Gus Macker tourney brings hoops to town
Travelling on Queen Street in Niagara Falls would have gotten you a technical foul this weekend.
About 130 teams from Canada and as far away as Virginia were raining three-pointers downtown for the city’s first ever Gus Macker 3-on-3 basketball tournament. Making its first appearance in Canada in a decade, the popular event pits teams of all ages and skill levels against each other for two days of hoops.
The tournament is so popular in the U.S., it has been known to attract Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal out to some events.
With the Toronto Raptors’ recent success, event manager Bill Gorman of Buffalo figured it was time to bring the tourney back to Canada.
“Gus Macker, I always compare to the Grateful Dead,” he said. “You go to one concert, you want to go to a bunch of them.
“The American teams (here) have all played in multiple Gus Mackers.”
Gorman says about 100 to 150 teams is ideal for a city’s first tournament. Once established, between 400 to 500 teams compete in a typical Gus Macker weekend.
Mike Awad of Buffalo had a rough start to the tournament Saturday — the rest of his team was stuck at the border crossing into Canada. For several minutes, he faced his opponent all alone.
“We were playing one-on-three,” he said, soaked in sweat after a tough loss. “The score was 12 to 3.” The final score was 15-8.
“We outscored them five-to-three once we got our whole team,” said teammate Ilija Karanovic.
Calling themselves 716 (after Buffalo’s area code), the team was playing its third Gus Macker tournament of the year. After their shorthanded loss, they aimed to “make a comeback story for the newspaper … win it all,” said Karanovic.
As the older players competed on Queen Street, young players and their parents packed Erie Street. The event also featured food vendors, a skills contest and entertainment.
“Gus Macker is more a carnival type atmosphere,” said Gorman. “We try and do something for everybody, even if you’re not a basketball player.”
Championship games were scheduled for Sunday afternoon.
The event originated in Michigan when a group of 18 friends pitched in a dollar each to play a competitive tournament. It kept growing, prompting them to take it on the road in 1987. It now has indoor and outdoor tournaments in more than 75 cities every year, attracting about 200,000 players and 1.7 million spectators.
Gorman was thrilled with the inaugural Niagara Falls tourney — especially the hot, sunny weather — and said it will be back next year. And possibly other Canadian cities?
“I wish more American cities were such gracious hosts as the Canadians. We used to have tournaments in London, in Toronto, in Kitchener, and every time we go there everyone is extremely nice and welcoming. It makes us feel really at home.”