Basketball players will have the chance to take home $1,000 this weekend as the Santa Clarita Valley will host the first-ever 3×3 Veteran’s Day Tournament on Saturday.
Taylor Statham, a Golden Valley High School alumnus and current professional basketball player, organized the event with the goal of building 3×3 basketball in the area.
“It’s just a fast-paced game,” Statham said. “It really works on decision making … basketball is a game of runs, but these games are so quick you can’t get down quick or it bites you in the butt later. So just learning how important each possession is.”
Each team is guaranteed four 10-minute games. There will be a kids division with giveaways and an adult division with a $1,000 grand prize in addition to a 3-point shooting contest and a dunk contest.
The tournament is open to everyone, not just Santa Clarita basketball players and will be hosted at the Santa Clarita Athletic Club from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
In addition to building 3×3 basketball, Statham is happy to host events in the town he grew up in.
“I feel like everyone is kind of sectored off into their little corner, their school, their travel ball, just having events like this where you’re playing with or against people you might not see, or play against once a year,” he said. “Just having older guys there as an example for youth to learn from and grow from I think is huge.”
Teams can register at stathamacademy.com by Wednesday. Any questions can be directed to Statham at [email protected].
