BALTIMORE — The NBA Finals are over but there’s still a little more basketball left to cover.
A years-long Father’s Day basketball tradition between fathers and sons on the hardwood continued in Baltimore.
“I was telling the fathers, I said, ‘listen, this year we’ve got to take it," organizer Tigana Duncan said. "We don’t need a bunch of fathers shooting from half-court like we’ve been seeing, missing layups and all that, so this year, we hope we can at least go 4 and 1 vs the sons. Every year they have won."
Sons competing, including Jermiah Duncan, hope to keep their streak alive.
“We just out smart the grown ups. We usually be faster. So they can’t keep up,” Duncan said.
This year though, fathers are going into the game a little more warmed up.
But really the tradition is about more than basketball
“It’s about changing their perspective, but first, challenging their perspective,” said Duncan.
Duncan explained their intent to empower the young men who come. So they in return eventually empower each other and their communities.
“You are a great individual, you can do better. You will do better. Speak positive affirmations into their life,” Duncan said.
The founder of "Stepping Toward a New Destiny" — S.T.A.N.D for short — said his efforts to organize the tournament came from his desire for a father figure coming up.
“My father wasn’t there for me growing up a lot of these young men, they’re fathers are not there,” said Duncan.
But he’s building that special bond with his son Jeremiah through their tradition they share with other fathers and sons.
“It feels nice being able to spend time with family and seeing old friends seeing how they grow up and all of that,” said Jeremiah.
