Street Ball Tournament: Venice Beach, CA

It’s not the middle of summer just yet, but the pre Midsummer Nights Dream 2006 kick off party just went down. Venice Beach was definitely the place to be Sunday June 28th as the “torch” was passed to Paul Pierce of the Celtics and Baron Davis of the Golden State Warriors. Both players will take over Magic Johnson's annual summer event.

The two NBA All Stars are officially carrying the hottest function of the Los Angeles summer on their back, and they have some huge shoes to fill. Along with Snoop Dogg and Dijon Thompson the event got a jump-start. It seemed like all of LA was on the water today. Celebrities like Brandy, Ray J, Jessica Alba, and Game showed up to support the tournament. Many of the stars in attendance say their firm support derives from the desire to help kids and the community.

The sun was blazing and I was getting a much appreciated tan as I maneuvered through the crowd during the pre-game. I got awesome shots of these dudes slammin’ and cutting-a- fool. The MC bust jokes on each of the players giving me a pain in my side from laughing.

The games were energized and embodied all of the elements of true-to-life street ball. The teams had west coast names. Pierce's was Inglewood's Finest, Snoop's West Coast Riddaz represented, Davis' was Rising Stars, and Dijon Thompson (formerly Lamar Odem's team) represented Rich Soil. The Rising Stars took home the title this summer.

I got the chance to get more than enough interviews, and as soon as I get this firewire together I’ll download a few for you guys to watch. In the meantime I must say that both Pierce and Davis were excellent interviews, very personable. Of all of the events that I’ve attended thus far, I think this was the best.

In case you don’t know what A Mid Summer Nights Dream (formerly A Midsummer Nights Magic) is, here’s the back story: For the past 20 years Magic Johnson, who is know for his philanthropy, has given back to the inner-cities by offering scholarships, essay competitions, and charity games. The event hosts a weekend of entertainment from July 7-9 with concerts, fashion shows, and parties. This event is star studded and raises a ton of money. Proceeds are given to each respective organization.

Pierce and Davis are following Johnson to the letter. They both have foundations of their own carved out for the youth in their former communities. Baron Davis Foundation for At-Risk Youth, Paul Pierce's Truth Foundation will benefit from the event.


Paul Pierce signing a Jersey for a fan during our interview


Look at Paul Dunk...whew! Nasty!


Snoop and Game had the crowd going bananas!!! They are sooo hot!