How a group of friends started a tournament in 1986 that has become the longest-running summer basketball event in B.C. — the legendary Dolphin Classic
The scene: Summer sun beating down on pavement that’s hot to the touch. A mass of electrified humanity surrounds a basketball court, with cheers coming from the beer garden on one side and smells of a smoking barbecue from the other.
On the court, one of the smoothest ballhandlers in NBA history is cantering up court; a man with as many 50-point games as Larry Bird and more four-point plays than any other guard to make the league: Jamal Crawford. On the other side, it’s Steve Nash — that would be floppy-haired Phoenix Suns era Steve Nash — and a host of international pros.
That was, at its heritage peak, the Dolphin Classic. The tournament at the Rucker Park of Richmond with an outsized rep as one of the most competitive events that attracted the best hoopers on the West Coast. It wasn’t about money, and it wasn’t about fame. It was all about basketball.
It still is.
Now, going into its 37th year, it’s as big as it’s ever been, even if the NBA participants are far less frequent.
The 4-on-4 tournament outgrew the court at Dolphin Park in Richmond decades ago; it’s been based at the South Arm Community Centre since 2015. Last year was a record 15 teams, not including the women’s division.
This year’s tournament runs Friday, July 26 to Sunday, July 28, with the fan favourite dunk and three-point competitions on the Sunday evening, just before the championship game.
Bruce Watson, Bira Binder, Taj (TJ) Johal and Tony Wong-Hen started it in 1986 as a group of friends. It’s now the longest running summer basketball tournament in BC. And what now sets it apart is its generational aspect. The baton from one era is passed to another, with many of the team names staying the same, but new faces rotating in as others age out.
Steve Lee has played in the tournament for 28 years, only missing two — one of which was due to the Covid-19 shutdown. He’s organized the Running Rebels, which has changed names a couple times, for the past 20.
“The original Dolphin always holds a special place because the intimacy and the ambience of that park, as small as it was, made it really special,” said the now 48-year-old. “Growing up, Dolphin was the World Series, the NBA Finals, the Stanley Cup. It was the Rucker Park of Richmond. That's what you grew up watching, and you wanted to play in.
“Moving it to Thompson and then to South Arm, the expansion of the tournament just brings more community, like more people, more players, more fans. The growth of the tournament has always been a good thing. And then seeing that over the years, seeing new faces, returning faces.
“I look at teams like Langara’s (the X-Falcons), the Young Guns (Drive Academy alumni) and some of those young men I've coached when they were kids. And I'm sitting here like, ‘Wait a minute. We’re still playing on the same court.’ Some of them, I look and go, ’s**t, you and you. I'm still older than both you combined.'
“But it’s community. It's been the reason why Dolphin has been successful. As much work as the four pioneers put in, the tournament is a success because of the community. So getting out there, seeing some great ball, being able to play with a new generation of ballers. That's that's exciting for me.”
Few high school players traditionally made the cut in a field that is stacked grown, hardened, veteran players. Now, those teenager talents have their summers taken up by their club teams and AAU tournaments. But those that moved on to university return as part of the club, like the X-Falcons and Young Guns (two-time defending champs). Example A: Jerric Palma, who is currently suiting up for the Vancouver Bandits, is organizing the Young Guns squad this year. There are university teams, like UBC, and teams like the Monkeys — a group that has as much fun off the court as on it. There are ex and current professionals, club coaches and those who fit every single of those categories, like Joey Haywood, a.k.a. King Handles.
“The X -Falcons are a fun story. They've been like a generational team. They started off way back in the day with Randy Knorr and Navi Sehkon ... amazing players and those guys were Kings of the court for a long time as well," said Watson, one of the OG Dolphin organizers.
“And then as they transitioned out. The reason they’re called the X-Falcons is (most of them) at least started their careers at Langara College. Now it's transitioned from the second full generation of X-Falcons, and they're led by Elliott Mason and Brody Greig and all their friends.
“You have to find good organizers for teams. That's the key to building a good basketball tournament. Find those people in the basketball community that want to make teams; they have the right contacts, and you sort of trust them to do it. And we're so fortunate that Dolphin has a lot of teams that just come back year after year after year. It's not always the same players, but it's the same organizers, and those people know Dolphin inside-out.”
The days of having teams stacked with American talent have waned. Crawford, now retired, spends his summer time with "The Crawsover,” his own pro-am summer league in Seattle. Nash returned to his status of observer and only played in the tournament once. Seattle native Roselle Ellis was a three-time Dolphin MVP and an NBA calibre talent at one point, but his career was derailed after he put a referee who ejected him from a game into a chokehold. He ended up playing overseas instead.
All three were involved in that epic 2004 game, which was only the semifinal.
“That was one of the most entertaining games I've ever seen,” Watson said. “Jamal was Mr. Outside, and Roselle was Mr. Inside. And then the rest of the team was ridiculous as well. And then they're going against this Canadian team, which had Novell Thomas, Pete Guraschi, Shawn Swords, Andrew Mavis, all guys that played on the Canadian national team.
“The American team got a huge lead by halftime, and everybody thought it was done. But these Canadian guys were not at all intimidated by Jamal Crawford or anybody else. I remember Novell stole the ball Jamal in half court and went in and did a layup, and all of a sudden send the tide turned, and the Canadians came roaring back, and were just shy of winning or forcing the game into overtime. There was — I won't say his name because he missed the foul shots — but there was a Canadian guy who used to play for the junior international team, and played ball down south, and he missed the foul shots that would have tied the game. Like I said, that was one of the most entertaining games I've ever seen.”
The NBA era was fun, but it’s a simpler reason why Dolphin’s been around so long.
“I got so many corny sayings ... but I think the key to the tournament is friends, family and basketball. It's three words, as simple as that. And that's everything that makes us work,” said Watson. “The players are friends, family, the people that run the tournament are friends, family, the spectators are friends, family, and then it's just all about basketball.
“We're just a community event at our core. We're like a grassroots community basketball tournament. And it's nice that there's been so many people over the years that have wanted to support us.”
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