Brooklyn Bridge Park’s Pier 2 courts are not available for play. Rather, there are battles to be fought and jobs to be done. Sweat and profanity cloud the atmosphere, almost in stark contrast to the picturesque view of Manhattan sitting across the river. But those umbrellas hold the keys to the work beneath them. And for the Red Bull Half Court World Finals, it’s the holy Mecca of the 3on3 universe.
In its fifth year, Red Bull Half Court, featuring 8,000 men and women from 21 different countries, brings the World Finals to Bridge Park in Brooklyn, where qualifying teams from around the world including Australia, Belgium, Egypt, India, Japan, Serbia, the Philippines, Italy and UAE will play for the title of world champion.
The road to the finals for the U.S. begins Aug. 17 with the men’s and women’s qualifiers in Atlanta and New York City at Happy Warrior Playground. We’ve put together our own team for the occasion with a women’s roster set for the US finals on October 18th. The winner of the New York qualifying tournament will face the winners of Atlanta, and the US champions will advance to worlds. The finals are on October 19-20, where a surprise awaits.
In partnership with Project Backboard, Red Bull will unveil a new court at Bridge Park in Brooklyn courtesy of them. court design competition. From now until September 1st, local designers, street art enthusiasts and basketball enthusiasts have the opportunity to design the basketball court of their dreams for a chance to bring it to life at the Red Bull Half Court World Finals in October. The winning panel will be selected by a panel of New York and basketball tastemakers, including Alex Taylor of Hoop York, Brian Kortovich of the Smokin’ Aces, Project Backboard, Brooklyn Bridge Park, Project Backboard and your very own here at SLAM.
At last year’s Red Bull Half Court World Finals in Belgrade, Serbia, hometown heroes Team Serbia defeated Team Poland in an overtime thriller. On the women’s side, Egypt won their first women’s title by defeating defending champions Japan.
This year, the competition introduces a new twist to the sporting rules. The three-point shot, marked by two circles drawn 6.5 feet in diameter behind the arc, will add a new level of intensity to the tournament.
“The art of shooting continues to be the most important skill for players at all levels of competition,” said shooting coach Chris Matthews, aka Lethal Shooter, who trains many NBA players. “With the new three-point shot on the Red Bull Half Court, every team in the country must hit this shot to qualify for the World Finals at Brooklyn Bridge Park.” As the SLAM team prepares to get down to business this weekend, all eyes are on the City of Dreams.
Photos via Red Bull.
