An event featuring some of the world’s best three-on-three basketball players is returning to Edmonton for the seventh time since 2012.
Hoop City 3X3, billed as North America’s largest FIBA 3X3 event, is slated to be staged at West Edmonton Mall’s Ice Palace from July 31 to Aug. 5.
FIBA stands for the Fédération Internationale de Basketball (or International Basketball Federation in English), an association of basketball organizations that governs the sport worldwide.
The Ice District’s Fan Park hosted last year’s rendition of the Edmonton event.
Paul Sir, the chief executive officer of the host 3x3 Basketball Association, said he expects a dynamic crowd for this year’s Hoop City 3X3.
“You can’t replace what we have here with the kind of crowd that you get, because you get both the active crowd who are making a special trip to the mall to see the event, and you get the passive crowd who come by, and you never know who may be walking by who takes an interest in the sport,” Sir told media on Tuesday during the official launch at the mall.
“Certainly from a brand building standpoint, it’s unparalleled.”
Hoop City 3X3 will feature an expanded Women’s Series and Men’s World Tour, with several Olympic national teams competing.
Michelle Plouffe, a member of Team Canada who along with her twin sister Katherine has represented the country in women’s 3x3 the past two Olympic Games, said playing indoors in a mall atmosphere is an exciting environment.
“Bucharest, Romania, was one of the spots that was one of my favourites because of the ambience that was created, so I’m excited to be back inside and for the public to just be able to watch,” Plouffe said.
The Plouffe sisters played for Canada in 3x3 basketball at the Tokyo Summer Games three years ago and are former members of the national five-on-five team. The all-Albertan 3x3 squad also features fellow Albertans Paige Crozon and Kacie Bosch, both of Lethbridge.
This year’s event will include men’s and women’s qualifiers that will target Canadian teams vying to join the FIBA 3X3 global events tour. Community events slated for Hoop City 3X3 include slam dunk and shootout competitions, an exhibition area and entertainment.
With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Evan Klippenstein
