Polson ready for Flathead Lake 3-on-3 hoops tournament
ALICIA CAMEL, of the Desert Horse team, holds on to her opponent, Baily Berriochoa from Dillon during the very physical, girls 11th and 12th grade championship game. (Marla Hall/Special to the Lake County Leader)
The Flathead Lake 3-on-3 basketball tournament has achieved a milestone many 3-on-3 tournaments across the country don’t reach: it will turn 25.
Former Polson Pirates’ basketball coach Joe McKethan and Larry Krystkowiak, current Utah Utes head coach, began the 3-on-3 tournament to help benefit the Big Brother Big Sister organization.
“McKethan had a crazy idea and thought it might work in Polson,” Flathead Lake Tournament director Rich Forbis said.
What began as a small tournament eventually peaked in the mid 90s to a 300-team, 1200-player tournament in Polson that spanned from Main Street and Highway 93 up to the Elks Club.
The 3-on-3 tournament was a far cry from its initial roots in 1992.
“We started out with eight baskets and 85 teams in ‘92 and it just grew from there,” Forbis said.
The tournament now has 249 teams, over 1,000 participant ranges, and an estimated 548 games played during the tournament. The tournament has boosted several accomplished athletes in the past.
“Recently, we haven’t seen a lot of former college or NBA players but in the past, we’ve seen Howie Long, his son Chris, and Phil Jackson’s son,” Forbis said. “We also had Steve Kerr and Joe Wolf, former NBA players, and some other former players.”
In recent tournaments, the tournament had several former University of Montana Lady Griz players and Montana State Bobcat and Lady Bobcat players.
The tournament will have a 3-point shooting contest, a men’s and ladies’ slam dunk, with the three-point shooting competition set to begin at 8 p.m. Saturday at the tournament.
Forbis hasn’t seen a 3-on-3 roster this season but he said he suspects some prominent names in the basketball community to be participating.
“I haven’t seen a roster this year, but I know JR Camel usually plays, and he is an outstanding basketball player,” Forbis said. “We usually get some of the top high school athletes in the area. Normally, we see some of the better high school teams and some players that play from Montana Tech and Carroll College too.”
Forbis attributed the tournament’s growth, while several 3-on-3 tournaments across the country have struggled to stay afloat, to the tournament’s location.
“I think our location more than any other places that host 3-on-3 basketball tournaments helps our tournament stay popular,” Forbis said. “Our tournament is located within half a mile or a quarter of a mile from the lake. People will plan their vacations around playing. I think we put on a pretty good tournament and do the best that we can to make it enjoyable. I think we are blessed with that giant body of water and they are able to enjoy their time and lounge at the lake.”
Forbis said he felt the Flathead Lake 3-on-3 tournament, formally known as Hoopfest until they had to pay the trademark owner a royalty statement, was blessed to be near Spokane’s 3-on-3 tournament, the largest 3-on-3 tourney in the world.
‘We are blessed to run the tournament around the same time as Spokane’s tournament and they are one of the best in the world in putting on a 3-on-3 tournament,” Forbis said. “There are a lot of teams that come from that tournament and play in this tournament. We are thankful for turning 25 and happy to reach that milestone.”