Ball bounces into Bay’s court

The rapid rise in popularity of 3x3 Basketball has seen it become an Olympic sport. Photo: Supplied.

A fast-paced entertaining version of basketball is heading to Mount Maunganui with, hopefully, some potential Olympic stars of the future involved.

The 3x3 FIBA Quest Tour stops off in the Mount on January 16, 2021 and if previous events are anything to go by it should be a special occasion.

The 2020 event had nearly 40 teams over 90 games and 130 players attracting people from Tauranga, Rotorua and Waikato.

The men's event last year was won by RSB, which included Otumoetai College alumni and Commonwealth Games bronze medallist, Derone Raukawa.

David Huxford is the 3x3 and national events manager at Basketball New Zealand and he expects there to be some national team representation at this year's event.

'At least at every event we get someone who has played for the Tall Blacks. We do get Tall Ferns playing as well.”

The event has been staged in the Tauranga area for seven years now and will return to the Harbourside Netball Centre in 2021. As Huxford explains, it is the perfect location, with the event expected to draw an impressive attendance once again.

'It's always been going there. It's quite a popular spot as it attracts people from Waikato and Rotorua as well. We've always had good weather there so we've never had to go inside.

'It's one of those where people pop up and make a day of it.”

Anyone who does drop by will be in for a fast-paced treat. The 3x3 version of the game is played on a half-court with plenty of action in shorter timeframes.

'We just break it down to the real simple things. It's a lot faster, over and done within 10 minutes. It's all concentrated around the hoop and player-driven with no coaching allowed during the game.”

The 3x3 version of Basketball has never been more popular. It will make its Olympic Games debut in Tokyo this summer.

New Zealand may have a team present, as the Men's 3x3 side face a qualifying event in Austria this May.

With categories ranging from under-15s upwards at the Quest Tour event, could we be seeing a potential future Olympic star at the Mount this month?

'Totally,” Huxford states. 'The quest tour is definitely part of the pathway through to the elite stuff.”

All the more reason to come and support this burgeoning new sport this summer.

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