March 29, 2022March 29, 2022

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
38


	2nd Ward Division
Season Team MVP Race G FGM FGA FG% 3PM 3PA 3P% GRM GRA 3G% PTS PPG ZEB 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 2 2 3 66.7 1 2 50.0 0 0 0 5 2.5 14 0 0.0 1 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0.0 0.5 0.5 1.5 9
Total - 0 4 3 7 42.9 2 3 150 0 0 0 8 1.1 27 0 0.4 4 4 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0.0 0.4 0.4 0.7 20



	3rd Ward Division
Season Team MVP Race G FGM FGA FG% 3PM 3PA 3P% GRM GRA 3G% PTS PPG ZEB 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 ZEB 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 4 2 3 66.7 1 2 50.0 0 0 0 5 1.3 19 0 0.0 2 1 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0.0 0.5 0.3 1.0 11
Total - 0 37 16 34 47.1 2 9 70 0 0 0 26 0.7 121 4 0.1 11 10 17 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 37 0.0 0.3 0.3 0.5 46

	Career Total
Season MVP Race G FGM FGA FG% 3PM 3PA 3P% GRM GRA 3G% PTS PPG ZEB 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 4 2 3 66.7 1 2 50.0 0 0 0 5 1.3 19 0 0.0 2 1 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0.0 0.5 0.3 1.0 11
Total 0 40 16 34 47.1 2 9 70 0 0 0 26 0.7 121 4 0.1 11 10 17 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 40 0.0 0.3 0.3 0.5 46

March 23, 2022

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.

February 22, 2022

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.

January 27, 2022

He’s back! The logo returns to his roots with the Buzz

IV abruptly retires & the Buzz trade for Gr3g

Coming off a disappointing first year playing in the BeerCityHoops Gr3g League, starting point guard and Buzz team ambassador IV dramatically walked off the court mid-game and subsequently retired this past Tuesday.

While the team continued on to a defeat at the hands of the Crew, league officials were already in contact with each other during the second half about the future of players (IV & Gr3g, specifically), the players still on the floor for the Buzz and the Broad Leaf franchise, in general.

Having taken the lead for the Buzz since late last summer, IV had shown promise as a team owner/ambassador as he put together a roster of competitive hoopers. Although the Buzz hadn’t entered the league with the type of success and fanfare as the Crew or the City, the stability as a franchise seemed to be on par with that of the Nines and the Ligers. But, if he doesn’t want to play during the hard times, the players union has already spoken and declined to allow IV back on the court.

the players union has already spoken and declined to allow IV back on the court

In a meeting just prior to new year, Gr3g talked with Grizzly Doug, the founder of the Broad Leaf Buzz, and admitted that his days playing for the Nines were numbered (mostly 15, 36 & 52) but would continue as a role player on the Alpine Route if needed and would gladly accept a move away from “an environment I once enjoyed but can’t exist in anymore” as soon as possible. The worst part, he added, “was asking Money to join me over there while not really knowing if I could stay”.

The advice?

“Tell ’em all to go take a flyin’ bleep on a rollin’ donut!”

Gr3g’s agent, Michelle, added,

“YOU DO YOU!”

And so here we are, the league’s founder will be traded back to the Buzz for a 2022 late-round pick trying to fit into a squad that has enough talent (and possibly enough time to mesh) to compete in the playoffs. Gr3g will wear the yellow #8 jersey for the Buzz.

Maybe it works. Maybe it fails miserably. Word is they’re just going out to hoop it up.

Check out the league games on YouTube

December 12, 2021

2021-22 Week 6 Preview: End of the 1st Half

first half of the season ends tuesday

The first half of the 2021-22 regular season will come to a conclusion on Tuesday night before the Gr3g League takes nearly a month off for the holidays.

7pm game: Championship rematch, part 2

CREW LOOKS TO STAY UNDEFEATED

The Creston Rock Crew will be looking to stay undefeated as they take the home end of the floor playing host to the Red Hawks of Force in the opening game (7pm). Both teams have a different look since the season opener where the Crew defeated the Hawks, 47-38.

Newcomers Ricky Bobby (left) and Proto have led the way for the Crew, according to the MVP Race, but it’s been a collective effort across the board for the Purple. Boog and Jimmy G are playing some of their best basketball to date while the new additions of Gavin and Asian Spice (right) have increased tempo and opened up wide-open pockets to shoot from.

The Crew hasn’t felt the need to take their game outside the 3G line, as they’e attempted the least of any team.

For the Hawks, this season has been the perfect storm

Coming off last season’s Championship victory, the team found itself in disarray. Multiple players had secretly positioned themselves to leave the squad for other teams over the summer creating a whirlwind of drama which was at the time only known to league personnel.

During the offseason recruiting process, multiple players had again made it “very clear” they did not want to return to the Hawks. One was even bold enough to tell the league they’d, “found another league to play in and I’m taking some players with me.” (That player no longer plays in the Gr3g League and did not respond to inquiries for a comment.)

