The 5-year anniversary of our #SHUTUPANDPLAY tournament will go down in history as the one with the strongest and toughest competition to date. Our mission from the very beginning was to create a true player’s tournament. Let’s forget all the side noise and hoopla and focus what #SHUTUPANDPLAY is known for: Competitive 3on3 Basketball. More than 400 players on 107 teams delivered on that promise! THIS was hard knock basketball.
Amidst tropical summer heat in Berlin City we had the honor to host the very best European streetball talent on the weekend of July 27th to 29th. And what started out as a streetball tournament quickly developed into a basketball-camp-like atmosphere due to the exclusive (and secluded) vibe of the location. But in true KICKZ style we managed to not only make the best of the situation but transform it into an advantage. While maybe not ideal for spectators, it was the perfect venue for the players who had quick access to all six courts and the opportunity to make new friends in this tight knit basketball community. The best Hip Hop beats played by DJ Boogie Dan made for a perfect baller atmosphere.
As teams from Spain, Poland, Switzerland and from all around Germany made their way to the capital for what is widely regarded as the most prestigious 3-on-3 tournament on German soil, crews like Der Stamm, Team Weightroom, Team Studiobudza, Team Athleague, Team Africa, Team Black Lions and Team Liberty quickly emerged as favorites. However, one team rose above all: Team FIVE Mag, which featured Andrej Mangold, Brian Butler, Omari Knox and Yasin Kolo, not only won the Friday tourney in convincing fashion but also looked almost undefeatable until they played Team Weightroom in the semi-finals of the big Sunday tournament. With the risk of missing out on the grand finale and the chance of winning the € 5.000 prize money, it was Omari Knox (1. Regio, BC Hellenen Munich) who came through in the clutch, sinking several crucial three-pointers with defenders hanging all over him.
When the final buzzer sounded Team FIVE Mag stood tall among the high caliber competition, edging out Der Stamm with a score of 20:15, taking home the 5K and bragging rights from Spree to Hudson and back. After three days of hard competition we had a #SHUTUPANDPLAY Champion 2018! For Brian Butler it was a back-to-back championship, having won last year with Team Nation of Hoop already.
One of the many highlights that weekend was the annual Dunk Contest, in which the pros of Dunk Elite were challenged by three walk-ons and had a harder time than expected. Especially SUAP dunking alumni Salu Tadi showed elite athleticism and pushed Miller, Smoove & Hulk to their limits. In the end World Champ Miller prevailed having executed all of his dunks with perfection and power. Prize money of € 2.500 was his reward while the crowd cheered and the players paid their respects to all dunk contestants.
In the end there is nothing left for us to say but THANK YOU. To all players and dunkers you make #SHUTUPANDPLAY the most competitive streetball tournament in Germany and a highlight basketball event. To our partner adidas and also Alba Berlin for helping us with the location. To the great city of Berlin for hosting us. Thank you to our sponsors Vitaminwell & Powerbar. To Falk and team Expema for professional logistics as always. To DJ Boogie Dan for the beats. To all our helpers, hostesses, refs & court monitors. To our awesome photographer Nady El-Tounsy and our videographer team of Arseny & AP. Thank you to Paddy and his security team. To to SharingBox and our food trucks.
See you next year!
For more pictures, check the official #SHUTUPANDPLAY 3-on-3 Tournament Facebook Page. Click here
#SHUTUPANDPLAY
