The Pistol Shrimps lament Diogu, opponent not having fun in 139-34 blowout at The Tournament
The Basketball Tournament is underway, and things didn't go too well for The Pistol Shrimps. Not that it stopped them from having a blast.
The Tournament is a 94-team, winner-take-all tournament that's in its second year of existence. Inviting teams of all skill levels and makeup to compete in a single-elimination format all around the country, it crowns a single winner and awards them a $1,000,000 prize. With several former NBA players, college stars, and a few celebrities taking part, it's an entertaining sideshow during the dog days of basketball's summer.
The all-female Shrimps team, consisting of comedians, actresses, and models, lost their opening game 139-34 on Friday, surrendering a tournament-record 60 points to former NBA player Ike Diogu in the process. The Shrimps, seeded 24th in their region and far more concerned with fun than winning, issued a press release about their epic defeat at the hands of the No. 2-ranked LAUNFD, who also employ Pooh Jeter.
Press release about last night’s @thetournament game against LAUNFD: pic.twitter.com/34Ky4yAasr
— The Pistol Shrimps (@PistolShrimpsBB) July 11, 2015
From the sounds of it, The Pistol Shrimps were trying to - and succeeded in - having a good time, while LAUNFD wouldn't take their collective foot off the gas, even once the game was well out of hand, and even though point differential doesn't mean anything. LAUNFD shot 55-of-99 from the floor, took 70 3-point attempts, forced 33 turnovers, and so on.
It was ugly, but the Shrimps came out looking far better, since LAUNFD allegedly didn't conduct themselves very well.
But hey, the prize for The Tournament is $1,000,000, it's winner-take-all, and the championship game will air on ESPN. Maybe LAUNFD felt the need to stay in peak shape for a potential matchup with the star-studded Grantland team.
The Shrimps, by the way, made their way in by fan vote, which determines three-quarters of the field, with the final 24 of 96 teams being determined by the tournament's committee. The Tournament will be played over the next several weeks around the United States, culminating with the championship game in New York on Aug. 2.