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Local Basketball Talent Hits 43 Hoops To Stay Sharp

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Every summer, college and professional basketball players return to Minnesota and find a place to congregate. They are looking for a good game to hone their skills.

Mike Max paid a visit to 43 Hoops, the basketball facility operated by a former Timberwolves guard, and found some pretty good local talent.

This is the gathering spot for basketball players from all over, including overseas and college, all back home looking for the best game. P.J. Hill plays in China, near another name from the past.

"It's exciting, exciting. A lot of NBA players, (Stephon) Marbury is like a god over there. Won three out of the last four championships over there so it's a great experience for me," Hill said.

Chris Carr is the mayor of this facility, an NBA veteran now sharing it.

"Oh just try to figure out what it is that they're trying to accomplish with their game, whether it's playing professionally overseas or playing in the NBA or trying to get an opportunity," Carr said. "Sometimes we have some guys who are going to be future draft picks come through."

It's as much about camaraderie as it is competition and for younger players, it's as much about being able to tap into older players to find out what's ahead. That's why they're here, like Marvin Singleton, who just finished his college basketball career at Northern Iowa and wants to play overseas.

"They're giving me a lot of good advice, stories just about how the life is and how the transition is different. But yeah, they give me a lot of advice," Singleton said.

Because understanding the game is the key for most, and this is an extension of that basketball education.

"The big thing is learn how to play the game the right way. As you're going into any situation, everybody thinks that it's all about scoring. That's the last thing. If you can score as a bi-product of you being on the floor, it's about having a good understanding and a basketball IQ is what will get you an opportunity," Carr said.

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