ASB Arena rocks with 3X3 basketball

Aquinas College star Briarley Rogers in action at the 3x3 nationals. Photo / John Borren

From humble beginnings on the streets of New York in the late 1980s, the half-court 3x3 (three-on-three) basketball has grown to become a global urban phenomenon.

The International Olympic Committee will decide in June if 3x3 is to be played at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. If they agree it will open up Olympic pathways for a new generation of athletes.

New Zealand's finest young 3x3 ball players were in action at the secondary schools 3x3 national slam held at Mount Maunganui's ASB Arena from Friday through to Sunday.

There were 63 teams split into four divisions with Year 9 to 10 junior boys' and girls' plus senior boys' and girls' under-19 years.

Tauranga City Basketball's chief executive Mark Rogers says this is the first time the tournament has been held outside of Auckland.

"We had four teams from Dunedin which was fantastic, with probably 60/40 split of boys to girls. It is obviously a gender neutral sport with an equal amount of interest.

"It has very quickly grown to the stage it is now. This event didn't exist three years ago. The national 3x3 tour has grown where they are over capacity at some of the events now so it is definitely very popular and growing rapidly."

Internationally there are professional leagues for 3x3 in Japan and America. Rapper and actor Ice Cube has just started one with ex-NBA players.

Rogers sees 3x3 as a positive way to introduce people into the sport and from an administrator's angle it makes the tournament easy to run.

"You only need three people in a team which means the infrastructure is quite easy. We can have 12 games going here at once - which means more people on the court which is great."

Aquinas College senior girls' team led the way for the Western Bay by making the top eight, ably led by New Zealand under-16 basketball star Briarley Rogers.

Aquinas basketball coach Trish Begley says the performance of both the boys' and girls' teams at the nationals is indicative of how popular basketball is at the school.

"We have a small band of people who are very passionate about basketball and we have Rachel Gwerder, a New Zealand coach, coaching the girls at Aquinas," Begley said.

"We also have Briarley Rogers who is a New Zealand under-16 player. She is a fantastic shooter.

"With 3x3 you only need a few players and we are a small school with 700 students including intermediate and high school."

Begley says the other big advantage for kids getting into 3x3 is the minimal cost and the fact they can play it anywhere.

"You just need a ball and a hoop. Most schools have an outdoor hoop. You don't need a gym, just a few mates, some shoes and a ball and you are away laughing. It is an exciting sport as well. It is going to be an Olympic sport as well hopefully."

National 3x3 Western Bay schools results:
Aquinas College: senior girls 8th, junior boys 11th, senior boys 16th
Bethlehem College: junior girls 10th, junior boys 13th, senior boys 20th
Papamoa College senior boys 20th
3 point final shoot out: Briarley Rogers Aquinas College 2nd equal