The mayor

Happy Mother’s Day!

Thank You.

 

Raise a glass to CHEERS the most important person in the world, Mom.

She doesn’t care that you miss shots, can’t play defense and continually make a fool of yourself and your family name out there on the ball court.

All she cares about is that you’re having fun and doing your best.

Make sure to give her a call, send her a card and remind her that your jump shot is broke. Take her advice about that “new thing” and tell her the email chain is “hilarious”. She’ll be most appreciative.

To the Mayor of Golf Village, thanks for everything! You’re the BEST!

 

Red Cedar: Union of Hawks

Forced into a new crest, Year 1 Champs rebrand

Whence does the Red Hawk fly if time goes by in the age of gravity?

Forever will the Red Hawk soar like kites in the West Michigan wind. From the western shores of Muskegon Lake to the skies above West Muskegon Ave, the Union of Hawks ascend above the Red Cedar of the Grand Valley.

The Red Hawks of Force have rebranded as the Red Cedar: Union of Hawks, per league sources.

While most of the original Hawks found nests away from the League, some continually migrated between on court and off court during season 2. Newcomer Daniel Bk, the Hawks MVP who played every game last year, joined Year 1 returnees Cake and I’ll Will as the team went through serious roster turnover.

On the crest:

  • five hawks represent the team on the floor
  • the trees, hoop and arrow symbolize the flight of M-46 (Muskegon, Cedar Springs, Grand Rapids)
  • the white trophy is the 2020-21 Championship
  • (Big) Red Cedar (Springs) Union (GR) = HAWKS

 

The Hawks will move on from their former logo.

Redhawksbasketballlogo
Red Hawks of Force (2020-2022)

 

If you’re interested in joining the Red Cedar: Union of Hawks and are at least 30 years old, please REGISTER NOW!

Player Entry into the Gr3g League is contingent on REGISTERING for the League via our website while CREATING your persona (nickname & number, team selection) & PURCHASING YOUR OWN CUSTOM JERSEY ($150 one-time payment) with the plan on playing for a single team FOREVER (new jersey purchase required to change teams during offseason).

 

Ricky Bobby photo

Dawg of the Year: Ricky Bobby named Gr3g League MVP

New season, new team, new trophy: Ricky Bobby takes the MVP

Ricky Bobby of the Creston Rock Crew has been named the 2021-22 Gr3g League MVP and takes home the Jackson Walker “Dawg of the Year” trophy, the league announced today.

The lead singer of the band Pretoria (check out there music here!), Ricky Bobby led the Crew to another great year on the court while playing General Manager for the Purple amid a season of roster fluctuation due to work & school schedules, injuries and Covid precautions.

Pretoria music

He finished 2nd in total points (184), games played (14), wins (11), was 7th in PPG (3rd among players playing 10+ games) and was the key contributor to the success of his team throughout the season.

On the All-Time stats list, he ranks 1st in the MVP Race (58.60), 4th in total points (296), 1st in games played (24), and holds a 12.3 PPG overall.

Ricky Bobby played Year 1 with the Greyline Nines, alongside MJ (351 points) and 2020-21 League MVP Los (318 points).

After (his dad) Goolay retired in the offseason, he signed with his hometown Crew to play with Jimmy G and Boog.

While we missed all but one song at his latest gig, here’s a link to the next one!

June 3rd at the Pyramid Scheme in Grand Rapids, MI

2021-22 “Old School” Player of the Year: Jimmy G

Par for the course, JImmy G medals again

Every team needs a leader that will take the helm during the toughest of times and be there as support when the game plan works to its best possible outcome. Being present and patient is what veteran leadership is all about.

No one does a better job of being the “Old School” man on the floor than the Crew‘s own Jimmy G.

One of the first players to register for the Gr3g League back in early 2020, #13 in purple and gold has been a top recruiter, a mainstay on the court and an avid supporter and very generous donor since Day One.

The league is built for hoopers like Jim.

By far (not by far), he’s the elder statesman playing in the league. And although he’s “not as quick as (I) used to be”, he’s played in 23 of the 25 games for the Crew over the last two seasons.

