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Jingle Balls… Jingle Balls…

3X3 Masters XMAS Edition returned to Park Spoor Noord in 2018 for some basketball!

Our house photographer, Serch Carriere, was in the building to capture some moments for us and, as we like to do, we went out and selected some of the best pics of this year’s edition.

But first, these were the teams who won in their respective categories:

U15: 1) Elite Nation  2) Antwerp Big 3  3) GMDT
U18 Boys: 1) Giants Nation  2) Alpha Gang  3) Shooting Stars
18+ Recreational: 1) Tomy La Morphine  2) LTN Connection 2.0  3) Cereal Killers
18+ Women: 1) The Spartans  2) BBC Deinze (U15)  3) $hoalin
18+ Elite: 1) BlackandWhiteMambas  2) Supahotfire  3) Fresh Air

Milan De Clercq of Falco Gent & Shooting Stars was our proud winner of the NBA 2K Shootout, as he received a brand new Playstation Pro console.

Up to the pictures!

I’ll leave it up to you guys: you think this is a foul or nah? 

When starting a drive to the basket, always attack your defender on his close-out foot: exhibit A. 

They say Christmas time is a time of giving, but my man here is just not that into Christmas I guess! 

Have you seen the newest scoreboards? They come with a human head to check out the game in the best possible way. 

This guy pulled out the rare Nate Robinson jersey. 

When the ref yells out “The floor is lava!”, you gotta improvise! 

When you take a shot like this, you have two options: You either yell out DIRK or KOBE! 

This guy going for the ‘Kareem Abdul-Jabbar hook shot’! 

DJ Dysfunkshunal oversees the playing courts while doing his magic on the decks! 

Sharpshooter Milan took away the Playstation Pro after nailing 9 triples in 30 seconds! 

Finally, also a shout-out for all the ladies who showed up to ball out! You were awesome! 

The FIBA 3×3 Europe Cup 2020. That’s the official name for the most prestigious European national team competition in 3×3 basketball, a tournament that will take place in Antwerp in 2020. 3×3 basketball is an ‘ordinary basketball’ variety and is growing in popularity. It will make its debut on the Olympic scene during the 2020 Summer Olympics. 12 teams in the men’s and 12 teams in the women’s competition will battle for European titles on the Groenplaats in Antwerp, only one month before the Tokyo Olympics and exactly a century after the Olympic Games in Antwerp.

3×3 basketball is a sports in which two teams consisting of three players (and a substitute) play each other on a field half the size of a classic basketball game. The pace of the game is extremely high. Both teams try to score in the same basket and the shot clock alarm buzzes after only 12 seconds. The game is over after 10 minutes or when a team has scored 21 points. 3×3 basketball is the ‘urban’ sport par excellence.

“Our Groenplaats already has quite a history as a 3×3 setting, because it has been the décor for an annual 3×3 tournament for different age categories since 2012. In 2020 our city will host the most important 3×3 basketball tournament from all over Europe. With such a major event we profile ourselves as the Urban capital of the Benelux. The atmosphere, the music and the games will make it truly unforgettable”, says Ludo Van Campenhout, Antwerp’s Deputy of Sports.

Marc Verlinden, president of Basketball Flanders, sees the EC in Antwerp as a golden opportunity for basketball in Belgium. “The fact that FIBA assigned us for the FIBA 3×3 Europe Cup 2020 proves that they believe, the same as we do, in Belgian basketball and particularly in our 3×3 project. The last years 3×3 basketball has made huge steps forward and we will keep on investing in its development towards a valued basketball discipline. We definitely aspire a medal during the FIBA 3×3 Europe Cup 2020. And in addition to that we hope to see 3×3 growing further, because a large 3×3 community is essential for the development of this unique discipline.”

In June 2020, Antwerp, the 12 best teams of Europe (12 in the men’s tournament, 12 in the women’s) will give their very best. The exact dates will be announced soon by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA). FIBA organises the EC in cooperation with the Royal Belgian Basketball Federation, Basketball Flanders and Sportizon/Golazo. As host, Belgium is allowed to play in both competitions. And don’t underestimate the little Belgians, because there are many 3×3 talents in our country. The U18 Belgian Lions became World champions in China last year and the U18 Belgian Cats took the European title in Hungary last September.

