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Nike’s NYvsNY high school basketball tournament

July 30, 2023

The fifth season of Nike’s NYvsNY high school basketball tournament is well underway, and on August 5th, the best girls’ hoopers in the city will hit the courts for the Girls Jamboree kick-off games, a showcase for the next generation of elite hoopers.

Source: Nike

📅 The history

Nike’s NYvsNY tournament began in 2017 in an effort to unify the city around a shared love of basketball. Now in its fifth year, Nike is providing the city’s best boys and girls high school basketball players a chance to showcase their skills to the world.

The competition is centered around authentic streetball games, allowing young athletes, especially young girls who grew up playing in the city, to put themselves — and their park leagues — on the map.

The event is all about growing the game, fueling basketball culture and inviting everyone to take part. You know we love the sound of that.

Some elite talent has come through the NYvsNY competition, including NCAA and NBA players alike, who used the showcase to demonstrate their toughness and talent.

The tournament is also known to bring out celebs and pro athletes eager to check out the next generation of hoopers, including the likes of Giannis Antetokounmpo (pronounced ah-det-oh-KOON-boh) of the Milwaukee Bucks and Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics.

This year, all eyes are on the aforementioned Lincoln Park point guard Aiyanna Culver, who will be looking to take her neighborhood team all the way to the championship after losing in last year’s quarter-finals.

⚙️ How it works

At the end of June, six boys teams — each representing their neighborhood park — tipped off their three-round competition. Next up, the Girls Jamboree on August 5th kickstarts the girls’ portion of the tournament featuring six teams.

The tournaments culminate with the girls and boys championship games on August 12th. Save the date.

The tournaments are taking place on outdoor courts across the city, including at iconic parks like Dyckman, Gersh, Watson and Rucker Park that are historically dominated by adult players. By transforming these landmark locations, Nike is giving young athletes the VIP treatment.

And to bring more energy to the girls tournament specifically, their tipoff jamboree was moved to Houston St. courts in the Lower East Side to encourage more foot traffic and exposure for these rising basketball stars. All eyes on them.

💪 Why it matters

Girls’ participation in sports is a global issue, and while significant strides have been made recently, there’s still a long way to go to ensure girls can play and stay in the game.

Just one in three girls aged six to 12 play sports regularly. And by age 14, girls drop out of sports at a rate two times greater than boys.

What’s more, race plays an important factor in the fate of girls in sports. Girls of color face even more barriers to access than their white counterparts, having to navigate disparities at the intersection of gender and race.

White girls are most likely to be involved with sports at age six or younger (53%), while the early entry rate for African American girls is just 29%.

And in NYC, where nearly a quarter of the population is Black, opportunities for young girls of color are especially critical.

As a global leader, Nike knows that they have a responsibility to break down barriers for all athletes, including barriers that women and girls face in sports. That’s why Nike is investing in her through every single level of sport (including hosting this tourney!) to take tangible steps in changing the game.