The Gus Macker Tournament: Hoops, hoopsters and hoopla
Annual event satisfies area basketball jones
Who says Buffalo isn’t a basketball town? Almost 4,000 hoopsters who normally play everywhere from the city’s East Side to the fields of North Collins brought their mad skills to dozens of courts set up in the shadow of City Hall Saturday for the 18th annual Gus Macker 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament.
Kevin Garnett and Lisa Leslie weren’t on the rosters. But you’d never have known watching the likes of area residents Travis Holmes or Tashina Abrams on the court.
The event, in its fourth year of operation by the Buffalo Police Athletic League, grew to 950 teams this year, up more than 100 from last year. Besides the players, thousands more supporters lined streets and sidewalks from Niagara Square to Chippewa Street to catch a glimpse of the street hoop action.
“It has the feel of backyard basketball,” said Eric Sweet of East Aurora, who watched his teenage son and daughter compete Saturday afternoon. “It gives them the opportunity to play in an outdoor environment in the city, and they get to play against some of the best in the area.”
The event, which concludes this afternoon, brings excitement downtown for good causes, said Susan Gonzalez, the executive director of the Police Athletic League. Proceeds go to the PAL and Kids Escaping Drugs. “It’s kids giving back to other kids in their community,” Gonzalez said. “It’s special to have people of all ages and from all areas of Western New York and beyond coming together in a great family-friendly environment in the shadow of City Hall and the new construction in the City of Buffalo.”
Besides local players, the tournament also drew registrants from Ontario, Michigan, Connecticut and Ohio, Gonzalez said.
And the teams attracted fans — some brought lawn chairs — who cheered from courtside in a carnival atmosphere. There were food vendors and places to get Macker other memorabilia.
Holmes and his buddy, Danny Young, both 18 and players on the “Ball Is Life” team, were taking it easy in between games sprawled out with family inside a tent they pitched on the grass of Niagara Square. They were soaking up the atmosphere of their fifth Macker.
“All the basketball courts across Buffalo all come here,” Holmes said. “Everybody comes out and plays in one spot.”
There were some familiar faces in the crowd, too.
Take Dick Bihr, for instance. The longtime coach of the Buffalo State Bengals and member of the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame cheered on his daughter from a sidewalk in front of the Statler. His kids, now grown up, have played in the tournament since they were knee-high.
“It’s the Who’s Who of basketball,” Aaron Bihr, the legendary coach’s son said of the Macker. “I played 5 or 6 years when I was younger . . . I won 5 or 6 years, then I retired and now I root for my sister.”
Meanwhile, just over the shoulder of the Bihrs, the WandaRoras — a basketball quartet of women representing both the Tonawanda and Tuscarora Indian reservations and victors in their first two games — circled up to talk about their next one.
“This is our year,” said Abrams, a five-year participant with team members Michelle Dean, Tricia McKeon and Brenda Sundown. She summed up the Macker succinctly: “It’s just basketball, and we love it.”
