This weekend, The Basketball Tournament (TBT), a single-elimination, five-on-five winner-take-all, open-application tournament will have its 2015 Semi-Finals and Finals at Fordham University. Overall the field included no fewer than 125 players who have played in either the NBA or the NBA D-League, with over 40 having substantial NBA experience and over 500 with professional experience.
Baltimores City of Gods, coached by Joe Connelly, brother of Phoenix Suns GM Pat and Denver Nuggets GM Tim, is led by former New York Knicks Dermarr Johnson and Michael Sweetney, as well as NBA and Euro league veterans Pops Mensah-Bonsu (George Washington University), Devin Sweetney (St. Francis-Pa) and two Philly college stars turned professionals, David Hawkins of Temple and Phil Goss of Drexel.
They will take on Overseas Elite, led by former St. Johns University star D.J. Kennedy, point guard Errick McCollum II, brother of Portland Trailblazers swingman CJ McCollum, NCAA All-Time three point leader Travis Bader, University of Texas Myck Kabongo, and another former St. Johns star: Paris Horne. The other matchup is the Ants Alumni, a reunion of the 2014 NBA D-League Champion Fort Wayne Mad Ants. The Ants are coached by Columbia University grad Dylan Murphy and led by former SEC Player of the Year Chris Porter, NBA veteran Stephen Graham and two former University of Miami stars in William Frisby and Anthony Harris. Their opponent will be Team 23, an Arizona-based team named in honor of Michael Jordan. They found success in Chicago this past weekend behind the solid interior play of former Seton Hall center Augustine Okosun and the shooting of guard Davin White, as they dismantled Las Vegas 7outz by 41 and LAUNFD by 21.
Conceived by CEO Jonathan Mugar as the ultimate opportunity for fans, athletes and social media mavens to create teams and then participate in a high-stakes, professionally run and organized sporting event, The Basketball Tournament is a winner-take-all, single elimination, open competition for players 18 years of age or older. Over 300 teams applied to make the 97 team field in 2015, with each team consisting of a General Manager (GM), at least seven players, and have 100+ fan votes to be eligible. For more details visit http://www.thetournament.com/
