With refurbishments well underway at the legendary Berea Courts in Johannesburg, excitement is building around the upcoming Red Bull Reign 3-on-3 basketball competition taking place there on the 12th of August 2017.
The courts have already seen a drastic transformation. Hoping to restore these iconic courts to their former glory, this re-injection into the game is well-received by the South African basketball community at large.
Former South African Team Captain Tskakani Ngobeni is excited to see the courts finally being put to use again: “Beirut, as we called it back then, was home to some of the most legendary streetball. Many of the original SA Team players including myself honed their skills there. We spent all our time there in our youth – watching the older guys, learning all their skills.”
“Hosting the Red Bull Reign final there will not only bring back amazing memories for many of us but this refurbishment is also great to honour the roots of the South African legacy of the game in totality,’ Ngobeni remarked.
Red Bull Reign is the only basketball tournament with a cumulative scoring system as teams of three play against each other in rounds with the highest scoring team advancing to the next round. This system essentially makes the event an offence-focused tournament where “it ́s all about getting buckets.”
NBA player Anthony Davis is the international face for the event. “It takes a lot of team work to win Red Bull Reign but it’s also about playing hard, real hard,” says Davis. “It’s a lot of fun, a lot of people come out.”
The winning team from the South African event will compete at the Red Bull Reign global finals at the legendary courts at Barry Farms in Washington DC in September.
Red Bull Reign is open to the public and the surrounding community. Basketball fans are encouraged to come down to enjoy the games and support their favourite teams.
EVENT INFORMATION
DATE: Saturday, 12 August 2017
TIME: 10AM- 5PM
PLACE: Ponte Basketball Court (Berea Park, Cnr Abel / Joe Slovo Drive, JHB)
COVER: Open to the Public
