The Paradise Jam! Out of the 30 or so early-season college hoops tournaments, this tournament in the Virgin Islands is probably like the 20th best. It’s in gorgeous St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands, a place with a lot of beaches. So of course, they built a fake beach for fans to watch games from:
The Paradise Jam in the Virgin Islands has a “Beach Zone”
Because why wouldn’t you build a fake beach near a basketball court?
An umbrella, for the glaring stadium lights! A life preserver, in case somebody is drowning! A volleyball net, in case hoops gets boring, and you’d rather play volleyball! Is that ... is that sand? Did they bring in sand from outside and put it inside?
Everybody seems to be enjoying themselves:
Is that a fully functioning drinks cabana on the left there? Also, who gets to sit there? Just anybody?
Honestly, this should be at all arenas. Think it’s cool to sit courtside? It’s cooler to sit in a chaise lounge holding a pina colada while people play basketball 20 feet away.
If you’re curious: These games are being played at the University of the Virgin Islands’ Sports and Fitness Center. The Buccaneers are NCAA members, but they play in the Liga Atletica Interuniversitaria, a conference consisting of Puerto Rican colleges. The school’s website says the head coaching position is vacant -- GO BECOME THE COACH OF THE UNIVERSITY OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS BUCCANEERS, RIGHT NOW.
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More in: Rodger’s college basketball notebook
