Sneaks Summer Classic basketball tournament courts community in La Jolla

The fifth annual Sneaks Summer Classic played out in La Jolla to music, applause and the sounds of nets, rims and rebounds July 8.

The all-day basketball tournament at the Recreation Center featured 16 5-on-5 teams playing pool and elimination rounds. Team Shen Again took the Sneaks trophy.

×

Courtside, local food vendors Il Giardino di Lilli, Cabetos and Birreria Don Alvaro provided refreshments while DJs played music, local artists offered community art projects and Sneaks sold tournament merchandise.

“This is a fantastic basketball community event,” said Ryan Rosen, a partner at the Friendly Futures art and architecture studio, which provided a community mural space.

“It was our biggest, best event yet,” said Sawsun Khodopanah, who co-founded the tournament in 2018 with fellow 2013 La Jolla High School alumnus Tyson Youngs. “The entire community came out in a greater way than has ever been before.”

“We were successful in putting together a great, unique offering for our community — a full-scale event for not only the basketball players but for the entire community to enjoy,” Khodopanah said.

Advising partner Pablo Fernandez said next year’s tournament “promises to be an even bigger, more exciting and family-fun-filled experience” and urged people to visit sneakssummerclassic.com for more information. ◆