With an epic prize of a trip to LA on the line, 28 media agency teams lined up to shoot it out at ESPN Digital’s inaugural Sydney 3-on-3 Basketball Challenge last Friday in Sydney.
In a hotly contested affair, Mindshare, MEC, Ikon and UM battled their way through the pool rounds and quarters, locking in their place in the semi-finals.
In a performance worthy of a SportsCenter Top 10 highlight reel, the Ikon team consisting of Will Bandian, Lukas Handley and Xenia Boynton knocked off UM, booking them a place in the final.
On the opposite side of the draw, the Mindshare team made up of Nick Monteith, Matt Papasavva and Jenn Mule took on their counterparts from MEC. Mindshare, rocking Carmelo Anthony-inspired hoodies, caught fire and sent MEC packing.
Before the final tipped off, players from all teams showed off their free throw shooting abilities, with Tasi Saipaia from UM and Harry Ingham from Carat each snagging a $500 Merivale voucher.
And onto the final… Ikon and Mindshare went blow for blow in the highest-quality game of the day. Ikon’s Bandian stepped up with some impressive moves taking the ball to the hoop, and Mindshare’s Monteith put on a shooting clinic.
In the final seconds, Mindshare clawed ahead and a long range three sealed the deal for the GroupM agency.
A huge congratulations to the winners, who will be flying to LA to witness the best that the NBA has to offer, as well as a trip to Disneyland!