“Not as quick as I used to be.” -Jimmy G

 

While the buckets weren’t filling up this year for the 50+ year old guard, his presence on and off the court has made a huge impact in the lives on his teammates and the author of this article. So, let’s…Raise 2 Pints

to our 2021-22

“Old School” Player of the Year,

Jimmy G!

 

 

2021-22 Defensive Player of the Year: Cope Creatif

City’s Big man makes music on the defensive end

The 2021-22 Gr3g League Defensive Player of the Year, the City of Bridges Basketball Club‘s big man, Cope Creatif.

It was a mid-summer Tuesday evening over on Grand Rapids’ southeast side when we first met Cope. The sun was setting a little low in the western sky and the guys shooting toward the east bucket over on Michael Sanders Memorial Court at Wilcox Park definitely had an advantage not dealing with the twilight.

Do you know that feeling when you know the other team has to deal with something like a bent rim, overly cracked pavement, the tree branch, or the sun? It’s not subtle. You’ve got an advantage. And it’ll break down your hustle.

That’s what happened that day in the park. Cope happened.

but he also plays “without contacts” offense

He didn’t overwork to get to his spot. He didn’t lunge to get the steal. He wouldn’t bite on the pump fake. What did he do? He continued a defensive assault on the opposing team. Wait for the opposition to attack and thwart away the efforts like a fly.

We knew very early in Summer League what to expect in the regular season.

When the “2021 Draft” took place, it was obvious to the team ambassadors to keep the continuity from the Summer League teams together on the floor and found City to be the best option. Cope, Trav Waylaa, Jose XIX and Weston (IR, return in 2022-23 likely) joined up with D Nags and Kid A to form a formidable new look Bridges.

Cope did the dirty work for the Bad Boys in Blue all year long. You can look at the yearly stats and see that he scored 10 points over 13 games this past season, but that doesn’t tell the story at all.

The League doesn’t currently keep (read: who wants to watch some YouTube games & do the book?) defensive stats like rebounds, blocks, steals and turnovers forced. This year, we didn’t need them.

Every game this year, Cope owned the middle of the floor on the defensive end. His abundant rebounding numbers and the numerous shots blocked were high on the mind of the voters (most of whom had been victim to the Creatif’D).

“He plays a no-contact type of defense that takes away an opponents ability to body up and control the narrative”, his biggest fan in the League told us earlier this year, “no need to be more than DPOY”.

“Yeah, but he also plays “without contacts” offense and we could use some easy buckets”, another player chimed in.

No player in the league did more to effect the opponents as a whole that Cope did this season.

Congratulations, Cope Creatif!

Keep making that music! 

 

Check out his work off court:

https://www.facebook.com/lescreatifmusic

#
6
Name
Cope
Position
Center
Member Status
Lifetime
Height
6-3
Weight
180
Current Team
Rhythm
Past Teams
City
Leagues
2nd Ward Division, 3rd Ward Division, the GR3G league
Seasons
2021 Playoffs, 2021 Season, 2022 Season, 2023 Season, 2024 Season
Age
39

2nd Ward Division

Season Team MVP Race G FGM FGA FG% 3PM 3PA 3P% GRM GRA 3G% PTS PPG RBZ REB ZPG AST STL BLK FTM FTA FT% OFF DEF TO PF GS RPG APG SPG BPG EFF
2023 Season Rhythm 0 2 1 4 25.0 1 1 100.0 0 0 0 3 1.5 13 0 0.0 3 3 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0.0 1.5 1.5 1.5 9
2024 Season Rhythm 0 5 6 12 50.0 3 6 50.0 0 0 0 15 3.0 28 0 0.0 3 3 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 0.0 0.6 0.6 1.2 21
Total - 0 7 7 16 43.8 4 7 150 0 0 0 18 1.7 41 0 0.3 6 6 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 0.0 0.5 0.5 0.8 32

