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The 2008 GAM3 Finals in Copenhagen, Denmark were the culmination of a four month season with 100+ Scandinavian teams participating. While the DJs pumped heavy beats, the elite battled on the court in the most competitive year yet.
VERBALS CHRISTIAN VINTHER Team RocStar, ‘07 EBC at Rucker Park champs, were imported straight from NYC. In the semifinal, they beat No Emotions from Estonia who displayed a very entertaining style, but ultimately were no match. In the Final, they met GAM3 four-time defending champs Scheme Team, a squad comprised mostly of players from the second best league in Denmark.
At the outset of the championship, in front of a crowd at least a thousand strong, local legend Martin Hermansen a.k.a. “The Herminator” hit from long range, giving the locals a 2-1 advantage. Another bomb made it 4-1. It was the first team RocStar trailed during the entire tourney. A late surge from the New York team narrowed the margin at halftime by one. During the intermission, the 7’2” national team center Chris Christoffersen, who played college ball at U of Oregon, got the crowd on their feet when he showed up. However, a miscalculation by the SchemeTeam coaches, who’d already used the maximum number of players allowed, made Christofferson ineligible for the second half.
RocStar shook off their rusty start and took control of a tight second half. With less than a minute to go and up by two, the visitors ran out the clock, securing their first overseas tournament trophy. The Herminator was named MVP in a losing effort. About GAM3: Founded in 2002, GAM (pronounced “game”) is a non-profit organization fusing playground ball, urban culture and an effort to integrate and empower minority youth. The vision is to make sports and activities available to everyone while preventing conflict and marginalization. The program has impacted more than 23,000 kids in Denmark and the Middle East. Learn more at http://GAM3.dk
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