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The Beach Ball Classic was founded by NBA assistant headcoach for the New York Knicks Dan D'Antoni in 1981, which started out as an eight-team affair and has evolved into a 16-team national competition.

History
The Beach Ball Classic was founded in 1981 in order to bring more high school competition to the east coast. Dan D'Antoni is the founded of what is now considered one of the most prestigious high school basketball tournaments in the United States.

It all began as a four team in-state and four team out of state competiton, but with all the support from the community, it quickly evolved into a 16-team national holiday event. The popularity came quick and almost unexpectedly. In 1998, the Classic commitee decided to add a womens tournament which added to its already high competition. The "Classic" as it is known in South Carolina, is held right after Christmas every year, lasting roughly four or five days until the new year hits. The Cresent Bank Holiday Invitational is held before Christmas and features the newly added womens tournament. The Invitational also feature the Carolina Challenge, which is an eight team tournament of the local women's colleges.

Location, Accommodations, and Tickets
The Beach Ball Classic is held at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center every year before and after Christmas. Crown Reef Resort at South Beach Resort is a major accommodation for travelers who want to spend their Christmas at the Classic. They offer specials for fans along with other little extras which change yearly. Daily tickets can be purchased at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center with general admission starting at $12.00 and reserved seating at $15.00 per game. They also offer books of tickets for the classic games as well as the Cresent Bank Holiday Invitational games starting at $75.00 for the Classic and $15.00 for the Invitational. The Cresent Banks in the area also offer a limited amount of free tickets to the Invitational games. Another feature that has been added is the Carolina Challenge. This eight team tournament features some of the local women's colleges and tickets are priced at $10.00.

The Players
The Classic is the home of numerous counts of stars and many whom have gone on to play in the NBA.

From Mainland (Fla.), Vince Carter. Carter's team struggled at the 1994 Beach Ball Classic after he broke his hand in the opener, but he put on one of the most memorable, high-flying performances in tournament history by playing the rest of the way left-handed. This 13-year NBA veteran, who won the 1999 NBA Rookie of the Year Award and the 2000 Slam Dunk Contest is just one of the great players that have showcased their talents in the Classic.

From Simon Gratz (Pa.), Rasheed Wallace. Wallace was a three-time Beach Baller who led his team to two tourney titles while setting records for most blocked shots in a game (16) and tournament (24). Wallace has been to the NBA Finals twice but only winnig once with the Detroit Pistons. Wallace is currently the all-time leader in the NBA with most technical fouls at 304.

From Lower Merion (Pa.), Kobe Bryant. Bryant dominated while playing in the Classic, accumalating 43 points in one game then leading his one-man team to a state title and going straight to the NBA. Now the youngest player to ever reach 27,000 points in a NBA career, is making a run at possibly his 6th NBA Championship.

From Latta (S.C.), Raymond Felton. The New Schoolers are loaded at point guard, but Felton gets the edge for orchestrating the greatest upset in Beach Ball history when the Class A Vikings knocked off national powerhouse DeMatha (Md.). Felton is one of the younger stars that play in the NBA and that played in the Classic. Felton was recently in a major 3-team trade which sent him to the Denver Nuggets from the New York Knicks.

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