special to viewCoaches Leroy Loerwald, at back left, and Alan Weissman pose with members of the Las Vegas Heat and the Las Vegas Venom. The teams were the champs at the National Basketball Association?s 2008 Rookie Tournament, held the first weekend of March in Irvine, Calif.
Advertisement
Call it the ultimate win-win situation.
Two Summerlin youth basketball teams emerged victorious in game after game at a recent all-stars finals event. The way the bracket was set up, they ended up facing each other for the championship title.
It was friend against friend. Which team would emerge victorious? In the end -- both.
"We decided not to have them play against each other," said Gordy Mcghie, commissioner for the NJB Summerlin League. "The kids played so hard, we wanted them coming home, all of them winners."
The two teams were the Las Vegas Heat and the Las Vegas Venom, made up of 7- and 8-year-olds. They played under the auspices of the National Basketball Association and participated in its 2008 Rookie Tournament, held the first weekend of March in Irvine, Calif.
There were 20 youngsters chosen to be on the two all-star teams -- 10 players for each team -- from more than 110 Summerlin youngsters involved in the 2007-08 rookie division. Team members were chosen for their athletic ability and overall sportsmanship.
Both teams practiced for a month to prepare for the big day.
At the tournament, they competed against 10 other teams from California. Each Summerlin team played four games. Games were limited to 20 minutes in duration and took place on the same day.
"We weren't sure how well we would do because California teams usually have some great players and teams," Mcghie said. "This year, there were a few close games in which we had to work hard for the wins."
Cody Mcghie, 7, wore No. 5 for the Las Vegas Heat. He wanted to be on the team after seeing his brother Logan, now 9, play last year.
"It was tough," Cody said. "There was a kid on the other team who was playing really hard, making all these three-point shots," he said. "But we won by two or four points."
He plans a career in professional basketball and wants to play for the Chicago Bulls.
Connor Torrez, 8, said he knew his team would do well.
"We practiced a lot and had a good coach," he said.
His favorite basketball player is Michael Jordan. Like Cody, he wants to play professional ball when he grows up.
Meanwhile, he is looking to get even better for next season.
"I need to work on dribbling the ball through my legs," Connor said.
This was the second year in a row that Summerlin teams made it to the championship. Both of last year's teams also were set to face each other for the championship. That time, the coaches also decided against playing each other and came home with both teams as champions.
Archived Editions| Advertising | Contact The Staff
