Rock Hill Sports & Event Center hosts Adidas basketball tournament

ROCK HILL, S.C. — The 2023 Adidas 3SSB Boys and Girls Basketball Championships are being held at the Rock Hill Sports & Event Center through Tuesday.

It’s a tournament that can change teens’ lives.

Chase and Millicent Leonard came to the center to cheer on their son, Tristian Thompson.

They say the Florence teen has always excelled at basketball.

“Very good athlete,” said Chase Leonard. “Very good kid in school.”

It was a chance for Thompson to show off some of his moves on the court.

“Got a chance to see some college coaches out here,” Chase Leonard said. “Basically, get noticed a little more.”

Former NBA great Dennis Scott and top college coaches, including Michigan’s Juwon Howard, were at the center in Rock Hill, as NBA scouts observed the players.

“Now, it’s legal for high schoolers to go straight to the pros,” said Bryan Jones, the site supervisor for Rock Hill Sports & Event Center. “So, you have pro scouts in here watching top-tier players and may recruit them to the NBA next year.”

Jones helped secure a multi-year deal with Adidas to keep this tournament in Rock Hill.

He says the sports and event center was built for events like the Adidas tournament that brings national attention to Rock Hill while helping fulfill dreams.

“Hopefully he can get a good offer from any school,” Chase Leonard said. “We’ll take any school. Anything that’s paid for, we’ll take it.”

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