Nike to hold first EYBL event in Memphis at Sports and Events Center

Five months after its opened its doors, the Memphis Sports and Events Center (MSEC) will be hosting one of the biggest basketball events in the country.

Antonio Perez, general manager of MSEC, confirmed Tuesday with the Commercial Appeal that a Nike EYBL event scheduled for May 26-29, will be hosted at the facility.

“This caliber of event is the exact reason the MSEC was built”, Perez later said in a release. "Before this facility, Memphis would have never been a candidate to host such an event. Now, it has the opportunity to not only showcase an amazing venue, but to spotlight all that the city has to offer."

The four-day event is part of the Nike EYBL basketball circuit, which makes stops in Dallas, Phoenix, Atlanta and Memphis before the Nike Peach Jam finals in North Augusta, South Carolina, scheduled for July 3-9. Nike EYBL is one of the premier grassroots programs in the country. Memphis is also home to Nike's largest distribution center in the world.

This is the first time the Nike circuit will make a stop in Memphis and is expected to bring some of the top high school players in the country to each destination, including Liberty Park.

University of Memphis recruit Bronny James has played in the EYBL, as well as former Memphis basketball player Emoni Bates. Several current NBA players are also past participants, including Trae Young, Jalen Green, Cade Cunningham and current Memphis Grizzlies reserve Ziaire Williams.

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The star-studded talent on the court is expected to result in thousands of spectators and basketball fans arriving to the Memphis area that weekend. Team Thad is Memphis's Nike-affiliated AAU team, which plays on the EYBL circuit.

This will be the latest marquee event to highlight Memphis' love for basketball, with the Iverson Classic playing in the Bluff City the past two years.

"It’s a true testament to the hard work of those who helped make the overall project happen,” Perez said.

Reach Wynston Wilcox at wwilcox@gannett.com and on Twitter @wynstonw__.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Nike EYBL basketball adds 2023 event at Memphis Sports and Events Center