TEN of the Nation’s top basketball club will compete for top honours when the third installation of the Brush’s basketball Classic bounces off on October 22 at the Mackenzie Sports Club hardcourt in Linden. Ravens, Courts Pacesetters and Maccabees will represent Georgetown; Berbice Warriors is the lone side from the ancient county, while defending Champions Wismar Pistons will lead the Linden pack that also includes Kashif and Shanghai Kings, Amelia’s Ward Jets, Victory Valley Royals and Retrieve Raiders and for the first time, Kwakwani.
The winners of the tournament will pocket $100,000, with $60,000 going to second, third place $40,000, while trophies and medals will go to the teams finishing first through third. T-shirts were also given to all of the teams and officials, compliments of the organizers.
At  Wednesday’s launch, held at the LEAP Building in Linden, the organizers and the Linden Amateur Basketball Association (LABA), met with the teams to discuss the rules and regulations and what is expected of them while participating.
Under the ‘Brush’s basketball Foundation’, the tournament is being played in honour of Mike James and Clifton Brush, all former senior National Basketball players, hailing from Linden.
Of the three, Mike is more popularly known because of him being Guyana’s former national coach and only last week, Mike had the newly built dressing room facility at the MCS hard court named in his honour, donated by Ansa McAl.
The trio’s o brother Cloyde, speaking at the launching thanked the teams for participating, especially those from Berbice and Kwakwani, stating that “basketball is now is kind of playing again in Guyana and I hope that the players will be hungry for this tournament.
If you noticed, we are playing all of our games mostly in Linden because of all; this community has been starved when it comes to basketball because we only now have a proper venue to play.”
LABA’s Vice President Rawle Toney, speaking on behalf of the association, stated that his administration sees the Brush’s Classic as a “jumpstart to what we (LABA) have planned for the remainder of the year now that we have a facility.
I take the time to thank all the clubs and players for their patients and support during our time away from the court but we have been working behind the scenes to make sure that when the basketball starts, there will be none-stop action”.
Toney added “LABA sees the Brush’s Classic as an important event because of the significance it holds, given the fact that it’s past players want to give back something to basketball in Linden and we have offered our fullest support to the event.”
After the opening on October 22, games are schedule for October 26, 29, November 2, 4, 5 and 6. According to Brush, only one playing day is scheduled for the Burnham Basketball Court since they are keeping the event Linden base.