South’s Miya Naruko, left, throws up the barrier as Bella Fong of North drives, during the girls’ 11th grade final of the North-South Basketball Tournament in Long Beach. Hundreds attended as the event marked its 30th gathering.
The North South tournament celebrates decades of basketball and community.
It was all smiles on a mild summer day Aug. 3, as the North South Invitational Basketball Tournament returned to Cabrillo High School in Long Beach.
This year marks 30 years of the event, not counting a few pandemic-cancelled years.
Tournament director Sandy Onomura reflected on her gratitude and joy that come with the annual event that brings elite boys’ and girls’ high school teams from across California.
“We’ve been able to reach 30 years because we have so many dedicated people and players,” Onomura said after the final game. “I am touched by how year in and year out, the community embraces the program.”
The tournament had its genesis in chats between founders Russell Hiroto and Jack Mai, and their idea quickly inspired local basketball communities.
“The whole thing began as nothing but a thought among a few people, but it has grown,” Onomura explained. “Tournaments like this have become commonplace in the Asian community, and we’ve reached a lot of kids, including some who never played Asian ball.”
A key portion of the tournament is the awarding of scholarships.
This year, the Monica Quan & Keith Lawrence Award was presented to Maddie Smith of Flintridge Prep in La Cañada and Kenedi Nomura of Valley Christian in San Jose.
The recipients of the Kevyn Nojima Scholarship are Ryan Gov of Cypress High and Lucas Lau of University High in San Francisco.
– Mikey Hirano Culross