Friday was the final day of Crown League 2017 with two games: the consolation final between 1LoveTO and Ace and the final final between M.A.D.E. and 6Man.
I’m not going to recap all the action from both games, or from the whole tournament (you can get all the coverage here). Instead I’m going to do a top 3 things from Week 5.
Hyper Dunks. Pic courtesy of Nike Canada
1. This is going to sound so weird but I was really excited to see the new Nike FlyKnit HyperDunks. Yes really. I am not shilling here. For the first 4 weeks players were wearing various Nike Basketball sneakers (the new KDs and PGs mostly) but for week 5 there was a preview of the new HyperDunks. I have seen pics of them but was genuinely excited to see them in person #sneakernerd
Air Powell. Pic courtesy of Nike Canada
2. The surprise guests. Every week Crown League had surprise players show up and this week was the best yet. Knowing that the finals were looming, we kept track of who was in town (especially Nike athletes), so weren’t totally surprised when first Delon Wright and then Norman Powell appeared to play for M.A.D.E. in the finals. They brought lots of excitement with them – amazing dunks and great passing and they seemed to elevate the play of both teams. It was cool to see them up close. Norm Powell is REALLY fast.
Champions! Royalty Claimed. Pic courtesy of Nike Canada
3. The crowd. Crown League has brought out a crowd that really wants to be there. From the kids behind us who knew most of the players, to the moms beside us and the girlfriends holding on to extra sneakers, to the families and junior photographers, everyone was hyped to see great basketball. The level of play was high all tournament, and the presence of NBA players was a cool surprise, but the crowd is what really made the event special.
Thanks to Nike Basketball for putting on such a great event and to Foot Locker Canada & House of Hoops for the courtside seats.
Hype Less 