There were smiles all around, despite it being a cold and wet Sunday afternoon in mid-December. It felt like Christmas came early, as some of the elite players from the London Legends arrived at their home court at the Damilola Taylor Centre in Peckham. They were prepared for practice but perhaps didn't anticipate how the afternoon of training would go down.
Their home court looked different, it was the usual spot, flooded with light from the windows that surround most of the gym, but there were some new faces present and new equipment, too. At half court, the sideline housed a pair of PS5 consoles with NBA2K24 in full effect. Players would hit the digital blacktop and match Zion Williamson up against anyone brave enough to face him 1v1.
Zion would be the theme of the afternoon. After some brief introductions, The Legends would hit the locker room where they would be met with an array of Jordan Brand, Zion apparel ready to carry them through the afternoon. Matching tees and shorts would be paired with super fly socks and all capped off with the coveted Zion 3s - ready to be laced up by both players and coaches.
The coaching session that followed was led by professional basketball coach, Gary Maitland, a name that has become associated with some of the NBA's elite in recent years. Athletes such as Jason Tatum, Jordan Poole and Jimmy Butler have benefited from his skills-coaching expertise.
The Legends would benefit too, with an afternoon jam-packed with elite-level drills that would showcase their talent and provide some dope content for all involved. When the last drop of sweat was wiped from a hard-worked brow, the Zion 3s would be discussed with rave reviews. Their performance was pushed to the limit and did not disappoint.
