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By Hanne Armstrong

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For the fourth straight year NBA 3-on-3 presented by Rogers is coming to the Moncton Coliseum. This weekend, July 4 and 5, the Coliseum parking lot will be marked and painted to make some 35 courts for this national tour, which seeks to bring basketball players, fans and the curious together for tournament play and NBA Raptors-style fun.

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Moncton is hoping this weekend’s NBA 3-on-3 tournament is a slam dunk for participants and spectators alike.

Registration has already taken place, and all that remains is for teams to check in on Friday evening or Saturday morning, and then appear at their appointed game times with as many supporters as they wish. A team consists of three to five players, three of whom are on the court at a time, while two are alternates. Another difference between this tournament and regular basketball games is that no game will exceed 20 minutes in length. Short games are necessary, as a total of some 650 games will be played during the weekend.

"This is a round-robin event," explains David Defreitas, manager of hockey and basketball development for Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment. "Especially on the first day, there could easily be 30 games going on at once."

The tournament is divided into six divisions, three for adults over 18 and three for youth, based on age and skill level. Youngsters between eight and 12 compete against each other, as do those aged 13 to 15 and 16 to 18. Adult divisions run the gamut of experience from recreational to competitive to the elite, experienced Sirius teams who compete for a $1,000 prize which is awarded to the champion men's and women's teams of the tournament.

"That's the only cash prize being awarded," says David, "because we want to keep the focus on fun. This is a community event, a celebration of the game of basketball. Cash prizes would change that, so we have medals that are awarded, and each division winning team has their picture uploaded to our website."

The first games get underway Saturday morning at 9 a.m., under the watchful and experienced eyes of some of the 50 Basketball New Brunswick referees officiating at the event. The refs are given direction by NBA experts based in Atlanta, GA, travelling with the tour, so there is consistency in tournaments right across the country. Games continue right through Sunday, except for during the halftime shows which take centre stage from noon to 1 p.m. both days.

"Our manager of games operations, who is responsible for entertainment at the Air Canada Centre, is on the tour with us," says David. "He makes sure we present each city we visit with a great feel for what it's like to be at an NBA game."

Autographed merchandise, giveaways, contests and games, are all part of the halftime show, which makes the weekend far more than just a tournament for players. It's an event for spectators whether they know a lot or very little about the game of basketball. And The Raptor, the Raptors' mascot, puts on his own fun and lively version of a jump show. The Raptor has four times been named the number one mascot in the NBA.

"This is a family event where we give participants and spectators a showcase of local talent in an atmosphere as close to the (Air Canada Centre) as we can get," says David. "We try to make it relevant to everybody, and we don't charge admission to spectators."

In the province which, according to Basketball NB's Executive Director Chuck Beyea, has the highest per capita percentage of basketball players in Canada, the NBA 3-on-3 Tour is a much anticipated event. Between 700 and 900 players take part, most of them bringing a fan or two with them. Men and boys make up the majority of the players, women and girls coming in at about 20 per cent, which is also the national average. Both genders and all ages are well represented amongst fans.

Fans will have the opportunity to meet this year's travelling celebrity, who is Toronto head coach Jay Triano. Jay hails from Vancouver, and has been the Raptors' assistant coach for seven years. The 3-on-3 Tour is his first official appearance as head coach.

All told, this weekend promises to be another Moncton success story. If you're a basketball fan, come out and cheer. If you know nothing about the game, come out and enjoy the fun. If you're an aspiring NBAer, come out and soak up the heady atmosphere of basketball and more basketball. More information is available at nba3on3.com.