A local team, named the Lino Loons, came to play in this years Redbull Tournament. Each member of the team is from the north metro area, two members are from Lino Lakes, one from Blaine and the other from Minneapolis.
The Lino Loons went up against the best teams and players in the nation – the loons played against the the defending champions, 3Ball Omaha. A local NBA Rookie, David Roddy of the Memphis Grizzlies, also played in the event and lost to the competition.
The Lino Loons lost all three of their games, but left feeling like they had done their best.
“They had a lot of good comp. I think we came out with the right energy. We just have to work harder,” said Mario Rolack. “I had a lot of fun despite the losses”
The Redbull tournament is set up as a pathway for basketball players to play at the highest levels of 3v3 basketball. Players that compete in the tournaments accumulate points toward their FIBA (International Basketball Federation) record, players that meet the threshold for minimum amount of points move on to play in the regionals and can move up to play as the national team.
The rules for 3v3 basketball is very similar to how basketball is played on the streets, the game is set for 10 minutes and players need to score 21 points to win the game. The game is also played on a half-court and teams have 4 players, one extra player to sub in to keep the game fast pace.
3Ball Omaha secured their spot in the regional tournament by winning all of their games at the Redbull Minneapolis tournament.
