How Overtime Elite (OTE) Arena Inspired Me
LEVEL 5 Energy
The stars aligned for me to write about Overtime this week. Why?
đ„ The company announced its expansion into boxing
đ It released a merchandise collection with Rolling Loud
đ And I visited Overtime Elite (OTE) Arena exactly one year ago today
The last bullet is the focus of this reflectionâbecause without visiting OTE Arena, Regular Hoops would have never happened.
This post shares (1) my OTE experience, (2) my early basketball experiences, and (3) how OTE inspired Regular Hoops.
I worked for Overtime as a contractor from 2018-2021. My job was to travel around Metro Detroit and record the top high school basketball players with an iPhone.
Before you read further, I want to note that I visited OTE Arena as a fan and traveled to Atlanta on my own dime.
And for those not familiar with Overtime Elite, it is a professional basketball league for 16â20-year-olds based in Atlanta, GA. If youâre interested in learning more about the league, click here.
My OTE Experience
Surreal.
It was the best of an NBA game combined with the best of a high school game. The high-level production emphasized Overtimeâs commitment to the league. And the OTE environment fostered an inclusive community.
I loved how players and celebrities engaged with young fans, as their interactions felt genuine and established real connections.
During my visit, players who finished their game would sit anywhere and watch the remaining games with fans. And kids would walk up to celebrities, like Toosii, and challenge them to 1-vs-1s.
This created an exciting basketball atmosphere, which is something I sought out as a teenager.
My Early Basketball Experiences
However, I never had a spaceâlike OTE Arenaâto express my basketball passion.
I was not an elite basketball player, so I couldnât express it on the court
I was not into video games, so I couldnât express it online
I remember vocalizing my frustration asâŠ
âI love basketball, but basketball wonât love me back.â
Nevertheless, my passion for basketball persisted. With time, I learned what made basketball special for me.
And many of those realizations happened at OTE.
How OTE Inspired Regular Hoops
At OTE, I felt like I belonged in basketball culture. It reminded me that my core memories revolve around this theme. And I became inspired to create a similar impact.
But I had no idea what that looked like.
Part I: Merch Giveaway in Lebanon
After my first day at OTE, a 13-year-old kid in Lebanon messaged me on Instagram because some OTE athletes reposted my IG story.
I learned he was a huge Overtime fan. And from glancing at his profile, he would always post videos of himself playing basketball.
He reminded me of the young fans at OTE Arena.
Luckily, my family is Lebanese and already had plans to visit Lebanon over the summer. So I decided to surprise him and his friends with Overtime merchandise when I arrived.
**Note: This was not sponsored by Overtime. The merchandise was from my personal collection**
The surprise turned out better than expected. I even participated in his teamâs practice and made a mixtape with those highlights. I left Lebanon driven to continue creating a similar impact.
But I had no idea what that looked like.
Part II: Brooklyn Bridge Park Mixtape
A week after returning from Lebanon, I moved to New York City to begin my summer internship.
I started playing pickup basketball, and on my first day hooping, I ran into a 16-year-old kid who followed me on Instagram.
Yesâof all the courts in NYCâwe ended up on the same one. I know that sounds scripted, but it actually happened!
And I didnât know him personally before this chance meeting. He only followed me because I worked for Overtime.
After playing a couple games together, I asked if he wanted a basketball mixtape with his highlights. His eyes lit up.
He reminded me of the young fans at OTE Arena.
Once I posted this video, the reaction from him and his friends stuck out. They all liked and shared the video. One of their favorite basketball influencers (@thehezigod) liked the post too.
This was a moment theyâd never forget.
I realized my mixtapes made regular people feel included in basketball culture⊠and the concept behind Regular Hoops was born.
Closing Thoughts
What started as a gut feeling at OTE Arena manifested into Regular Hoops.
But at each stage, I had no idea what I was doing. I just continued chasing a feeling to impact basketball culture and build something I never had.
As I scale Regular Hoops, there will be more ups and downs. But my experiences have taught me to stay patient and trust the dots will connect over time.
PSâShoot me a message if this resonated. And if you enjoyed this, you might also like reading the idea, origin, & meaning behind Regular Hoops.