FIBA Europe 3on3

The historical Presernov Square in Ljubljana was resembling a construction site on early Thursday morning, with the 3on3 crew having to unload all the equipment and start  assembling the courts

‘If you build it, they will come,' a voice kept telling Kevin Costner in the 1989 film Field Of Dreams, urging him to turn his corn field into a baseball ground.

When FIBA Europe and the Slovenian Basketball Federation set out to organise the 1st FIBA Europe 3on3, they had a similar vision in mind.

It involved 3on3 basketball and much more urban surroundings though.

If they built courts in the centre of Ljubljana and made available everything necessary to play 3on3 basketball, people would come.

They would bring basketball to the people, and people would get actively involved.

They were wrong! The residents of the Slovenian capital could not even wait for the courts to be ready to grab a basketball and start playing!

From as early as 7am on Thursday morning, as soon as the 3on3 crew started working in Presernov Square in downtown Ljubljana, members of the public of every age and gender started enquiries.

‘When will it be ready?' ‘How can we get involved?' ‘Can I play too?' were the most common questions the 25-strong crew of the Slovenian Federation and FIBA Europe were asked all day long by basketball-crazy locals and tourists.

The crew started by unloading all the equipment the 3on3 trucks had transported from the FIBA Europe headquarters in Munich.

They worked tirelessly into the night, to construct the six courts and transform the surrounding areas, installation of lighting and sound systems included.

The 3on3 Center Court in Presernov Square was placed on a custom-made podium to guarantee a level-playing surface.

On its flanks, two tribunes for the public and one VIP tribune where assembled, which can hold a crowd of 800 between them- It will not be enough!

Even before the first tip-off in any of the tournaments, the Slovenian capital residents took to the 3on3 courts to give them a try

One of the three bridges of the square will host the court for Playful Kids' basketball.

The street leading to Presernov Square was also taken over by the 3on3 craze and by the early hours of the night it was transformed into Basketball Main Street, as the crew mounted there the three courts where the Slovenian Open games will take place.

Work was interrupted twice due to torrential rain, but it did not prove enough to disrupt the crew or bend the moral of the basketball-mad Slovenians.

Two teams from each country of thr former Yugoslavia will take part in the International Tournament, which is the main attraction of the 1st FIBA Europe 3on3. 

The schedule for the opening day, Friday, is as follows:

INTERNATIONAL TOURNAMENT

QUALIFYING DAY