This was not The Goat at Rucker Park, but in North Bay basketball circles, it was a reasonable facsimile.
Players aged from their late teens to nearly sixty competed for the coveted Kap Vintage Classic 2016 title. The oldest (who would admit his age), Doyle Anthony, almost 59, played on the winning side, teaming up with his son, Doyle, Jr., Nipissing Lakers starter Joey Puddister, and local hoops legend Rob Roy to secure three-on-three glory.
The teams were comprised of a who's who of local basketball, a roster that spanned the decades, with many current and former college and university players taking part.
The games were hotly contested with some talk and lots of joking exchanged between the players.
Clay Langley, a veteran local men's league player, and well-known low-post player joked that "I wanted to show my three-point shooting prowess, and was really disappointed when I got here and there was no three-point line."
There were, however, homemade sidelines and baselines, and some impressive artwork in the centre circle (see gallery above).
The tournament, in its second year, was the brainchild of Dan Kapitanchuk, who hosts the event in the driveway at his family's home on the shores of Lake Nipissing.
"A bunch of friends got together, and we had a tournament last Civic Holiday long weekend. We started out with three teams last year, and we're up to five teams this year, with a bunch of other teams that we couldn't accommodate," said Kapitanchuk.
"Everybody wants to play now, on the vintage side, which is fifty plus, and also the young guys. Everybody's trying to get the best young guys they can," said the organizer.
Teams are comprised of four players, including two vintage players, with three playing at a time.
After the top teams square off in the final, the Kapitanchuks host a BBQ.
"My daughters wanted us to have trophies, and I said 'No. Guys when they play, they don't want trophies, they want to win'" and have the bragging rights. "At the end of the day, it's all about having some fun," said Kapitanchuk.
When asked how the vintage players would survive the gruelling day, Kapitanchuk smiled and said "Advil."
