Hoops for hope winning big. The weekend basketball game is working to get kids involved in basketball.
The 20thAnnual Sun Stroke VI Hoop Classic was a fundraiser to restart the Hood Hoops Inter-Neighborhood Youth Basketball League.
The event brought out five-time NBA champion and St. Croix native Tim Duncan along with other local players that went on to the pros and college basketball.
Duncan was honored for his work following the hurricanes last year in bringing relief supplies to Island.
“The guys they brought in did a great job, we almost had it but we couldn’t pull it out, but just a lot of fun to be out here,” Duncan said.
“The main point is getting a chance Tim Duncan play with some of the local guys here in St. Thomas and St. Croix and just have some fun,’ Lt. Gov. Osbert Potter said.
“We’ve been working close with Tim Duncan Foundation and the Sun Stroke Foundation also and we’re collaborating our effort to bring our young people together and that’s what Sun Stroke is all about. Again you know there is a lot of gun violence that affects our young people in different areas, so we’re trying to break that,” Chief Winsbut McFarland with the VIPD Territorial Police Chief added.
“I think we had a great opportunity tonight. This is not the format of the hoops classic but just like any hurricanes sometimes a disaster brings blessings. So we had the opportunity to bring Tim Duncan here these street ball legends, and have some high school players be seen in front of them so and more important to play with legends so I think it’s cool I’m looking forward to the next 20 years of the hoop classic,” Rashidi Clenance one of the lead organizers added.
The event was moved from St. Croix to St. Thomas because of the storms. Organizers said enough was raised to restart the youth basketball league.