The league made the choice to fill the team with incoming players in a huge trade after Week 1 “once the Nines decided how to fill their roster” AND “none of the other Hawks being available or having reached out to the league yet“.

In that trade, the Hawks secured the services of a “team of 4 that will start their own expansion team next season in Orange & Black” consisting of The Juice, AG, ****Mike & Coach Drew to go with I’ll Will, (pictured below) Cake and newcomer Daniel Bk.

With Bandit‘s sudden return in Week 4, the Red now have a returning squad of four plus the Orange 4 and part-time available services of Big Baby.

A.G. has lead the way in the scoring department so far this season, only giving way to Bandit this past week against the Buzz. ****Mike is a dominant force on the boards both offensively and defensively. After an injury to his shooting hand, Coach Drew has taken a prominent role on the sidelines as the “voice of the Force” and, not surprisingly, The Juice just keeps finding himself in open space to fire three-pointers in long-sleeves.

This team has taken the most 3G’s this season, a deep contrast to their upcoming opponent.

Continue reading “2021-22 Week 6 Preview: End of the 1st Half” →

November 25, 2021November 28, 2021

Beer of the Month: November 2021 – Skull & Bones

Tweets by citybuilt

You can find artist Aaron McCall, who is responsible for Skull & Bones, on his website, on Instagram (see below) or in the mix at 820 Monroe NW.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Aaron McCall (@aaron_mccall)

November 23, 2021

To our Players: an update from the office

We know some of you players are upset with the ending of the final game tonight.

“The fault lies totally at my hands.” -Gr3g

To clear up the end of game status:

-We changed the rule to end the game at 52 points before this season.

-If neither team scores 52, the leading team after the 30-minute running clock takes the victory. Game 1 tonight ended 52-37 with 7:32 left in the game.

-Shortening the game and adding a target score allows more time for warmups and originally was key to the possibility of having 4 games per night with 8 teams.

-We could not field 8 teams at the start of the season. Multiple players have reached out over the last couple weeks in hopes of returning.

-And so, rosters got tighter and a couple people got traded.

-As we saw tonight, players will miss games.

Your $74/dues covers:

-the 7-week schedule in 2021,

-a 7-week schedule starting Jan 11, 2022 and

-a single elimination tourney in March 2022.

We’re paid up at the gym through Feb. 9th.

We’re trying to find a Gus Buster or 2 to oversee the tourney.

November 15, 2021

MVP on the move? Nines send 4 players to Hawks for Mr94Feet, rights to J. Barrett

AG, ****, The Juice & Coach Drew heading to defending Champs

Less than 12 minutes into the first game of the season, the Greyline Nines saw Drew wince and grab his right arm. He knew. We knew. He’d be out for the next 10-12 weeks with a fracture (broken arm) just above his right wrist.

While it didn’t change the outcome of the Week 1 game against the Buzz, it definitely caused some concern for the front office of the Greyline Nines.

On Monday morning, the Nines reached out to Ryan 4ce, the GM/lead ambassador of the Red Hawks of Force to inquire about a major shakeup to both rosters. Becoming Coach Drew for the remainder fo the regular season, he’s a better fit on the bench for the Hawks as opposed to pacing the sidelines for a Nines team wrought in familiarity and the 4ce sees that.

Joining Coach Drew on the move to the Hawks are newcomers A.G. and ****, as well as wily Military Veteran The Juice.

In return for the major haul of talent, the Hawks will send Mr94Feet and the returning player rights to J. Barrett (aka “Double Barrett”) to the Nines.

With the trade, the Hawks gain some much needed production in the lane (****) and a guard (A.G.) who can both create off the dribble and light the fire from distance like a viking sparking the funeral pyre. Adding “The Juice” to the mix only makes it a higher possibility that the opposing team goes home to drink Bloody Mary’s as soon as possible.

On the other side of the trade table are the Nines, who’ve made some interesting moves over the past 6 months. After acquiring Tyco from the Hawks for draft picks over the summer, they were notified during pre-season that the big man, along with 2020-21 League MVP Los, were opting to play “overseas” (in some cheesy YMCA league, per an unidentified source) and wouldn’t be returning to the Gr3g League for the 2021-22 season. Losing their two biggest players (both physically and “in the news” this summer), the team targeted the best outside shooters on the market to go with the returning “get buckets” duo of MJ and Boston.

After finding a deal to put Money in a Buzz uniform, the Broad Leaf ambassadors shipped him to the Nines to clear space for incoming draftees from Summer League. Knowing the Buzz was going to fill the roster with the “highest upside”, the Nines again reached out to the Buzz to inquire about the availability of BeerCityHoops‘ founder, Gr3g. The high-motor, “recklessly defensive of his parquet” point-forward returns to the League with hopes of pushing his Buzz #8 and Nines #15 jerseys into a HOF #36 before he retires and takes the broadcasting helm.

