Fort Lee’s 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament a Success

After months of planning by event coordinator Margaret Maclay, and countless hours of preparation from a number of volunteers, the Fort Lee Chamber of Commerce hosted their first ever 3-on-3 basketball tournament  Saturday.

With the recent economic downturn that has affected the High School’s Academy of Finance, the Chamber of Commerce looked to do anything they could to help.

So before the tournament began, MaClay and the Chamber of Commerce donated $1,000 to the Academy of Finance as well as a paid internship for one of the students this upcoming summer.

“I’m so excited about that and overwhelmed with the Chamber,” said Linda Farrell, the head of the Academy of Finance. “This is really important. The Chamber has been a great partner.”

And following the presentation, the games officially began with teams featuring a number of different age groups and professions. There were squads represented by the New York Liberty of the Women’s National Basketball Association, the Fort Lee Police Department, and also students in the Academy of Finance to name but a few. 

It created an atmosphere that many of the spectators were impressed with, including Fort Lee High School Principal Priscilla Church.

“I’m really very inspired by this,” she said of the outpouring. “The community gives us tremendous support when it comes to the Academy of Finance.”

The event had support from multiple sponsors, including SouthPole and many others as well as 16 teams from across the area.

“The support for this particular event was amazing,” said a smiling Margaret Maclay. “People came out of the woodworks. It was incredible!”

And the athletes mentioned that they brought the same level of energy to the game. Junior Jason Concepcion, who plays on the varsity boy’s basketball team at Fort Lee, talked of the differences.

“It doesn’t really compare. These guys are way stronger [than the varsity level],” he said. “Not as talented, but way stronger because they are grown men.”

Carmelo Luppino was one of those grown men. The President of the Board of Education and a player on the Bank of New Jersey team, Luppino brought his team out to be a part of the community and to give it his all.

“We give body and soul on a daily basis,” Luppino said of his team that plays five times a week. “If you’re going to be successful in life, you got to give it your all.”

And some players even gave their all to the point of injuring themselves. Luppino’s teammate and brother-in-law, Joe Corallo, chased after a loose ball and suffered a knee-injury. Paramedics were called to check on the possible tear. There was also a shoulder contusion, broken thumb and other wounds all suffered in a charity basketball game.

“When you go to a sporting event, you don’t know what you are going to get,” said trainer Theresa Krawczyk.  “It could be anything.”

And as the morning turned into an afternoon filled with possession saving dives, between the leg passes, and alley-oop dunks the double-elimination tournament reached its championship game.

The match-up featured a team from Bergen Chiropractic and another called Harry James, that followed through on their promise earlier in the morning of guaranteeing victory upon arrival.

“We just wanted to spice up the competition,” said Donovan Willis of the winning team. “I figured it would be a walk in the park, but towards the end, it was pretty hard.”

Team Harry James secured the grand prize of $100, four tickets to a New Jersey Nets game and bragging rights in the end but had to do so by overcoming a double digit deficit in the final game.

“We’re going home feeling like winners in the heart but probably going to need to see a doctor,” said Tommy Biggiani, whose Chiropractic team of childhood friends won six consecutive games before losing the championship.

His team is using their prize money to purchase a trophy to remind themselves of the first-time event.

When asked if this event could become a yearly tradition, the president of the Chamber of Commerce, Gloria Oh, seemed optimistic.

“I think it can,” she said. “As long as we have enough people that are willing to volunteer, I can see it happening again and again.”