EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - APRIL 22: Gary Payton #20 and Tim Thomas #5 of the Milwaukee Bucks celebrate victory over the New Jersey Nets in Game two of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals during the 2003 NBA Playoffs at Continental Airlines Arena on April 22, 2003 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Bucks won 88-85. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Retired NBA player Tim Thomas will be hosting a holiday tournament in his native New Jersey.
From December 27-30 Thomas will house the New Jersey Hoops High School Showcase at East Orange Campus High School in East Orange New Jersey.
Schools playing come from New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Washington, DC and Canada.
Schools participating include Snyder High School Frankford High School, Pioneer Prep, Norman Thomas, Seward Park, Eastern, Paterson Eastside, Friendship Collegiate, Vision Academy, Olympus Prep Post, Sainte Foy, East Orange Campus and Trenton Central.
Thomas, a native of Paterson, NJ is the face of the holiday tournament.
The seventh pick in the 1997 NBA Draft, Thomas played 12 NBA seasons for the Philadelphia 76ers, Milwaukee Bucks, Chicago Bulls, New York Knicks, Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Clippers where he averaged 11.5 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 824 games.
A Villanova product, Thomas was a three-time All American at Paterson Catholic High School in Paterson, New Jersey. In his lone season at Nova, Thomas averaged 16.9 points and hauled in 6 rebounds in 32 games.
Thomas spoke about his holiday tournament on the Scoop B Radio Podcast.
Check out a snippet from our Q&A below:
Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson: You have a camp coming up, rather a basketball tournament that’s coming up later in the year.
Tim Thomas: It’s a high school showcase in New Jersey. It’s going to be pretty good. We’re just trying to have a big event that’s really normally in the state of New Jersey for boys and girls during the wintertime. You know, showcasing their talent.
Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson: It’s at East Orange campus in December. Give me the date…
Tim Thomas: December 27th – 30th East Orange Campus. Some pretty good teams from Philly, New York, Jersey, so it should be pretty good.
Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson: You and I talked in the summertime about New Jersey hoops, Pro-Am, you know people wanting to go to New York. People don’t want to come to New Jersey. And you’re having it at East Orange campus. I didn’t get a chance to check you out, back in the summertime I was running around like crazy, but you were in Hoopsville which was an 8-team league based in E-O. So now you’re taking it to December 27-30, you got Synder High School and Jersey City and a few other schools that are playing in it. Why New Jersey for Pro-Am?
Tim Thomas: Jersey has basketball players as well you know. New York is the Mecca so honestly they’re gonna get everything. So we’re just trying to hold our own as usual in New Jersey. That’s what we do. So having a Pro-Am for those I think, is beneficial. In the future we gotta get more of our Jersey pro guys to come back around and just help these guys in any aspect of the game of life and basketball as much as they can. Because once you get in any sport you’ll have focus until you can’t go anymore. We just have to lead and direct these young kids or should I say young men, so to say in the right direction. That’s what it’s about. Just being an OG to the situation.
Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson: For those paying attention, Tim Thomas Hoopsviille Presents: NJ High School Hoops Showcase December 27th – 30th at East Orange Campus High School, East Orange/ New Jersey confirmed boys’ high schools you got a lot: Lincoln, Canarsie Educational, CEGDEP de Sainte-Foy which is in Canada I believe, Eastern from Washington D.C., Frankford, Friendship Collegiate, Montclair High School, Norman Thomas, Patrick’s School, Rutgers Prep, Simon Gratz. And then on the ladies side you have: Canarsie Educational, East Orange Campus, Patterson East Side, Snyder High School, Trenton Central and Immaculate Conception….How hard is it to get these schools to actually commit to playing in this holiday tournament?
Tim Thomas: It’s really not hard. People just want to get out and showcase their talent. I’m close with the coaches. Of course the coaches are trying to make sure the kids are going in the right direction. So it’s pretty much the kids getting looked in and experience.