The Nines now have some of the best outside shooters in the League. Finding some space inside the 3-point line for Gr3g on the block will allow the others to spot up and fire up some 3’s and 3G’s.

We know they have the talent, do they have the health to compete?

Coming off a knee scope for MJ, a scattered schedule for Boston’s little leaguers, Gr3g’s age and the unknown of the newcomers, including Buggs, who signed today, signify a change of direction in philosophy for the Nines but also shows that the front office understands last year’s game plan fell flat in the Playoffs. This team is now the oldest of the Original Six, with Money being the only under-30 player on the team.

What now for the defending Champions?

The sudden addition of a near-full squad that has played together in other markets definitely puts them back on the map. Losing key players Mr94Feet (Nines), Bandit (no-show), and Big Baby (playing in Norton Shores with Whores) and some deep bench players (Tyco, Jerms, Berlin Wall), the Red Hawks will rely on Cake (returning from injury), I’ll Will (their own Eric Beverly) and rookie Daniel BK, who joins the League as the first player from the Congo.

November 11, 2021

2021-22 Gr3g League Week 1 in the books

Crew, City & Nines all get victories to begin the new season.

Hawks****

Crew**

Video

Details

Date	Time	League	Season
November 9, 2021	7:00 pm	2nd Ward Division	2021 Season

Results

Team	T	Outcome
Hawks****	38	Loss
Crew**	47	Win

Hawks****

#	Player	PTS	REB
1	Cake	16	8
10	DanielBk	2	5
1	I’ll Will	0	4
52	Gr3g	7	6
13	B. Buckets	5	6
	Total	38	29

Crew**

#	Player	PTS	REB
5	Asian Spice	0	10
20	Proto	19	8
21	Ricky Bobby	18	9
36	Kid A	15	9
	Total	47	36

The undermanned defending Gr3g League champion Hawks flew into the Knapp Shack clutching their 2020-21 title against a new-look Crew squad that was ready to avenge the loss in the final game of last season.

Court

Knapp Shack
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Grand Rapids Charter Township, Kent County, Michigan, United States of America

Ligers

City

Video

Details

Date	Time	League	Season
November 9, 2021	7:40 pm	the GR3G league	2021 Season

Results

Team	T	Outcome
Ligers	42	Loss
City	43	Win

Ligers

#	Player	PTS
9	Silky	4
13	B. Buckets	9
34	Moten	16
	Total	42

City

#	Player	PTS
5	Trav Waylaa	14
7	Shippy	2
17	Cope	0
33	D Nags	5
36	Kid A	11
77	Cuervo	11
	Total	43

Court

Knapp Shack
//tboy.co/maps_embed?q=Grand+Rapids+Charter+Township%2C+Kent+County%2C+Michigan%2C+United+States+of+America&center=43.001493211768604,-85.56960406706374&zoom=15&maptype=roadmap
Grand Rapids Charter Township, Kent County, Michigan, United States of America

Buzz*

Nines**

Video

Details

Date	Time	League	Season
November 9, 2021	8:20 pm	1st Ward Division	2021 Season

Results

Team	T	Outcome
Buzz*	41	Loss
Nines**	45	Win

Buzz*

#	Player	PTS
13	LeBronner	6
63	The Disciple	4
65	Water	10
	Total	41

Nines**

#	Player	PTS
3	Coach Drew	0
7	A.G.	24
10	Money	3
11	The Juice	8
15	Gr3g	0
	Total	45

Court

Knapp Shack
//tboy.co/maps_embed?q=Grand+Rapids+Charter+Township%2C+Kent+County%2C+Michigan%2C+United+States+of+America&center=43.001493211768604,-85.56960406706374&zoom=15&maptype=roadmap
Grand Rapids Charter Township, Kent County, Michigan, United States of America

October 29, 2021November 4, 2021

The season is fast approaching!

Go fast. Turn Left.

Whether or not your dad is playing, the new season starts Tuesday!

Get yourself registered here!

Pos	Team	W	L	PCT	GB	STRK
1	City	7	2	0.778	0	L1
2	Rhythm	6	3	0.667	1	W1
3	Fire	6	3	0.667	1	W2
4	Hearts	5	4	0.556	2	W1
5	Ligers	3	6	0.333	4	L1
6	Nets	0	9	0.000	7	L9

City’s Big man makes music on the defensive end

Keep making that music!

2nd Ward Division

3rd Ward Division

the GR3G league

Career Total

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Nines win 3 in a row to take the title

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Defending Champs goin’ fishing early

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IV abruptly retires & the Buzz trade for Gr3g

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first half of the season ends tuesday

7pm game: Championship rematch, part 2

CREW LOOKS TO STAY UNDEFEATED

For the Hawks, this season has been the perfect storm

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AG, ****, The Juice & Coach Drew heading to defending Champs

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Video

Details

Results

Hawks****

Crew**

Court

Video

Details

Results

Ligers

City

Court

Video

Details

Results

Buzz*

Nines**

Court

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Go fast. Turn Left.

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