Sportizon/Golazo, co-organiser of the event, sees the EC in Antwerp as the highlight of a long 3×3 tradition. “Being handed the organisation of the FIBA 3×3 Europe Cup is a recognition for our beliefs in 3×3 basketball as a sport and for the investments all those years to build a fine competition. Sportizon has been organising many 3×3 events all over Belgium since 2007. The city of Antwerp always supported us with that, so having the tournament here makes it extra special”, says Bruno Keustermans from Sportizon.

Alex Sanchez (Managing Director FIBA 3×3) is thrilled about the Europe Cup in Antwerp. “The historic city centre of Antwerp is one of the most beautiful urban backgrounds in FIBA 3×3 history. I am very excited with the EC in such a young and dynamic city, and that only one month before our sport’s Olympic debut.”

Ann Wauters, leading lady of women’s basketball in Belgium, is over the moon with the Europe Cup in her own country. “Playing 3×3 is so much fun: the setting and the music are giving it an instant summer vibe. It is a wonderful discipline and 3×3 definitely has added value for basketball. Organising a Europe Cup will give an extra boost to the further development and popularity of 3×3 in Belgium. And I think we are in the race for silverware. Look at our bronze medal in 2014 or at the golden medals of the U18 boys on the WC and EC last year. And our U18 girls won gold as well on this year’s EC.”

Aaaaaand that’s a wrap!

Last weekend, we finished our 3X3 Masters tour with an incredible doubleheader, meaning the 3X3 Masters Antwerp tournament on saturday and the FINALS BABY on Sunday.

As we do after every tournament, we picked out some great photos, taken by photographer Serch Carriere, to look back and enjoy the beautiful people, basketball, music and weather.

On saturday we had our last qualifier for the Finals. These were the teams who came out on top of the hill:

U13: 1) Game Shakers  2) Ballislife  3) Concrete Lions Pride  4) Hertal Bucks
U15: 1) One Heartbeat  2) Youngbulls  3) Lebronto  4) The Underdogs
U18 Boys: 1) Bucket Team 2) A-Town Ballerz  3) The Playazz  4) ConcreteLionOriginal
U18 Girls: 1) ConcreteLionsBallers  2) Sky High  3) Clem
Wheelchair: 1) The Rolling Dutchies 2) Tukkers On Tour 3) Team R.I.S. 4) Wapper
18+Recreational: 1) Concrete Lions Run 2) NL U18  3) Oranje U18  4) Team KBD
18+ Women: 1) Yokoris Finstars 2) Peak Open Run Poezen 3) Nederland Oranje 4) Snoevers
18+ Elite: 1) El Palo Peak Team 2) NL Black 3) Zagreb Select 4) That’s Wassup

On Sunday of course, we had the 3X3 Masters Finals, where it all went down. These were the teams who crowned themselves 3X3 Champions in their respective categories:

U13: Ball Is Life
U15: Youngbulls
U18 Boys: Team Belgium
U18 Girls: Team Belgium U18
18+ Recreational: Concrete Lions Run (NDL)
18+ Women: Peak Open Run Poezen (NDL)
18+ Men Elite: Team Antwerp

Sean Pouedet was the lucky winner of our NBA 2K Shooting Contest and took a Playstation 4 Pro and a game of NBA 2K18 with him. Cristiaan Grives was once again the winner of the dunk contest.

Don’t forget, on saturday night we also had the awesome Red Bull Reign Event, from which you can check out the pictures right here. 

Now let’s check out some pictures of our 3X3 Masters tournament!

Once again, the Groenplaats in Antwerp was our stunning location for the 3X3 Masters Finals. 

 Referee Yves on the call, but how about the epic facepalm in the background? 

Slammajamma time! 

How about the dedication and persistence of our wheelchair players?! 

How about you GET THAT WEAK STUFF OUT OF HERE! 

DJ Dysfunkshunal providing the beats for the weekend. 

Take a look at our nice main court, sponsored by Orange! 

These ladies enjoyed the nice weather to the fullest! 

Youngster Sean Pouedet took home the Shooting Challenge and won a Playstation 4 Pro! 

In between your games, you can always take your time to hang out in the chilling booth. 

The shoe game is strong in this one. We are alle equal. 

Levitate, Levitate, Levitate…

Cristiaan won the Dunk Contest, basically by jumping over people…

Team Antwerp showed why they were the strongest team of them all and booked themselves a trip to Prague. 

