It’s not every day that you’re treated like you’ve made the first draft in basketball, but Hooplandia’s champions can tell you exactly what that feels like. On Thursday, March 4, the victorious teams from the tournament’s 2025 installment received a private tour of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame to visit their names, shining bright on a silver plaque on the Hooplandia exhibit.
In addition to the festival’s bright-eyed winning ballers, the event welcomed staff members form both Hooplandia and the Basketball Hall of Fame, including Eastern States Exposition (ESE) President and CEO Gene Cassidy; Basketball Hall of Fame Vice President of Marketing, Paul Dionne; ESE Director of Marketing, Anne-Alise Pietruska; and ESE Director of Sales, Tim Garstka.
Following the presentation of the exhibit, players congregated on the Jerry Colangelo Court of Dreams for t-shirt giveaways, pickup basketball and a brief social reception.
“FIBA 3x3 basketball is an Olympic sport,” said Drew Dawson, Hooplandia General Manager, before the crowd on the court. “It will appear in the Olympics for the third time in 2028, during the summer Olympics in Los Angeles. Can you imagine? This is the same game that we all played growing up on the streets, at the park, etc.
“Obviously, you are here as champions of the event. 3x3 is something that’s really taking off. It’s an alternative sport that is growing exponentially around the world. I just want to thank you for coming out, and thank the parents for supporting you tonight.
“We hope to see you at this year’s event, which will be even bigger and more dynamic as we continue to build Hooplandia, year in and year out. So spread the word: June 19-21!”
Teams had their photos taken by professional photographers beside the exhibit, and a lucky few were interviewed by local media outlets.
“I’ve been coming to the Basketball Hall of Fame since I was young,” said Deondre A. Bourne of the tourney’s Pro-am winning team, How to Hoop Forever. “To come here and see our team’s name? Wow. It feels like we’re basketball royalty. You can’t take that away from us.”
After the event’s conclusion, teams were given access to all the photos from the evening and a message of congratulations that included a free team registration to Hooplandia 2026, which will tip off June 19-21 in West Springfield, Mass. Don’t be shy—get in on the action and register at Hooplandia.com today for your chance to play your way into the history books.