Sean Bell All Stars: Nike Pro City Champs
In front of a capacity crowd at the Levien gymnasium at Columbia University, the Nike Pro City Championship took place. For years this tournament has been one of NYC’s gems where Pros and Pro level talent went to compete in the offseason. This year would be a little different as new management would step in and revitalize the already well-established brand. Bernard Bowen and a close-knit staff put on a show that will go down in history. Team Dyckman/Team Kemba took on the Sean Bell basketball club. This heavyweight match up featured 4 NBA players and a plethora of Overseas and NCAA level talent. As the gym filled up you can just tell that this game was going to be huge with each team bringing out some heavy hitters. Sean Bell brought out Brooklyn’s own Lance Stevenson while Team Dyckman/Kemba unveiled Emeka Okafor, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Noah Vonleh. The stage was set for a goody and that’s exactly what we got.
The Champs: Miles High, Lance Stevenson and Moussa Cisse. Photo courtesy of ATH Photos
With all the NBA star power on the court, it was easy to tell that the game would be nothing short of entertaining. Lance Stevenson would set the tone for his Sean Bell team with a few jumpers to get going early on. Team Dyckman’s Noah Vonleh countered Stephenson with a few baskets himself. Vonleh seemed to get things going a little quicker and got his team out to an early lead. The game remained close throughout and it was clear that this game would absolutely go down to the wire. NBA All-Star John Wall stopped in to check out the action. They traded buckets and MC extraordinaire Joe Pope kept the crowd entertained by his witty and charismatic persona. There was no place that a basketball junkie would’ve rather been but Columbia University for Pro City.
In front of a capacity crowd at Columbia University’s Levien Gym Sean Bell took on Team Dyckman/Kemba
As the second half, you saw an instant shift in the flow of the game. The defensive pressure picked up and the ref’s whistles became a little more constant. Guys like Antoine Mason, Kevin Punter Jr. and High School phenom Moussa Cisse became vital assets in setting the tone for the rest of the game for the Sean Bell squad. Punter Jr. hit shots from everywhere on the court while Cisse protected the rim. Team Dyckman/Kemba lost the lead and fought hard to get it back. With two minutes remaining in the 4th quarter, the game was still anyone’s game. Tyus Battle and Noah Vonleh of team Dyckman caused matchup problems because of their speed and athleticism, but at the end, it was the backcourt of Lance Stevenson and Kevin Punter Jr. who sealed the deal. Punter Jr simply couldn’t miss. He made shot after shot and looked as if he mastered the art of the midrange jump shot.
NBA All Star John Wall came out to support the Pro City Tournament. Photo courtesy of ATH Photos
With the score tied at 95 apiece, 20 seconds left on the clock and the game hanging in the balance, Lance Stevenson shot an 18 foot contested jump shot to give his team a two-point lead. The capacity crowd rose to their feet as Stevenson celebrated the bucket. After a 20 second time out Tyus Battle of team Dyckman/Kemba missed on a well-contested jumper from just about 3 point range. This pretty much sealed the deal for the Sean Bell squad and the game turned into free throws. As the clock expired Coach Rah of Sean Bell lifted his arms in celebration. He and his team put in work all season long and they are well deserving of being called the 2019 Nike Pro City Champs. Salute to Nike Pro City for their hospitality. Looking forward to watching Sean Bell defend their title.
***Cover Photo courtesy of Nicole Sweet Sports