The 2nd Annual Community Assist 3-On-3 Charity Basketball Tournament

28 teams, 36 matches, over 1,000 balls sunk & two winners; welcome to the 2nd Annual Community Assist 3-On-3 Charity Basketball Tournament presented by Indosole, raising funds for Pulau Plastik for a sustainable, plastic-free Bali.

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By Thomas AlexanderNov 10, 20190 comments

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28 teams, 36 matches, over 1,000 balls dunked and sunk and two winners; welcome to the 2nd Annual Community Assist 3-On-3 Charity Basketball tournament.

Saturday November 9 dawned like most Bali dry-season mornings - clear, blue skies, warm sun and a gentle sea breeze. While many were heading for the beach and the surf, others were lacing up sneakers, donning jerseys and heading to Canggu Community School’s basketball court.

Gratifyingly shaded from the relentless sunshine, the two school courts were the stage for a three-on-three shootout of NBA proportions. 28 teams, eight junior and 20 open, had been pulled together and practicing, local schools and businesses chipping in entry fees for charity and the honor of being crowned the 2019 3-On-3 champions.

House of PNNY flicked the amps and started busting tunes, and at 9 am sharp, the balls started bouncing. Juniors were the first to court, but the under-18s were no soft start. With passion, drive and plenty of talent, the hoops were ringing early with the sound of scores.

The 3-On-3 format is basketball stripped back to street-style: two teams of three shoot for the same basket, the normal court divided in half, allowing for two matches simultaneously. The 15-minute matches are started with a simple rock-paper-scissors, and the first team to fifteen points, or leading when the siren sounds, wins. One point for a regular shot, two for outside the penalty line, it’s a simple concept, but a fast-paced battle to the finish.

The grounds of the little Bali school were transformed into the backstreets of California for the day, the sounds of ball-on-cement, pass calls, hoots, and hip hop reverberating around the walls of the arena, four matches a time taking place under the watchful eyes of volunteer referees and score-keepers. This was no fun charity event - this was a stone-cold grudge match.

But camaraderie abounded on the courts, and fallen opponents were lifted to their feet with a smile and a back-slap. Few played with more passion than the team from co-hosts, Indosole, founder Kyle Parsons pushing hard for every second of each quarter-hour match.

“We’ve got some really strong players here and there’s a competitive fire in the air,” he shared, still dripping from is round one match-up. But it wasn’t all game-face and seriousness: “We’re just really happy to be here,” he said. “It’s really just good, old-fashioned, clean fun, you know. You’re out on the court, sweating, you’re with your mates, and everyone’s getting after it and all for a great cause.”

While it was full combat on the court, the garden was the perfect contrast; chilled, social and laid back. Over a dozen stalls filled the lawn, with food from Vinny’s Warung, Hotline Wings, Art of Spice and, to take the heat off, Rebelle Ice Cream. Alongside these, sponsor stalls and waste-free products reflected the message of this year’s beneficiary Pulau Plastik.

“The turnout is unbelievable,” enthused Kyle. “We’re double over last year - we have twice as many teams, and with that, you have stiffer competition.” And the juniors competed fiercely. The final duel of the day was on par with the open teams, but it was a long shot from the Andamen of Lycée Français de Bali that would wrap the division with their success.

Digging deep after two hours or more on court, the open division was whittled to two teams: co-hosts House of PNNY and the Make a Change Bali crew. As if it was scripted, the match couldn’t have been closer. When the extended 20-minute match was up, scores were tied. The clock was switched off, the crowd was silent and the first team to get the next two points would hoist the 2019 Gold Ball trophy. With one point apiece sunk, an outsider from beyond the penalty line swooped clear through the ring touching nothing but net, and from the hands of Team Make a Change came the win.

With a silent auction running through the day and many local businesses generously donating vouchers and raffle prizes, plenty of the crowd went home happy, with artworks, clothing, and free dinners, spa treatments and nights away to look forward to. Underneath the smiles and adrenalin lay a deeper purpose to the day. All proceeds, including raffle and auction entries, as well as the teams’ entry fees were contributed to Pulau Plastik to aid their work in increasing education, awareness and action to improve Indonesia’s plastic waste management.

“First of all,” Kyle summed up, “I want to give credit to Kai Paul, the PNNY crew and Canggu Community School. They made everything happen, but really, at the end of the day, it’s about having fun for the good of the community. Last year, we raised a significant amount of money, being able to give over 100 people homes [courtesy of last year’s charity, The Shelter Project], and this year it’s even better than that.”

‘Even better’ added up to over 70 million rupiah [almost $5,000 USD], contributed in whole to a better, cleaner, more plastic-free Bali and Indonesia.

Huge thanks to all who supported the event as spectators, the 28 teams for an amazing display of hoop skills, and co-presenters Community Assist, House of PNNY and Canggu Community School.

Indosole would like to thank: