CULTURE. COMMUNITY. BASKETBALL. PATTY MILLS NORTH SHORE CLASSIC TO DEBUT IN HAWAI’I ON NOVEMBER 25 AND 26
University of Hawai'i, Texas State, Sacramento State and Southern Utah men’s basketball teams will compete in the inaugural tournament in Laie on November 25 and 26.
LAIE, Hawai’i (November 10, 2022) – Patty Mills, the four-time Olympian, NBA champion, Brooklyn Nets guard and Indigenous Australian, is proud to announce the Patty Mills North Shore Classic, an annual NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament in Laie, Hawai’i, that will debut on Friday, November 25, and Saturday, November 26 2022. The University of Hawai'i, Texas State, Sacramento State and Southern Utah are slated to compete in the inaugural event on the island of O’ahu, with each team scheduled to play two games at the Cannon Activities Center on the campus of BYU–Hawai'i.
Mills and the North Shore Classic are excited to announce a purpose-driven partnership that unites culture, community and basketball that will extend for years to come with the annual event.
“The North Shore community and its people has meant a lot to me and my family over the years. As an Indigenous Australian coming from the Torres Strait Islands, seeing the commonalities of culture, traditions and deep connection to the land, sky and sea throughout the North Shore is something that I truly respect and value.” says Patty Mills, a North Shore resident and 14-year NBA veteran.
Mills’ continued, “I commend Coach Ganot and the hard work he has done to grow the University of Hawai’i men’s basketball program by making college basketball accessible to communities including neighbor islands. The North Shore Classic represents relationships fused by common goals. Culture, community and basketball have shaped who I am today and the North Shore Classic event embodies all of that.”
“The opportunity and impact I hope to create through this college basketball tournament, goes beyond the inaugural event in Laie later this month. The ripple effect that will be felt not only by the athletes themselves, but the fans, families and communities around them is unique to community sporting events like this. We hope to amplify that impact and have designed a long-term program that focuses on bringing all of that together for years to come.” Mills concludes.
As a demonstration of his commitment to extend the reach of the event, Mills invites members of the North Shore community to take advantage of the ticket rate of $10 per ticket/per day, made possible by this purpose-driven event. Hundreds of free tickets will also be presented to North Shore community members for the tournament, which debuts on Thanksgiving weekend. This event will also see Mills play an active role in helping present sporting opportunities in the community with basketball clinics to be hosted alongside the University of Hawai'i’s Rainbow Warriors later this year and continuing into 2023.
The full tournament schedule dates and times are as follows:
Friday 25 November
3:30PM - University of Hawa‘ii vs Sacramento State
6:00PM - Texas State vs Southern Utah
Saturday 26 November
4:30PM - Sacramento State vs Texas State or Southern Utah
7:00PM - University of Hawai’i vs Texas State or Southern Utah
“We are extremely grateful for Patty Mills’ sponsorship of the North Shore Classic,” said Hawai‘i head coach Eran Ganot, “I’ve had a long-standing relationship with Patty dating back to our days at Saint Mary’s College. Each of us have laid roots on this great island of O‘ahu and we share the same vision of impacting the local community through the game of basketball. Patty’s support affords a special group of fans the opportunity to enjoy a unique experience. We can’t wait to get our team out to Laie and play in front of our loyal UH supporters and the great people of the North Shore.”
Tickets for the inaugural Patty Mills North Shore Classic are now available for purchase here. The tickets available are:
Courtside/Lower Bowl seats
$10 general admission seats
Free parking on campus at BYU–Hawai'i will be available for the North Shore Classic.
Southern Utah and Texas State are a pair of 20-win programs that advanced to the postseason last year. Sacramento State, out of the Big Sky Conference, looks to make a jump this year under the new leadership of veteran collegiate and international coach David Patrick.
The games in Laie will be a homecoming for sixth-year UH senior Samuta Avea who graduated from Kahuku High School and hails from nearby Hau'ula.
For more information on the Patty Mills North Shore Classic, please visit northshoreclassicbball.com or follow @northshoreclassicbball.