Different team, same results for Kennedy, Kane
As the ESPN cameras rolled, D.J. Kennedy stood front and center, slowly waving his hand to show his five fingers, one for every TBT title he has won.
For Kennedy, it was a “one for the thumb” moment. He has claimed more TBT titles than any other player. And for him and longtime friend DeAndre Kane, it was another big payday.
Different team. Same result. Kennedy and Kane, Hill District natives and graduates of old Schenley High School, helped Boeheim’s Army capture its first TBT title with a 69-67 win against Team 23 in the championship Aug. 3 at the University of Dayton. The two earned shares of the tournament’s winner-take-all-prize of $1 million.
Kennedy and Kane had been staples of Overseas Elite, by far the most dominant team in the history of The Basketball Tournament, an annual event which continues to gain in popularity. Kennedy helped Overseas Elite fourpeat from 2015-18. Kane was part of the final three of those teams. The dynasty ended in 2019 with a loss in the semifinals. It was the same result last year when the two City League greats chose not to play due to COVID-19 concerns.
A year later, Kennedy and Kane wanted back in. The problem was, Overseas Elite decided not to field a team this year. Kennedy and Kane were free agents. Enter Boeheim’s Army, a Syracuse alumni team that also featured a handful of players who starred at other colleges. The squad reached out to the two about joining in. Kennedy liked the team they already had in place and pursued the opportunity. As they say, the rest is history.
“It’s special and it’s unreal,” Kennedy said. “It’s legendary as far as me realizing how hard it is to do. To win two and then win two more. We took a year off. It’s so special to win a fifth one. It’s definitely special for me to switch teams and get the same result.”
In the most dramatic ending ever to a TBT championship, Keifer Sykes knocked down a contested 3-pointer to give Boeheim’s Army the walk-off win. Sykes finished with a game-high 21 points.
“It’s still not set in. It was so big time,” Kennedy said of Sykes’ heroics. “But we expect that from him. He’s a great team player and he’s all about winning.”
In what was like a scene out of a movie, Sykes, once a college star at Wisconsin–Green Bay, signed a deal with the Indiana Pacers after the game.
Kennedy was the only other Boeheim’s Army player to score in double figures. He finished with 11 points and eight rebounds. Kane suffered an injury in the first quarter, which kept him out for the remainder of the game. He scored two points.
Tyrese Rice, a former standout at Boston College, was Boeheim’s Army’s top scorer in the tournament and was named TBT MVP, an honor Kennedy earned in 2015 and 2018.
Unlike past years, Kennedy’s role on this team was not that of a big scorer. He scored in double figures just twice, and finished with averages of 5.8 points, 7 rebounds and 2 assists during the six-game run. Kane averaged 5.3 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists.
Boeheim’s Army was the No. 3 seed in the Illinois region and had some close calls in the tournament. It beat No. 1 seed and defending champion Golden Eagles, 73-69, in the quarterfinals, and then knocked off Florida TNT, 66-64, in the semifinals. Rice made the winning shot in both games.
Kennedy said that even though this was the first time the majority of the team had played together, there was instant chemistry.
“It was the same way [as it was with Overseas Elite],” said Kennedy. “I think that’s what me and Kane brought, just our presence. We just went out and played.”
Played in the presence of family and friends, too. With Dayton being only about a four-hour drive, Kennedy said that “pretty much my whole family” made the trip. Also there was former Schenley teammate Jamaal “Onion” Bryant, another starter on Schenley’s 2007 PIAA championship team. Bryant incredibly made SportsCenter the night of the TBT title win.
“He was there on the floor celebrating,” Kennedy said, laughing. “When I saw the video … that’s crazy. That’s our brother.”
Kennedy and Kane earned $80,000 each by winning the event. During TV coverage of the game, some of the players were interviewed and asked
how they would spend the money if their team won. Kane said he would buy a new Corvette.
“I wouldn’t put it past him. I wouldn’t be surprised if he has one by the weekend,” said Kennedy, adding that he would be investing his share.
Kane, 32, and Kennedy, 31, both plan on continuing
their international playing careers this fall, but what about their TBT careers? Kane was caught on video after the championship saying this was his final TBT. Kennedy has said the same. However, it might be best to take those words with a grain of salt, as both have made similar statements after previous title runs.
“There’s no reason for me to play anymore,” Kennedy said. “Unless there’s a [raise in the prize money], I don’t see myself returning. I want to go out on top, the same way I came in. But you never know.”