The summer has finally rolled back around, which means it’s time for season two of the Red Bull Midnight Run. [Check out John Wall starring in Season 2’s trailer] The opening season was a huge success, and season two is shaping up to be even bigger and better. Last year, the best players from New York, Chicago, Boston and Washington D.C. battled to settle the debate of which city produces the best ballplayers.
In 2013, more cities have been added and the stakes have been raised.
This year’s Red Bull Midnight Run has nine participating cities: New York, Chicago, LA, Philly, DC, Indianapolis, Atlanta, New Orleans and Houston. In each city, 100 invited ballplayers will show off their skills, with only 8 being selected to represent their city in the finals. The finals will take place later this year in the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
Round 1 of season two kicked off in D.C. this weekend, and it couldn’t have gotten off to a better start. The players representing our nation’s capital were eager to get on the court with another opportunity to represent their city. Once the players arrived at the gym and suited up in their Point 3 uniforms, it was time to play ball. The entire group had been anticipating this day, though some were looking forward to it for different reasons than others.
For the returning players, losing to Chicago in the Finals last season left a bad taste in their mouths, so they were anxious to get back in their Red Bull gear with a shot at redemption. The new faces showed up oozing with optimism. Every one of the new guys came equipped with the mindset that they were the missing piece to the puzzle. Overall, the whole group felt deserving of the opportunity they were given and were hungry to make the most of it.
D.C. is home to some of the most confident and prideful players in the country. They take the game extremely seriously in the District, and it showed on the court this weekend. The group of talent was evenly spread. It was a level playing field and no team was able to make it through the night without a loss. Each team had size, each team had shooters and ball-handlers, and each team had athleticism. Ball players in D.C. come in many different shapes and sizes, but they all have the same type of heart and hunger.
With such a large group in the gym, the players jumped at every opportunity to stand out, even putting on a bit of a spontaneous dunk contest between games. There were too many strong performances throughout the night to name them all, but we’ll shout out a few players who impressed us: Dele Ojo, Dave Bailey, Curtis Massey, Donte Briscoe and Corey Allmond.
As the night went on, the games got more and more intense. Especially once John Wall entered the building. Upon his arrival, the players all took it up a notch. He assisted the Dime Magazine crew in evaluating the talent, so he made his presence in the gym felt instantly by grabbing a clipboard and pen and getting to work. Once the players noticed he was watching and taking notes, the competition got more and more heated and the players took it to another level.
With only 35 spots open for Round 2 in DC, it was a very competitive night of hoops. The players all did their best to leave a lasting impression on the Dime crew and John Wall, hoping to earn that call back for the next round. With 8 more cities left to go, it’s going to be a great summer of Midnight Run hoops.
Next stop: Atlanta on June 15.
Check out the next page for more of John Wall and the action from Saturday night…
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