Building on the growing popularity of basketball in the UK, London Marathon Events and the NBA have launched a free 3v3 basketball tournament for secondary schools across London.
The inaugural tournament in 2025 saw impressive participation with 174 secondary schools from every London borough competing, including 31% from the most disadvantaged areas of the city.
The tournament is structured with knockout rounds running from January through May, culminating in the Finals Festival held in June. In 2025, the finals took place at Trafalgar Square, establishing a tradition of hosting the championship at iconic central London locations each year on June 6.
From an initial pool of 315 teams, ten schools qualified as finalists across various competitive categories.
The 3v3 format offers several advantages for school implementation. Games are played on smaller courts with shorter durations, making the sport more accessible for inner-city schools with limited space. Teams consist of three players on court at any time, drawn from a squad of six. This format gained significant exposure when it debuted as an Olympic sport at the 2024 Paris Games. Games last only 10 minutes with a single hoop, further simplifying participation for children.
Community impact extends beyond the participating schools. The finals event includes coaching clinics for primary school children, with up to 20 children from each school invited to attend. NBA expert coaching sessions are available at the Trafalgar Square event, while finals are broadcast on big screens around central London.
The program has received substantial government support, with the Mayor of London creating a basketball taskforce in 2024. Additional funding comes from UK Sport, which allocated nearly £3 million to British Basketball Federation, and Sport England, which contributed an extra £1.55 million through Basketball England. Mayor Sadiq Khan has also invested almost £2 million to enhance basketball facilities throughout London.
Looking ahead, the tournament will expand to include primary schools in 2026, opening participation to pupils in Years 5 and 6. Schools can access NBA-themed educational materials through the NBA in the Classroom program, which focuses on career development, financial management, and mental wellbeing. This growth aligns with national trends showing 1.18 million people under age 16 now play basketball at least once weekly in England.
