Springfield College Hosts Third Annual Hoops And Heroes Basketball Tournament
Updated August 27, 2012
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Springfield College partnered with the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and served as one of the sites for the third annual Hoops and Heroes Basketball Tournament benefitting the Special Olympics Massachusetts. The tournament started on Saturday, Aug. 25 at the Field House in the Wellness and Recreation Complex and featured Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer Rick Barry helping with the opening ceremonies.
Barry was an eight-time National Basketball Association All-Star during his playing career and he has been named one of the fifty greatest players in NBA history. Barry was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1987.
A total of 24 basketball games were played on Saturday, and featured 16 teams representing law enforcement and military agencies from throughout the Northeast. Four games were played simultaneously over six sessions with the top four teams advancing to the semifinal and championship rounds held at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Center Court on Sunday, Aug. 26. All teams participating were asked to raise $1,000 each with funds benefitting the Special Olympics Massachusetts.
Teams that participated in this year’s event were the Hampden County Sheriff’s Department (three teams); Hampshire County Sheriff’s Department; Berkshire County Sheriff’s Department; Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department; Rhode Island State Police; Connecticut State Police; Boston Police Department; Albany Police Department; Chelsea Police Department; York Correctional Institution; New Haven Community Corrections; Connecticut Judicial Marshall Services; United States Air Force; and United States Coast Guard.
This marked the third straight year the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame sponsored this event. The winner of this year’s tournament received a hand-sculpted Hoops and Heroes trophy and 12 VIP tickets to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony taking place on Friday, Sept. 7.
