Local basketball tournament features future NBA talent

The 2019 NBA Draft is only a few weeks away from taking place once again in New York City where many of this year’s prospects honed their skills.

Top tier NBA talent can come from anywhere, but it’s rare to have multiple prospects emerge from the same youth event. Established in The Bronx, NY in 2016, High School Hoops Showdown has had numerous successful events at the Bronx River Community Center and was created to highlight basketball talent within the NYC inner-city community and beyond.

Founder Johnny Rodriguez sat down with Empire Writes Back to discuss the impact of Hoops Showdown, and the future NBA draft picks it helped develop.

How did you come up with the idea for Hoops Showdown?

"“Well attending and participating in basketball tournament as a kid and teenager this was something I always wanted to do myself when it was time. After school, I was still playing in local adult leagues and actually hurt myself to the point where I wasn’t going to be able to play for a while. So that was kind of like my motivation. This might be the time to use all the connections I have with the coaches, players, and referees. It’s the perfect time to start something on my own which is what led to the beginning of Hoop Showdown.”"

https://twitter.com/HoopsShowdown/status/1130458110353707008

What qualifications must the kids have to have to be a part of Hoops Showdown?

"“I usually reach out to certain coaches that I know can bring talent to the gym and I also have personal relationships with a lot of top kids. So I’ll call them myself. One thing that I ask the coaches is to make sure that the kids are passing. I wouldn’t want any kids participating a hoop showdown or failing because I know when I was playing and if I was doing bad in school or even failing a class my mom or dad wouldn’t let me outside at all.”"

In the six years of Hoops Showdown’s existence has there been any notable names that have emerged from the event?

"“Right now we have over 90 former players of hoop showdown that are either playing Division 1 basketball or are on the way to play when the school semester starts. Currently, we have three kids that played at Hoops Showdown who are entering this year’s NBA draft. Louis King who played at Oregon (University), Naz Reid who played at LSU and Tremont Waters who also played at LSU. So this class would be the first time that I might have some former players that are actually in the NBA.”"

How does that feel knowing these were kids just showing up for the tournament and now they are about to become NBA players?

"“To be honest it makes me feel old because I remember when they were just sophomores and juniors especially Naz Reid, I think he played when he was a sophomore in high school a friend of mine actually brought him in to the tournament and now he’s just completed his freshman year at LSU and entering the draft. He’s projected to go first round is just as mind-boggling to really sit there and think that I’ve come across kids who potentially might be in the NBA.”"

Rodriguez has plans to go national in the future with cities such as Philadelphia, Washington D.C. and Atlanta, possibly on the horizon. New Orleans, Miami and a trip to the west coast in Los Angeles are all goals for the annual event.