When the Harlem Buckets stepped onto the basketball court this past spring, nervous energy hung in the air. But once the ball hit the pavement, the tension faded and the team focused on what they came to do: win some games.
The team was competing in BAM Jam Boise, a 3-on-3 basketball tournament held each spring and summer in the Treasure Valley. Hundreds of teams from around Idaho and surrounding states participate in what’s become one of the region’s most popular sporting events. Tournament games are quick, lasting until one team reaches 20 points or the clock hits 25 minutes, whichever comes first. Often, there’s not much time for rest between games.
For Idaho teens Kaiden, Colton, and Gannon (aka the Harlem Buckets), BAM Jam is a fun opportunity to spend more time on the court, size up the competition, and soak in the festive atmosphere.
“It’s a good way to get better,” says Colton. “Since you’re competing against other high school kids that you’ll end up playing with or against later, you get to develop team chemistry early on and do better in regular season games.”
Kaiden, a point guard, likes that the event is a learning experience. “You don’t get a 20-minute half and four quarters—four chances—like you do in a regular game,” he explains. “You just get one chance. You play your hardest or you get beat.”
“We did alright,” he recalls of their performance at the spring tournament. “We beat this one really good team but then we lost in the semifinals. But it was fun and that’s all that matters.”
