Nike Battle Force Joburg culminated in an epic show of basketball, dance, DJ beats and rap bars at the Zoo Lake courts on Sunday. Hosted by Scoop Makhathini and Loot Love, the battles were the ultimate celebration of sport and creativity as athletes and artists from all corners of the city arrived to compete. After 10 rounds of intense 3-on-3 b-ball matches, The Woodpeckers were named the ultimate Battle Force champions. The team were cool under pressure and took the win easily with a 4-point lead over Homecoming in a final score of 7-3.
“We started this tournament wanting to win, but as the games went by last week, a lot of teams stepped up and doubts started creeping in. Today we played with confidence and we were able to pull it through to the final. It was a great tournament to be part of and we really enjoyed ourselves. The vibe and the other competitions within the tournament made it all worthwhile,” – Sipesihle Ntokozo Masego, captain of the Woodpeckers team
Throughout the day, the crowd was entertained by up-and-coming DJ’s, rappers and dancers who put it all on the line to be named the winners of their respective battles. The Camo battle was led by the king of camo himself, Mkay Frash, who spotted the hottest camo threads in the crowd on the day. There was also plenty enjoyment served for Sneakerheads with a customisation station by Black Faff and an auction for an exclusive pair of Don C’s from the Nike “AF100” Air Force 1 Collection in celebration of the sneakers’ 35th anniversary.
“Aside from the prize money, we are glad that the courts were fixed and painted. The new courts are amazing and it was pretty dope to play on them. A lot of kids want to come and play ball here now, and that’s what the sport needs more of in Johannesburg.” – Masego
The refurbished courts are part of Nike’s commitment to develop basketball in South Africa. The newly designed Jozi landmark has sparked renewed interest in the sport and will continue to serve the community in the hopes of unearthing future stars of the game, right here in Johannesburg.
“We created Battle Force as an initiative for the community to celebrate the game of basketball and honour the culture of the Air-Force 1 icon. We are incredibly proud of the 35-year history of the AF1 brand and we wanted to bring that spirit to the younger generation in South Africa.” – Alissa Jenkins, Nike South Africa Marketing Director