Greenville hosting Senior Games basketball tournament

Seniors converged Friday on the basketball courts at East Carolina University's Student Recreation Center, bringing their own brand of physical play and competitive spirits as team play got under way in the North Carolina Senior Games 3-on-3 state basketball tournament.

The three-day tournament, which serves as the culminating event for the N.C. Senior Games State Finals, has become an annual fixture in Greenville. ECU has hosted the event for 15 of its 16 years of existence.

Brad Allen, president and executive director of the N.C. Senior Games, said the basketball competition is the “crown jewel” of all Senior Games events in the state. He complimented Greenville-Pitt County Senior Games Coordinator Alice Keene and her staff for their commitment to making it that way.

“This is the last event of 17 days of the State Finals, and you want your last event to be special to people,” Allen said. “There is no better way to cap off your last couple of days than to be here with the facility, the hospitality and the number of players we have. One of the things about Greenville is you have such a strong local organizing committee. The people here are committed not only to the Senior Games, but to community fitness.”

Nearly 20 women's teams and 40 men's teams are competing in the tournament, which is for ages 55 and older. Each team qualified at one of 54 local Senior Games last spring.

Reggie Moss, 73, suited up Friday for the Has-Beens, a 70-plus men's team out of Edgecombe County. The former high school and college basketball player said he has enjoyed the camaraderie most during the past 16 years of competing in the state basketball tournament.

“It's like a big family reunion,” said Moss, who also competes in 14 other Senior Games events. “I don't know what I would do without it.”

Moss said the speed of games played during the tournament may be a little slower than the average basketball fan is accustomed to, but competition is just as fierce.

“There are a lot of good ball players from the old school, but they have savvy,” Moss said. “The legs go. The speed goes. But the savvy doesn't go and the shot doesn't go. They will shoot your eyes out. It is good competition.”

Becky Hopkins, 68, said getting involved with the Lady Bugs 65-plus team from Pitt County has changed her way of living, causing her to focus more on fitness than ever before.

“It keeps me young and healthy and I just love it,” she said.

Hopkins says she also enjoys getting the chance to spend time with her daughter Tracy, who coaches the Lady Bugs squad. Tracy Hopkins said coaching men's and women's squads the past few years has given her hope of one day being a participant in the Senior Games as well.

“It is great to be around all of them,” Tracy Hopkins said. “They inspire me, and I want to be able to do this when I become a senior citizen.”

Allen said more than 3,000 people competed in this year's state Senior Games events, but more than 60,000 participated in local games statewide. He said officials are expecting numbers to continue growing as the senior population increases and people continue to stay active.

Basketball play continues today with an opening ceremony at 9 a.m., followed by pool play and the first round of championship games. Championship games will continue Sunday at 8 a.m.

Contact Brock Letchworth at bletchworth@coxnc.com or (252) 329-9574.