Triple Play

Former D Magazine editor and frustrated college basketball player Terry Murphy began the Hoop-It-Up three-on-three basketball tournament 20 years ago to raise money for the Dallas Special Olympics. Originally named Hoop-D-Do, its beginnings were slow. But the tournament grew rapidly, and by 1991 it became the official three-on-three streetball tournament...

By Darci Ratliff

April 27, 2006

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Former D Magazine editor and frustrated college basketball player Terry Murphy began the Hoop-It-Up three-on-three basketball tournament 20 years ago to raise money for the Dallas Special Olympics. Originally named Hoop-D-Do, its beginnings were slow. But the tournament grew rapidly, and by 1991 it became the official three-on-three streetball tournament of the NBA. It's now a national tournament for women and men of various ages and abilities. The Dallas Winter Warm Up (originally a winter game whose date has changed but whose name hasn't) will pit more than 2,500 players against each other in tough three-on-three competition.

It's not only the name that has changed; at one point, Murphy had raised more than $4 million for charities worldwide. The tournament has since become a corporate-sponsored for-profit event, with occasional charity partnerships. Cloning the successful basketball model was inevitable, and Murphy's company tackled several sports arenas with Spike-It-Up (volleyball); Pitch, Hit and Run (baseball); and NHL Breakout (street hockey) tournaments. The organization has since been sold and merged into the Colorado-based Team Championships International and hosts three tournaments: Hoop-It-Up, Kick-It (soccer) and Let-It-Fly (flag football). The Hoop-It-Up Dallas Winter Warm Up takes place at 9 a.m. Saturday and Sunday at Fair Park. Spectator admission is free. Call 888-997-7529 or visit hoopitup.com.
Sat., April 29, 9 a.m.; Sun., April 30, 9 a.m.

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