 Last but not least, we couldn’t have done it without you. Our 3X3 Masters Crew! (Some people are missing on the photo, but we did not forget about you!) 

Wassup yall!

We can scratch West-Flanders of this year’s list, as our 3X3 Masters tournament made its way through Kortrijk last week. Hot weather, hot beats and lots of ballers were the key ingredients to make things work at the Veemarkt.

It played out like this. We didn’t have an 18+ Elite competition, but we did have the U15, U18 boys and girls, 18+ Women and 18+ Recreational categories.

 Tournament Winners

• U15:  1. White Lemon 2. Sea Ballers 3. HP United Juniors 4. The Snake Pit
• U18 Girls: 1. De Witten 2. Mama Merel 3. The Ballers
• U18 Boys: 1. De Scheppers 2. Triple X 3. Team Buckets 4. Koksijde Basket
• 18+ Women: 1. Wolfpack 2. Spraakgebrek 3. FemkeDrinktGeirnePisang 4. Blue Penguins
• 18+ Recreational: 1. Big Ballers 2. Nine Triple Zero 3. Brick Squad 4. Hot Fire

 Red Bull Reign Winners 

Brick Squad and Forza Bebita made the most buckets and secured their ticket to the Red Bull Reign Final in Antwerp, on the 28th of july.

Now check out some of our favourite pics, mady by Serch Carriere.
For all pictures, you can click on the following link: https://www.facebook.com/pg/3X3Masters/photos/?tab=album&album_id=1807537032662052

Now that’s what they call: promogame on point! 

Circus shot incoming! 

It was at this moment she knew… she f’d up 

Now THAT is what they really call Hot Handed…

Can’t figure out who wore it better; MC Lightning or Russell Westbrook? 

Watch out for that postmove! (We see you with the socks though) 

One of the reasons we play for: Put a smile on people’s faces

Belgian Cat Kyara Linskens was also #takinghershot at 3X3 Masters Kortrijk. 

How come we see the ref only talking to one team on this court? 

Well, that’s not supposed to look that way… Glad out courtmonis came quickly to the rescue! 

Shoutout to our sponsor Red Bull! 

Think about it every night and daaaaaay, spread my wings and fly awaaaaay…

When our Red Devils play for 3th place in the World Cup at 4pm, but you have a game at 3.50 pm…

We call that a pretty effective ball fake.

Going in for the finger rooooll

And that kids… is how you tie your shoelaces. 

Thank you all for coming and see you at 3X3 Masters Antwerp, Red Bull Reign and The Finals!

Maaaaan, 3X3 Masters in Brussels was lit AF! Not only did we see some great 3X3 games, but we had dance-offs, the best football freestyler in Belgium dropping panna’s – we see you Kadhafi – and a new BX Dunk Champion. In case you missed it, #serchcarriereimages got you covered. We got some of his best pictures right here, but if you wanna see more go check out the full album on Facebook.

Before we get to the pictures, here are some take-aways of the tournament.

Tournament winners:

• U15: 1. Ute Fam  2. BC Leuven  3. Bum Ass Warriors  4. ADMG Team
• U18 Boys: 1. Big Three  2. Home Team Hoops  3. 6K Team  4. Cousinsisasnake
• 18+ Men Recreational: 1. LTN Connection  2. Gladiators  3. Red Assault  4. RD96
• 18+ Men Elite: 1. Must Defend Right  2. Letsgetit  3. Antwerp  4. Succes Story

Red Bull Reign winners:

Team Antwerp proved to be the best scoring team once again as they emerge as the early favorites to take home the Red Bull Reign crown on July 28 in their hometown. Succes Story was the 2nd best scoring team in pool phase and will bring some heat to the Belgium Red Bull Reign Finals without a doubt.

NBA 2K Shoot Out Contest winner: 

Sam Kaminksi of team Big Three was taking his shot at the NBA 2K Shoot Out and nailed it. Guess shooters gonna shoot!

Spalding Dunk Contest winner:

Ladies and gentlement, we got a new Dunk Champ! Bastien Motte took on reigning champ Kevin Tshupula in a spectacular Spalding Dunk Contest. He had to dig deep in his bag of tricks but managed to squeeze out the win by dunking over a table while grabbing the ball from his teammate laying on top of it. Don’t worry, we got the picture if you don’t get it.

Mean face game on point!

Who got buckets?

Everything is more fun when you hashtag it #sportersbelevenmeer…

BX Crowd got eyes on everything!

