Image Credit: CFJC Today

By Adam Donnelly

SUMMER IN THE CITY

Basketball fever spreads to Kamloops with Bank3 Tournament, Summer League Block Party

Jun 3, 2019 | 3:53 PM

KAMLOOPS — After the success of Brewloops over the past few years, similar events seem to be popping up in the city. This weekend, local creator Jesse Faubert teamed up with Downtown Kamloops to host a two-day celebration of activity that included spin and yoga classes, a beer garden, and some top-level 3-on-3 basketball.

Some of the best basketballers in Kamloops took to the asphalt on Victoria Street over the weekend. They were playing in the inaugural Bank 3 Basketball tournament. The idea was born out of a conversation Faubert had with Dino Bernardo.

“I’m just a huge fan of basketball,” Faubert told CFJC Today. “We went to Downtown Kamloops, and they said, ‘Hell yeah, let’s rock and roll.’ And here we are.”

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The event featured 16 teams in two divisions. The Open Division drew some of the best hardcourt talent to play in Kamloops over the past two decades. The event was orchestrated by Kamloops Hoops legend Sean Garvey, who used his connections to help draw teams to the tourney.

“When you’ve got some of the talent that’s come out of this city, we’re probably long overdue,” Garvey told CFJC Today.

The teams were competing for more than just bragging rights. According to Garvey, there was $4,500 in cash on the line for the top teams in the tourney.

“You know what, there’s some really good hoopers here,” Garvey explained. “We got the best guys from Kamloops playing, whether they’re in the Open [Division]. It’s basically a college-level talent for the cash [prize money]. You can see these guys are getting after it.”

That was motivation enough for a quartet of Kamloops men’s leaguer players to enter a squad. George Patel, Graveer Gill, and Kelly Northcott are three-quarters of Team Rivermist. For them, playing out on the street held a unique set of challenges.

“It’s fast,” Patel said. “They’re ten-minute games, and it’s a fast turnover. In that heat, your body temperature rises quickly.”

After just one game, the whole Rivermist team agreed that they’d like to see this event grow for next year.

“I’m pretty excited to see this inaugural one get started here. It’s pretty great,” Northcott said.

“They’ve done a fabulous job bringing the teams together,” Patel said. “There’s a lot of local Kamloops people. It’d be nice to get more divisions next year, get a High School Boys & Girls, that way we can get the culture of basketball really moving in the city.”

The event was held alongside the Summer League Block Party in the alley between Victoria and Lansdowne Streets. It featured fitness classes by day, and live music as well as Game 2 of the NBA Finals in the evenings.

Image Credit: CFJC Today

For both organizers, they hope is this year’s Bank 3 and Summer League events start a long tradition of similar celebrations in Downtown Kamloops.

“We know this thing is going to last years and years, and only get bigger and bigger,” Garvey said.

“We’re going to do this next year — Bank3 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament alongside the Summer League Block Party,” Faubert promised. “If you couldn’t make it this weekend, keep your eyes peeled.”