Dunk Contest? Not Quite.

There was no dunk contest. Instead, the event ended up being an intramural tourament for SCCC students. The gym gatekeepers almost didn't let me in, but they understood the ambiguity on the flyer and relented.

I walked in and immediately realized that there was no dunk contest to be had, since most people on the court will never even approach the rim. Oh well. Turns out the games were fun to watch regardless, due mainly to the intensity of the teams involved. The games were fast-paced and engrossing, even without knowing any of the people involved. In all, I caught four games (team names my own).

Game 1: Angus vs. the Misfits
I arrived in the middle of this game. The Misfits had a lot of heart, but not much in the way of either height or skill. They ended up losing this game because they were simply outmatched. The winning team is named after it's "star" player, who I quickly dubbed "Angus." Why Angus? Because he wishes he were Kobe. I appreciated his old-school footwear (a pair of white Nike Dunks with a red-outlined swoosh), but his lack of teamwork was disappointing. He didn't believe in passing, and while I could see that he had some degree of skill, it wasn't enough to warrant his ego.

Game 2: Back to Africa (B2A) vs. Back to Basics (B2B)
The tournament entrants were largely Asian. At times, 8 or 9 of the people on the court were Asian. This game mixed it up a bit, with one team consisting of Africans, and the other including the player I deemed "Redwood" on account of his height. Overall, this game showed a lot more basketball ability, but B2B was in control the whole game. They weren't anything fancy, but they had great ball movement and effectively used Redwood in the post. B2A had too many egos trying to grab the spotlight, and showed horrible sportsmanship. I was happy that they lost.

Game 3: Back to Africa vs. The Misfits
Somewhere during their break, the Misfits found their rhythm. They passed the ball, and made great shots under a lot of defensive pressure from the B2A squad. B2A, frustrated from their first loss, played with a lot of desperation, which cranked their assholiness up quite a few notches. Hard fouls, trash talking, and unnecessary showboating became their hallmarks, irking the referee along with their opponents (As an aside, the ref was wearing a pair of white Nike Cortezes, with a red swoosh). The Misfits however, spoke softly and carried a big stick, earning themselves the win in convincing, if not altogether exciting, fashion.

Game 4: Back to Basics vs. Angus
In what could have been a battle of the big men, this game ended up being incredibly balanced. Redwood didn't take over, but continued to draw the attention while distributing the ball. Angus toned down his game a bit as well, and let his teammates get some shots off, which is good since his shots weren't falling. The game was close all the way through, but it was the simple approach of Back to Basics that won the day. There wasn't much fanfare at the end of the game, just a few high-fives here and there, while the courts filled up for practice play.