Nike Crown League Mashup: Weeks Two and Three

Weeks two and three of the Nike Crown League featured a number of talented players, including former Toronto Raptors forward James Johnson, and Washington Wizards forward Andrew Nicholson.

Strutting through the east entrance of Kerr Hall Gymnasium as the final seconds winded down in a game between Team Ace and Team M.A.D.E., former Toronto Raptors forward James Johnson stole the spotlight from what was a very entertaining game.

Although M.A.D.E. squeaked by Ace, 70-68, all the attention was on Johnson. Sporting a casual look which featured a pair of black, designer sunglasses, what looked like a black leather hat, and a pair of sleek, black and white Jordan 12s, onlookers in the stands wondered if Johnson would suit up for the event, of if he was just here to watch.

Johnson’s presence alone personifies the aura of the Crown League. You never know who is going to show up, and when a player does show up, their participation is always kept secret.

Related Story: Nike Crown League Mashup: Week One

Johnson did play for the Northern Kings in the second game of week two, almost willing his team to victory, but ultimately falling short to 1LoveTO by a final score of 81-76.

When you look at the excitement Johnson brought, and the increased competition level in the second half, the final result almost felt secondary. For fans, Johnson’s ability to hammer home a thunderous putback dunk, and drain pull-up threes from distance, made the night more than worthwhile.

Fast forward to week three and much like how Johnson sneaked into the gym, Washington Wizards forward Andrew Nicholson accomplished the same feat. However, Nicholson quietly walked through the west entrance, which is where the players generally enter from, so his arrival was more incognito than Johnson’s.

Despite their contrast in entrances, both players highlighted what was an impressive display of talent during weeks two and three of the Crown League.

Here are a few other thoughts from week two and three of the Nike Crown League:

Final Scores:

Week Three:

9Now defeated Northern Kings, 71-63
M.A.D.E. defeated CIA Bounce, 81-78 (OT)
Ace defeated 1LoveTO, 78-67

Week Two:

M.A.D.E. defeated Ace, 70-68
1LoveTO defeated Northern Kings, 81-76
9Now defeated CIA Bounce, 70-59

Three Observations:

1) Talk about talent. Although Johnson and Nicholson highlighted the weeks, there was a number of talented players joining them on the court, including University of Oregon alumni Jason Calliste, former Canadian national team guard Junior Cadougan, Texas Tech alumni Dejan Kravic, New Mexico State alumni Daniel Mullings, University of Oregon alumni Olu Ashaolu, University of Texas alumni Myck Kabongo, and Canadian national team guard Brady Heslip.

On top of playing NCAA Division-I basketball, each of those players have played professional basketball as well. Games do feature spurts of sporadic play, but when these type of players decide to ramp up their intensity, the increased competition level makes for fun basketball to watch.

2) Junior Cadougan. After drawing a hard foul underneath the basket during week threes game against CIA Bounce, Cadougan elevated his play to a different level. Whether he was driving to the basket, draining pull-up jump shots, or dishing out no-look assists, Cadougan’s full skill set was on display in week three.

Seeing the Toronto native take over the game in the second half reminded some of his early days at Eastern Commerce, or of his days at Christian Life Center Academy in Humble, Texas. Either way, it was an excellent performance by Cadougan, and it provided fans with a glimpse of why Scout.com once ranked him as the fifth best point guard in North America.

3) Raptors dialogue was prevalent throughout the crowd in Kerr Hall throughout weeks two and three. During the night I can recall overhearing at least half a dozen different Raptors discussions within the stands.

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A lot of the discussions revolved around the Raptors quiet offseason, the signing of Jared Sullinger, and Summer League. It was nice to hear fans discuss the Raptors in early July, and it exemplifies just how much the Raptors have grown in Toronto.

Yes, it is a basketball event, but on top of the discussions in the crowd, the amount of Raptors apparel being worn by fans also shows just how much basketball has grown in the Greater Toronto Area. One fan was even sporting a Raptors905 shirt.

Celebrity Sightings:

Aside from the NBA players (Johnson and Nicholson), it has been a quiet past two weeks on the celebrity front. However, with Team Canada’s Olympic aspirations over, as well as NBA Summer League, I have a feeling we’ll slowly start to see more household players participate in the Crown League, which we began to see during week three with Heslip and Nicholson suiting up for 1LoveTO.

I did not see him, but I overheard that Nicholas Carino, better known as OVO Niko, was in attendance during week three as well.

Line of the Night:

In-game emcee Q-Mack keeps the crowd entertained with his witty one-liners and exuberant personality. Here are a few of his one-liners from weeks two and three:

– “He might be allergic to peanut butter, but he loves the jam!”
– “You don’t have to go to Holland to see a windmill tonight!”
– “That shot got more mesh than a Victoria Secret model!”
– “We’re going to keep the halftime tighter than a runner’s hamstring!”

Tweets from the Night:

Next: The Nike Crown League Experience

If you’re interested in attending the Nike Crown League, registration opens every Tuesday at 12 pm. You can register here.