We have no idea what’s going on here

When I say jump, you say ‘how high?’!

Rehydration is key!

Sometimes, you need a different perspective…

When you realize, you’re on a poster…

Baller baby coming soon.

Always a good thing when Belgian Lion Loïc Schwartz pulls out the ‘Three Bow & Arrow’

When you’re in a Dunk Contest and you know you’ve killed it:

And then this happens:

See you all in Kortrijk on July 14th, the last stop before we head to Antwerp! Sign up for Kortrijk closes on Wednesday July 11 at 23:59!

Who?

Maxime Depuydt

Limburg United (Euromillions basketball league)

Shooting Guard

Did you expect to win this tournament in Aalst with your team “The Chiefs”?

Yeah, we definitely came here to win. As you could have seen, it was a bit difficult but eventually we could take the win by scoring a buzzer beater.

Why do you think your team came out first? What are the strenghts of your team?

Our team is very strong and powerfull. We’re in a very good physical shape, which makes winning a 3×3 tournament much easier.

What are your teams ambitions for the Finals in Antwerp?

We definitely want to win the Finals, simple as that!

Who is your idol?

Kobe Bryant, in my opinion he’s an unbelievable player. There is nothing he can’t do!

What if you wouldn’t play basketball?

Well, I have a degree in physical education. So if I wouldn’t play basketball then I probably would be a physical educator. Becoming a physical educator is still an option after I finish my career ON the court.

We got a sweet taste in the Ajuinenstad last weekend. Hot too. But no sweat went unnoticed through the lens of photo-phenomenon Serch Carriere and we selected some of his – and your – best shots.

But first, let us announce the winners of the tournament and the teams that got their Golden Ticket to the 3X3 Masters Finals:

• U13: 1) We love this game 2) Girl Skwad 2 3) Girl Skwad 1
• U15: 1) BC Leuven 2) Jellyfam 2.0 3) Aalstars 4) Hoopfam
• U18 Boys: 1) Who’s next? 2) Appelflap 3) Jellyfam 4) Panters
• U18 Girls: 1) Flemch starring BC 2) The Splash Sisters 3) 2Cute2Be Cheerleader
• 18+ Women: 1) Partysquad 2) Slow Motion 3) De Visjes 4) 4 kinds of trouble
• 18 + Men Recreational : 1) United 2) Helios 3) Donkey Ballers 4) Sint-Anna Bricks
• 18+ Men Elite: 1) The Chiefs 2) Team Morichar 3) Deli 4) Tomahawk

The top 2 scoring teams in the 18+ Men Elite pool phase advance to the Red Bull Reign Finals on July 28, so congrats to The Chiefs and Tomahawk!

The best shooters of the day were Roel Bucumi in the U13/U15 category and Maxime Depuydt in the U18/18+ category. They both won the NBA 2K Shoot-out Contest by making it rain.

Next up in the winners list: Osias Apedzeagbo got the victory at the Spalding Dunk Contest. Hops by the dozen!

Ready for some pics? We gotcha!

You HAVE to pose when you hit game winners.

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: shooters gonna shoot!

When Reign and Rain are the same…

More game winners?

Deuces!

First come, first served!

When you just woke up after a huge hangover and realize you’re at 3X3 Masters…

Hi there!

Screaming is *not* mandatory.

When you’re trying to figure out which one is Joeri and which one is Joren…

All smiles when the weather is right.

When you’re balling but the DJ puts on Fat Joe’s ‘Lean Back’…

You can find the full album on our Facebook page, right here.

See you next weekend in Brussels – Saturday at Place de la Monnaie!

Who?
Team ‘The Hague’ (18+ Men Elite)

Jeroen Van Der List
Free agent
Power Forward

Julian Jaring
Landslake Lions, the Netherlands
Small Forward

Kasper Averink
Free agent
Shooting guard/Point guard

Jan Driessen
Lokomotief Rijkswijk, the Netherlands
Power Forward

Did you expect to be the winning team of this stop in Zaventem?
Yes! We came here to win, so we did expect this to happen.

What are your expectations for the 3×3 Masters Finals in Antwerp?
We definitely want to win there. We know it’s going to be difficult but we surely want to get the ticket to go and compete in the World Tour in Prague.

What does basketball mean to you?
Everything! Basketball is more than a game. To us, it’s life.

