On the courts of Brooklyn Bridge Park’s Pier 2, there aren’t any pick-up games to be had. Rather, there are battles to be enacted and jobs to get done. Sweat and curse words cloud the atmosphere, almost entirely in contrast to the picturesque view of Manhattan sitting across the river. But those canopies hold the keys to the work being done underneath them. And for the Red Bull Half Court World Finals, it’s the holy mecca of a 3on3 universe.
In its fifth year, the Red Bull Half Court, with 8,000 men’s and women’s players from 21 different countries, are bringing the World Finals to Brooklyn Bridge Park where qualifying teams from countries around the world including Australia, Belgium, Egypt, India, Japan, Serbia, the Philippines, Italy and the UAE, will play for the right to be crowned world champions.
For the USA, the path to the finals begins with the men’s and women’s qualifiers on August 17 in Atlanta and New York City at Happy Warrior Playground. We’ve assembled our own squad for the occasion with a stacked women’s roster set on moving to the US finals on October 18. The winner of the New York City qualifiers will face the winners from Atlanta, with the USA champs moving on to the World Finals on Oct. 19-20 where a surprise awaits.
In collaboration with Project Backboard, Red Bull will unveil a new court at Brooklyn Bridge Park, courtesy of their court design contest. From now until September 1, local designers, street art lovers and basketball fans have the opportunity to design the basketball court of their dreams for a chance to have it brought to life at the Red Bull Half Court World Finals in October. The winning court will be chosen by a jury of NYC and basketball tastemakers, including Alex Taylor of Hoop York City, Brian Kortovich of Smokin’ Aces, Project Backboard, Brooklyn Bridge Park, Project Backboard and your very own here at SLAM.
At last year’s Red Bull Half Court World Finals held in Belgrade, Serbia, the hometown heroes Team Serbia beat Team Poland in a nail-biting overtime thriller. On the women’s side, Team Egypt took home their first-ever women’s title after beating the defending champs, Team Japan.
This year, the competition is introducing a new flair to the sporting rules. A three-point shot, marked by two circles with a three-foot diameter drawn 6.5 feet behind the arc, will add a new level of intensity within the tournament.
“The art of shooting continues to be the most critical skill set for a player at every level of competition,” says shooting coach Chris Matthews, aka Lethal Shooter, who coaches numerous NBA players. “With the new three-pointer coming into Red Bull Half Court, every team from every country will have to hone this shot to secure a bid to the World Finals at Brooklyn Bridge Park.” As Team SLAM gears up to take care of business this weekend, all eyes are on the City of Dreams.
Photos via Red Bull.
