Goals For Hoopfest Vets: Win, Still Walking At End

SPOKANE — Hoopfest has a little bit of everything.  It’s competitive, it’s fun, it’s for basketball pros and people who just like to toss the ball around on the weekends.

One thing all hoopfesters have in come is a love of the sport.  One team knows a lot about the game and even more about the tournament.

That group of guys who between them have 70 years of Hoopfest experience.  One player has even played in every Hoopfest.

When asked what brings them back each year and they gave, whole list of answers but one thing they all had in common was a love of the game.

“Just the commradery,” says Dave Frank.  It is something that comes from two decades of teamwork.

“I just love it,” says Barry Lines.  “It’s fun.”

That’s why they play.

“Go out and run and have fun,” says John Rogers.

Getting exercise is an added bonus

“Just being with guys,” Kelly York says.

They call themselves Kneed Nuw Parts, and they jokingly say they just want to be able to walk when it’s all over.

“We are all old and slow,” Frank says.  “We all play the old and slow position.”

“I just felt sorry for my old buddies,” Rogers says.  “Normally I’d be golfing this time of day.”

Don’t let them fool you.  Along with a good sense of humor they bring years of Hoopfest experience.

“It’s just the excitement of being down here,” Lines says.

“It’s a great environment,” says Frank.  “We can’t be playin’ basketball on the street with 6,000 other guys, gals too.  It’s fun.”

They will tell you they come out to Hoopfest to just have a good time, but they aren’t going home quietly.

“It would be a first to play on Center Court,” says Lines.

“That has been our dream,” Frank says.  “Our life long dream to go play on Center Court.”

Plus, the scoreboard in Game One speaks volumes to how seriously they are about putting points on the board.  They won, in a last minute three-pointer.  They also won their second game, so they will play on Sunday.

“We got lucky,” Rogers says.  “Every win is a lucky win.”

“Feels great,” says Kelly York.  “It was a good one.”

Like many teams at Hoopfest, Kneed Nuw Parts says they want to get to Center Court, but their main goal is to walk into work on Monday.