Last call to get your head in the game! Hooplandia heats up the courts at Eastern States Exposition, June 19-21, this year, so the registration shot clock is running out. Beat the buzzer and register in one of our diverse divisions on Hooplandia.com by 11:59pm on Monday, June 15, to take part in the biggest 3x3 basketball festival in the Northeast, including clinics instructed by Boston Celtics announcer and former NBA star Brian Scalabrine as well as Ta’Quan Zimmerman of Be a Baller, Not a Bully, a stacked DJ lineup, sneaker artists and more.
Scalabrine first attended Hooplandia in 2025, and he is eager to return and host a basketball clinic open to players on Saturday, June 20, from 12-3pm. Often referred to as “Scal” or “The White Mamba,” Brian Scalabrine was one of the more popular players throughout his NBA career, especially while he donned the Celtic’s signature shade of green.
Scalabrine was born on March 18, 1978, in Long Beach, Cali., as one of four children. He grew up in Enumclaw, Wash., and graduated from Enumclaw High School. He began his collegiate education and basketball career at Highline College in state, then transferred to the University of Southern California in 1998 after redshirting his sophomore year.
He made a huge impact his first two years, leading the Trojans in scoring, rebounding and field goal percentage. He also received the 1999 Pac-10 Newcomer of the Year Award and was named to the All-Pac 10 first team, NABC All-District 15 first team and Sporting News All-American Honorable Mention. During his senior season in 2001, he led the Trojans to the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament, where they lost to Duke.
The New Jersey Nets selected Scalabrine 34th overall in the 2001 NBA draft. He played four seasons with the Nets before signing with the Boston Celtics in 2005. He averaged 12.9 minutes and 2.7 points per game during his time in Kelly Green, and he was incredibly popular and loved by Massachusetts fans. He was also a part of the 2008 NBA Finals Champion team and the 2010 NBA Finals Runner-up team.
Scalabrine left the Celtics and played with the Chicago Bulls for two years before officially retiring in 2012. After a stint as an assistant coach for the Golden State Warriors in 2013, he announced his return “home” to Boston Celtics and lives in Boston with his wife, Kristen, and their three children. Since the 2021-2022 season, he has been the primary game analyst for NBC Sports Boston’s Celtics broadcasts.
On Sunday, June 21, from 11am-12:15pm, former professional hooper Ta’Quan “Tootie” Zimmerman invites you to build elite character on and off the court through a purpose-driven clinic that combines high-level skills with the core values of the "Be a Baller, Not a Bully" a mentorship program he founded for youth. Zimmerman draws on his playing experience with the NBA’s Utah Jazz and as the creator of the Elite 20 Invitational, to teach young athletes that discipline and leadership are vital skills that they will use on and off the court. Participants will sharpen their game while learning how to use their personal power to influence positive social change in their communities.
Julio Vazquez will lend his talents to assisting Zimmerman. Vazquez is an accomplished basketball coach, player development instructor and youth program leader with more than a decade of experience in sports management, athlete development and community engagement. He is graduate of Saint Joseph’s College of Standish, Maine, with a bachelor’s degree in business and sports management and he has successfully led basketball programs at the high school, Amateur Athletic Union (AAU), camp and individual training levels while mentoring student athletes on and off the court. His career history illustrates a strong commitment to youth development, leadership, academic accountability and community service, as he has helped athletes achieve their educational and collegiate athletic goals while fostering positive personal growth.
In addition to Scalabrine and Zimmerman’s can’t-miss clinics, the tournament welcomes multiple DJs to the entertainment lineup. During the Friday Night Hooptacular on June 19, a night packed with rivalry games, open courts and a leadership award presentation brought to you by Bulkley Richardson, DJ Mad Maxx will open for the event from 4-7pm. DJs Splash, Architect and Meechie keep the party going on Saturday, June 20, from 10am-4:30pm. DJs Onyx and Nicki Nell close out the tourney on Sunday, June 21, from 10-4:30pm, ensuring that vibes are high on every court until the very last clock runs out.
Sneaker artist Vinnie Ducharme will be available to customize sneakers on Saturday and Sunday from 10am-4pm. Trick out your kicks with his creative vision. Additionally, Designs by Amanda Kate will be present on Saturday from 10am-4pm to make your merch sparkle like a championship trophy with custom bedazzling.
Hooplandia is so much more than a 3x3 basketball tournament; it’s fun for the whole family, and this year it falls on Father’s Day weekend. Enjoy a D1 food lineup, MVP musicians and clinics by prominent players and organizations, including Brian Scalabrine of the Celtics, for a weekend-long celebration of athleticism and basketball’s very history, right in its birthplace in Greater Springfield, Mass.
Don’t miss your chance to score big on the best basketball weekend of the year! With every youth division imaginable and even more that create an even playing field for OGs, Special Olympics, vets and first responders, adult divisions that promise cash winnings and even a Pro-am division for hot shots, you have countless reasons to play at Hooplandia and zero to not give it your all. Sign up today at Hooplandia.com before 11:59pm on Monday, June 15!