First Annual #Related16 Basketball Tournament At MiMA

Related 16

Set on a Saturday afternoon in March, Related Sweet 16 took center court at MiMA.

While some New Yorkers tried to escape the rain under umbrellas and awnings, Related Rentals residents geared up for a day of intense competition and neighborly fun.

16-teams flooded the freshly waxed wooden floors, grabbing basketballs from the half-court line to warm up.

Friends and family gathered on the court’s perimeter, observing the players, predicting their projected winners and settling in for the afternoon.

With the clock moving closer to noon, the atmosphere of the basketball court at the M Club buzzed with rising excitement: yesterday these people were neighbors and friends — today the competition was on.

The scoreboard’s buzzer sounded off and the Related Sweet 16 tournament began.

Players sprinted across the court, dribbling, jumping, dunking and stuffing.

The referees ran up and down the sidelines, whistling and stopping to catch their breath.

As the ball darted about the court, the other teams looked on, preparing for their impending fates.

By the time the Final Four hit, the crowd fully doubled in size — who would win?

And then it was down to the final.

Meanwhile, the main floor of the M Club was buzzing with NCAA March Madness excitement.

The Screening Room doubled as a sports bar with popcorn, beer and college basketball action galore.

The lounges became a cornucopia of deliciousness: kobe beef sliders, caesar salads, buffalo wings and fried chicken fingers.

And while, the aroma of buttery, freshly popped popcorn drifted throughout the space, residents cheered as their favorite college basketball teams scored points, others sank low in their seats.

With libations in full swing, some residents headed back down to the basketball court for the main event: the Related 16 final.

Down to the wire, sweat beading on their foreheads and their hearts hammering loudly in their chests, it was on!

With the final sound of the whistle, the Spurs came out victorious winning the first-ever Related Sweet 16 basketball tournament.

Following the main event, smaller competitions took place: free throws and three-point shots from around the perimeter.

A big congratulations to the Spurs and a big thank you to everyone who came out to support Related Sweet 16!

We’ll see you at next year’s games!

The Related Life is written and produced by Related Luxury Rentals. Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for the latest events, news and announcements in your area, and tag us for a chance to be featured @therelatedlife and #therelatedlife.