MEMPHIS REAPS BENEFITS FROM HOSTING NIKE EYBL YET AGAIN

PARTH UPADHYAYA // DAILY MEMPHIAN // VIEW ARTICLE

Norton Hurd IV couldn’t have ever envisioned this when he was growing up in the 1990s in South Memphis’ Walker Homes neighborhood.

Thousands of people in one building, watching some of the country’s most talented youth basketball players — some potentially even future college and NBA stars — go at it for three straight days.

Basketball greats such as Carmelo Anthony, Hakeem Olajuwon and Kenny Smith taking in the action, too.

This was the scene inside the state-of-the-art Memphis Sports & Events center from Friday through Sunday when the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL) made a stop in Memphis for the second consecutive year — this time, for Session 1 of the league.

“It means so much to me,” said Hurd, the program director and coach of Memphis-based grassroots basketball program Team Thad. “This facility being built was great. A lot of people were like, ‘Why’d they build it in Memphis?’ And they said a lot of negative things. But I think with all the problems we have in Memphis, a lot of positivity can come out of this. So I’m really proud of that.”

Team Thad went 2-1 through the weekend, with its only loss coming by three points to an Oakland Soldiers team that featured the No. 1 player in the 2025 class (AJ Dybansta) and the No. 1 player in the 2026 class (Tyran Stokes). 

But the real win for Hurd was the economic boost and positive publicity his city was provided by hosting the prestigious event.

Chad Babel, a senior national scout for Nike EYBL, is a part of a small committee that is in charge of deciding four of the five sites for the EYBL circuit each year. (The site for the fifth and final session is always North Augusta, South Carolina, for the weeklong Peach Jam.)

Babel said some factors Nike considers when picking its EYBL sites are available facilities, accessibility of airports and number of hotels around the campus of the host site. 

When it came to Memphis, the Memphis Sports & Events Center — a facility with 16 full-length basketball courts that opened in December 2022 — made choosing the city this year and last year a no-brainer.

“Sports tourism is something, in general, that cities are being aggressive about and understanding of (its) economic impact,” said Babel, who’s worked for Nike for 12 years. “So you’ve gotta give credit to the city of Memphis for building something like this.”

Each year, several cities try to make compelling cases to Nike for hosting a session of the EYBL.

With the EYBL circuit featuring 123 teams — 38 in the 17-and-under group, 43 in 16-and-under and 42 in 15-and-under — Babel understands why, too. (There are also 74 more teams competing as part of the Elite Youth Champions League — EYCL — which is the secondary division of EYBL.)

“There’s significant economic impact for cities,” Babel said. “We’re bringing in 1,000s of people who otherwise wouldn’t be here. You’re talking 3,000-plus, probably closer to 4,000-plus people that are descending upon the city that otherwise would not be here. 

“Whether it’s restaurants, whether it’s hotels, whether it’s gas … I think there’s significant financial and non-financial positives that come for a city.”

These are all benefits Memphis has now reaped for two years in a row.

And with the way people showed up in droves on all three days, it was hard for Babel and others at Nike to not come away impressed by what they saw.

“I thought it was a really good turnout,” Babel said. “Memphis is a great basketball city. I think there was a good education after last year of what the EYBL is and how many good players and up-and-coming prospects are a part of the EYBL. I think word spread, and it created a great environment.”

So, while Hurd could’ve never imagined this as a child — or even 14 years ago when Nike EYBL began in 2010, for that matter — what’s come to fruition is likely greater than anything he could’ve dreamt anyway.

“For Nike (EYBL) to want to come two years in a row — and I hope they do it for the next 20 years — it’s really big,” Hurd said.