Who’s your idol and why?
LeBron James.
He’s a great player to watch. Besides that, he’s an overall great basketball player on both ends of the floor, in defence and offence. LeBron James combines strength with intelligence, plus over the years he developed his shot from behind the arc.

‘If I wouldn’t play basketball, then…’
Jeroen: ‘nothing’
Julian: ‘athletics’
Kasper: ‘I probably would’ve end up in jail’
Jan: ‘I genuinely don’t know’

Hiiiii fella’s

The 3X3 family landed in Zaventem on Sunday June 24 for the second stop of the 3X3 Masters Tour 2018. Place to be was Kerkplein, located in the centre of Zaventem. Basketball, beats and summer vibes were mixed up into a cool and urban streetbasketball event.

These were the results of the day. Those teams made it to the semi-finals in Zaventem, which means they got the ticket to the big Finals in Antwerp (29/07):

• U15: 1) De Coole Jongens 2) Lipton 3) BC Leuven 4) Jellyfam
• U18 Boys: 1) Giantsnation 2) Swoosh Nation 3) Optimus Dime 4) La Famillia
• U18 Girls: 1) Flemch 2) The Splash Sisters 3) Jetsuni
• 18+ Women: 1) The Spartans 2) The Haachtse Ladies 3) Mix Mania 4) Pablo Escoball
• 18+ Men Recreational: 1) LTN Connection 2) Ball don’t lie 3) Brodiessss 4) Doenderland
• 18+ Men Elite: 1) The Hague 2) Antwerp 3) Mamurna Jutra

The winners of the NBA 2K Shooting Contest are:

• U15: Jonas Speltinck
• U18 and U18+: Quinten Smout

Walid Hicham was supreme in the Spalding Dunk Contest, so he deserved to win and take home his price.

Last – but certainly not least – team Antwerp & Ball don’t Lie qualified as first team ever to the Belgian Red Bull Reign Finals, to be played on July 28 in Antwerp. The highest scoring teams of our tour in the Men category will play the Belgium Red Bull Reign Finals with grand prize a ticket to the Red Bull Reign Finals in Washington, DC! Make it Reign fella’s.

Have a look at some high-profile photos of the 3X3 Masters in Zaventem, taken by the best photographer in the world Serch Carriere.

When you’re driving and just can’t resist the camera…

When it seems that it’s all just too easy for you…

Let’s fly high!

The game is called “basketball” boys, not “wrestling”…

When you’re 7 ft tall and dunking isn’t a challenge anymore…

Fade away Kobe in the house!

The face you make when you wake up and realise it’s a Monday morning…

*Huh?!*

What happens when you score an epic game winning buzzer beater…

Easy buckets…

When the rim can’t handle your strength…

See you all in Aalst on June 30th! (Sign up closes on Wednesday 27 at 23:59)

Two of our 3×3 Masters tournaments are already in the books. The first 2 stops in Deurne and Zaventem were fantastic. With 4 more stops in the upcoming weeks, we’re already sensing the Finals getting closer. Four more stops also means 4 more chances to get your golden ticket to the Finals. And for the 18+ Elite Men teams, that means one step closer to the FIBA 3X3 World Tour in Prague on August 4-5. 

Things get real now!

At the 3×3 Masters Finals, the best 3×3 teams will compete for victory. For the 18+ Men Elite teams, victory automatically leads to a ticket to the FIBA 3×3 World Tour in Prague. If you didn’t know, now you do. Get your team together and make sure you sign up for one of our upcoming tournaments in Aalst (30/6), Brussels (6&7/7), Kortrijk (14/7) and Antwerp (28/7).

About the World Tour

The FIBA 3×3 World Tour is an international tour of 3×3 basketball teams. It is also the highest professional 3×3 basketball competition in the entire world.

The FIBA 3×3 World Tour is the pinnacle event of an ‘open’ network of FIBA-endorsed 3×3 tournaments. Teams can qualify for the FIBA 3×3 World Tour by taking part in regional tournaments, such as 3X3 Masters in Belgium, eventually making their way to the world stage.

The Masters in Prague is one of the 9 events that are part of the 2018 World Tour. Nine Masters tournaments lead to the big Bloomage Beijing Final.

For the 18+ Men Elite teams, trying to enter this World Tour via the Finals in Antwerp is definitely the fastest way to great success!

We wish all teams the best of luck on their road to glory!