3rd Ward Division

Season Team MVP Race G FGM FGA FG% 3PM 3PA 3P% GRM GRA 3G% PTS PPG RBZ REB ZPG AST STL BLK FTM FTA FT% OFF DEF TO PF GS RPG APG SPG BPG EFF
2022 Season Rhythm 0 3 0 4 0.0 0 1 0.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 -4
Total - 0 3 0 4 0.0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.3 -5

the GR3G league

Season Team MVP Race G FGM FGA FG% 3PM 3PA 3P% GRM GRA 3G% PTS PPG RBZ REB ZPG AST STL BLK FTM FTA FT% OFF DEF TO PF GS RPG APG SPG BPG EFF
2021 Season City 0 13 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 10 0.8 0 4 0.3 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 13 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.3 14
2022 Season Rhythm 0 8 1 11 9.1 0 2 0.0 0 0 0 2 0.3 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 8 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 -8
2023 Season Rhythm 0 12 13 20 65.0 1 5 20.0 0 0 0 9 0.8 102 0 0.0 9 9 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 12 0.0 0.8 0.8 0.8 29
2024 Season Rhythm 0 18 8 26 30.8 4 14 28.6 0 0 0 20 1.1 96 0 0.0 13 19 14 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 18 0.0 0.7 1.1 0.8 48
Total - 0 51 22 57 38.6 5 21 48.6 0 0 0 41 0.8 198 4 0.1 22 28 27 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 51 0.0 0.4 0.5 0.5 83

Career Total

Season MVP Race G FGM FGA FG% 3PM 3PA 3P% GRM GRA 3G% PTS PPG RBZ REB ZPG AST STL BLK FTM FTA FT% OFF DEF TO PF GS RPG APG SPG BPG EFF
2021 Playoffs 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0
2021 Season 0 13 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 10 0.8 0 4 0.3 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 13 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.3 14
2022 Season 0 8 1 11 9.1 0 2 0.0 0 0 0 2 0.3 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 8 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 -8
2023 Season 0 12 13 20 65.0 1 5 20.0 0 0 0 9 0.8 102 0 0.0 9 9 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 12 0.0 0.8 0.8 0.8 29
2024 Season 0 18 8 26 30.8 4 14 28.6 0 0 0 20 1.1 96 0 0.0 13 19 14 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 18 0.0 0.7 1.1 0.8 48
Total 0 54 22 57 38.6 5 21 48.6 0 0 0 41 0.8 198 4 0.1 22 28 27 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 54 0.0 0.4 0.5 0.5 83

nines champions 2021-22

Greyline Nines take the Championship

Nines win 3 in a row to take the title

The Greyline Nines won the last three games of the season and took home the 2021-22 Championship with a 52-48 victory over the Broadleaf Buzz.

The winningest team in the history of the Gr3g League, presented by BeerCityHoops, the Nines completed the sweep of the GGR Ligers, the Creston Rock Crew and the Buzz, and will forever etch their names in the trophy (literally) and the history books.

Led by returning players MJ and Double Barrett, the Nines physically outmanned the Ligers in the Quarterfinal before newcomers Money and Mr94Feet outgunned the Crew in the first game of the Final night a week later.

During the last game of the season, it was time for revenge against the Buzz. Broad Leaf sent the Nines down the Loser’s Bracket route causing the extended detour to the title game.

MJ bullied his way to the basket over and over and over again on his way to 24 points and the Final Game MVP award.

2021 Final: Buzz vs Nines

 

 

B. Buckets heats up the kitchen in Ligers 53-16 win over Hawks

Defending Champs goin’ fishing early

It wasn’t much of a game from the early going as the Ligers put together a team effort in a 53-16 win over the defending Gr3g League champions.

While the Ligers and Hawks both looked to the deep depths of free agency to fill their playoff roster, the names on the jerseys wouldn’t matter except for #13 in green.

B. Buckets set fire to the entire block on the home end via the 3G and sent the Hawks out to the lake on an early exit fishing trip.

Silky did his usual work, LaCrosse played the role previously filled by B Stacks, and Gr3g worked out on the defensive boards in his return to the court for the Ligers (after being released from the Buzz after their acquisition of Ford). In fact, we heard whispers of “is that team modeled after the ’96 Sonics?” in the arena throughout the night. (Think Gary Payton, Detlef Schrempf, Sam Perkins, and Steve Scheffler, respectively.)

DanielBk led the Hawks, as he did all season. After losing a majority of their roster after the holiday break (4 players went on to coach their kids in little ball), the Hawks became his team to lead. A team had to make week-to-week roster moves which caused a bit of flux in the flow of their foundation.