domino’s Pizza, IHOP, Insurance Company of The Bahamas, National Fencing and 22 others.

Nadia Butterfield, a representative of the Brice Newball Foundation, said if there was ever a time we needed peace in the country, it is now.

The foundation is proud to be a part of the sponsorship and to support the event and Reid bringing hope to the hopeless.

The event gets underway at 5pm on Monday.