I kicked this one off with a clip from my In the Frame chat with Jarrel Harris, where he gave me the inside scoop on what the Washed Club Games would be all about.
For those who don’t know, “The Commish” Jarrel created Sunday Washed Club (SWC) out of a simple need to hoop during Covid. If you remember those days when rims were being taken down everywhere: it was depressing! But on Sundays, people started linking up, and next thing you know, it really took off. One day our full In the Frame episode will drop, and you’ll hear the whole story from the Commish himself.
Fast forward to this past weekend, I pulled up to Nike HQ with my camera gear, and the first person I ran into was my talented friend Kim. The vibes for the day were already right. After greetings, quick catch-ups, and players warming up, it was time for the Games to start.
Game 1: Knockout (The Marathon Edition)
The opener felt like the world’s longest knockout game: 50 players, one champ. Shout out to Jazz, who took the crown. She’s like that! Watch here. With so many players, the game had to be split across two courts, otherwise we’d still be there. The energy was unmatched.
Game 2: Team Challenges
Pick five at random, with no idea what’s coming. The challenge: one player in each spot had to knock down a layup, both corner threes, a free throw, and a three from the top of the key. Fastest team advanced. Not going to lie, those corner threes under crowd “defense” pressure were no joke.
Game 3: The Commish’s Bag
Jarrel came out with a Ziploc full of slips: layup, free throw, three-pointer, or half court. Draw wrong, and you’re eliminated. Nobody knew how many were going out each round, but eventually it was clear, the first five gone wouldn’t return. Jazz, our knockout champ, would miss an in and out 3 and be eliminated but she walked away with a Shake Shack gift card for her earlier win.
Game 4: Shooting Relay
First one out the pair to hit a layup, free throw, and three-pointer in order. It felt like a mini-game straight out of an NBA timeout. Big shots flipped matchups and had everybody hyped. Even the eliminated players started getting louder:two even tried sneaking back in until they got caught. Hilarious moment.
Game 5: Half-Court Duels
Pairs again. Ball at half court, first to grab it goes 1v1 for the bucket. Pure bragging rights.
Final Rounds
When it came down to the last three: King of the Court, first to 3.
For the final two: a classic Around the World from three, capped off with a half-court dagger.
Because the amazing photographers on court, Kim and Jordan, I switched to my Osmo Pocket 3 to play around with POV video. Events like this, where there’s no pressure to deliver but space to experiment, are the best. Funny enough, I even caught the eventual champ practicing half-court shots early in the day and his "biggest hater" during the first event. A whole side story within the story, like it was scripted.
Check out the recap video here
After the official games, some runs broke out, capped by a dunk and a game-winning three. And with my hoop itch in full effect, I had to at least knock down one half-court shot before heading out. Took me four minutes, but I finally hit… only for Jazz to step up and drain hers on the first try.