Central Park’s Wollman Rink is normally an ice skating rink during the winter months. For one humid summer weekend in early August, basketball fans from around New York gathered for the culmination of Nike’s high school basketball tournament, NYvsNY.
The seventh season of NYvsNY finished with a two-day championship weekend at Victory Park in Central Park. On Aug. 9 and 10, Victory Park became the stage for this season’s top young hoopers.
The tournament, created by Nike, invites young hoopers to represent their neighborhoods. The showcase began in 2017, with a vision to unite the city around basketball and celebrate the sport’s culture in New York.
Teams come from Lincoln Park (Queens), Gersh Park (Brooklyn), Watson (The Bronx), and West 4th, Tri-State, Dyckman, and Uptown Challenge (Manhattan).
NYvsNY consists of authentic streetball games and gives up-and-coming players a space to put themselves on the map by showcasing their skills. Games take place at famous courts around the city, including Harlem’s Rucker Park.
Fans could also shop for exclusive NYvsNY merchandise and sneakers throughout the weekend at the Foot Locker Newsstand. Several coveted basketball shoes, including the GT Future, the Ja 3 ‘Price of Admission’, Sabrina 3 ‘Glacier Blue’, and AF1 “NYvsNY,” were available.
The stands and courtside were filled with celebrities throughout the weekend. Jalen Brunson handed out the championship trophy following the final game on Sunday night. Cash Cobain, Fabolous, Kiyan Anthony, and Speedy Morman were also in attendance.
West 4th Girls, Tri-State declared winners
Saturday kicked off with a three-on-three invitational, followed by the girls’ and boys’ semi-finals. Sunday featured the pro city championship game, the future’s game, and both the girls’ and boys’ championships.
Taking home their first-ever championship, West 4th Girls beat Dyckman 58–54, and Tri-State beat Dyckman 45–32 in the boys’ championship.
