By Daily Press staff
Santa Monica resident and Cal Poly Pomona Alumni Tyrone Merriweather has the opportunity of a lifetime to catapult himself into the national spotlight in Nike’s Battlegrounds 2003 national streetball challenge this week.
One of an elite group of 32 participants, Merriweather will compete in the second annual Nike one-on-one street ball tournament, which will make its way through Los Angeles, New York, Chicago and Philadelphia. The L.A. champion will receive $10,000, a one-year NIKE gear contract, a billboard featuring his likeness erected above his home court and a trip to the finals in New York for a chance to be crowned “King of Kings” and receive the $25,000 grand prize. In addition, Nike will donate $5,000 to the player’s respective Malibu-based charity.
Before accepting his trophy and booking his flight to the Nike Battlegrounds 2003 Finals in New York, Merriweather, 30, must first make his way through two rounds in Los Angeles, the first taking place at a secret location — a decadent estate deep within the Hollywood Hills — on June 19 where 32 of LA’s best will go head-to-head in the dead of night — 9:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. to determine the eight finalists for the LA finals public event at Venice Beach on Saturday, June 28.
The private 32-man first round event will also feature an invitation-only party, featuring renowned D.J.s, Hollywood celebrities, hip hop artists, models and more.
Just as with hip hop fashion, music, poetry and art, street ball is now imbedded in the fabric of the local urban community. It’s as much a part of the hip hop subculture as freestyle rap, DJs and graffiti art. For some, streetball is simply a part of the lifestyle or a way to achieve a level of respect or status within the local urban scene. For many others however, who have seen street ballers turn NBA pros, it’s seen as potentially the only avenue to achieve a dream of playing professional basketball.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on June 18, 2003. Read the original PDF.