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The 56th season of the Boston Neighborhood Basketball League recently concluded with the following teams adding their names to the long and distinguished list of alumni.
The Boston Showstoppers in the girls’ division once again demonstrated their dominance by taking home championship titles in the 15-and-under and 18-and-under divisions. The Lee School won two championships in the boys’ division, winning the 13-and-under and 18-and-under championships. Winning on This Side (W.O.T.S.) took home the tournament trophy in the Boys 11-and-under division.
The names of these champions, as well as other champions and all who participated in this citywide competition, are a part of the legacy that began in 1969 as a way to provide a constructive and peaceful outlet for Boston’s youth during the busing crisis, a time of racial tension that rocked this city.
The BNBL champions of the Girls 18 and under tournament, the Showstoppers. PHOTO: GRACE BURKE
With major credit going to Mayor Kevin White and men such as founders Bill Russell, Wayne Embry and Tom “Satch” Sanders, the BNBL became a league. These men, along with community leaders, attempted to use the sport of basketball as a tool to bring a racially torn city to a semblance of peace.
And despite detractors, the BNBL, the oldest neighborhood basketball league in the United States, has been a vital instrument in bringing together diverse communities through sport by providing opportunities for both girls and boys to play basketball in a safe, supportive environment. The mission statement of the BNBL talks about “reducing juvenile delinquency while fostering peace and bringing people together across racial and neighborhood lines.”
Mission Hill are the Boys 13 and under Tournament Champions. PHOTO: GRACE BURKE
In the early years of the BNBL, this was a challenging process. But thanks to the clear-thinking people of Boston, today’s young people have a sports outlet that is more than just a sports league. The BNBL has utilized basketball to unite the city’s residents, fostering a sense of community and camaraderie in neighborhoods such as Roxbury, Dorchester and Mattapan.
Many young women and men from those and surrounding districts have gone on to play basketball at the college and professional levels. This tournament is something for every young person, past, present, or future, to reflect on as they become a part of the legacy that is the Boston Neighborhood Basketball League, considered by many to be one of the finest neighborhood basketball leagues in the nation.
Again, congratulations to all the 2025 BNBL champions and every participant, as well as past and future champions to come. You are all part of a glorious legacy that is now 56 years old and continues to grow.
The Showstoppers 15 and under Girls team also claimed a BNBL championship title. PHOTO: GRACE BURKE
And while we salute this year’s BNBL champions, there is a rapidly growing basketball entity known as the “Big 3” tournament, which crowned its 12th champion on Aug. 24. This made-for-television event is the brainchild of rap star and movie actor Ice Cube.
The celebrated three-on-three competition, played by former NBA players, has gained major popularity across America. This competition, with its unconventional playing rules, such as the “Bring the Fire” rule and no shot clock, has gained such a following that the National Basketball Association is attempting to acquire its rights from Ice Cube. There is no word as to whether the Barber Shop star is ready to sell.
The Winning On This Side 11 and under Boys BNBL champions. PHOTO: GRACE BURKE
One of the features of this three-on-three extravaganza is the four-point shot, an experiment that the NBA is closely examining. While some critics say a four-point shot is a ridiculous idea, consider that the same argument was made about the current NBA three-point field goal. As for the Big 3 championship game itself, it was a thrilling contest that was decided on a three-point shot by former NBA player Mario Chalmers, who has a history of game-winning shots on his career resume.
The 18 and under Boys championship team, Lee School. PHOTO: GRACE BURKE
With the score reading 48-47 in favor of Chalmers’ Miami 305 team over the Chicago Triplets, coached by Hall of Famer Julius Erving, the man after whom the Big 3 championship trophy is named, Miami 305 head coach and Hall of Famer Michael Cooper — who is the victim of one of Erving’s most incredible dunks, considered by many to be the greatest in-game dunk of all-time — got a smidgen of revenge over Erving when Chalmers hit the game-winning shot for the 2025 Big 3 title, giving Miami 305 a 52-48 victory. The rules of the game stipulate that the first team to score 50 points with a two-point advantage wins.
Former NBA players Michael Beasley (22 points) and Lance Stephenson (23 points) led the winners in scoring. But it was Mario Chalmers’ clutch three-point shot that decided the affair. Chalmers has a history of making huge shots at clutch moments, from his high school days in Alaska to his college days at Kansas, where he hit the game-tying three-point shot that sent the 2008 NCAA Division 1 national basketball championship game to overtime — the Jayhawks winning in overtime against Memphis.
Asked about his latest championship heroics, Chalmers said, “This is what I do.” Enough said.
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