Brad Stevens, Bob Ryan, Michael Holley welcome teams to TD Garden
Generous businesses, groups of super fans, friends from the media, and two youth teams got their game on for ABCD Hoop Dreams, the iconic charity basketball tournament that benefits under-resourced young people in Greater Boston.
The Vertex Pharmaceuticals-sponsored youth team, No Books, No Ball, walked away with the trophy. Teams from Merchant Resource Group, The Varano Group, and Burlington Motors, along with the ABCD Dream Team and the Media All-Stars led by DJ Pup Dawg of iHeart Media, Notorious VOG from B87 FM, and Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated, all played to win.
After missing 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event returned this year thanks to TD Garden President Amy Latimer and Garden Neighborhood Charities, which made the fabled venue available to the organization and handled COVID-19 protocols. In addition, event co-chairs Joe Damato, CEO of Merchant Resource Group, and Charlie Titus, retired vice chancellor, UMass Boston, brought new teams and new energy to the mix.
NBA Championship-winning Coach Doc Rivers and the great Boston sports columnist and author Bob Ryan co-founded Hoop Dreams, and when Rivers left Boston to coach the LA Clippers, he recruited his successor, Brad Stevens, to co-host. Stevens has returned every year.
NBC Sports Boston’s Michael Holley interviewed Stevens about his role with the organization. Watch here.
