Flint, Michigan – Downtown Flint is preparing for another summer weekend filled with fast passes, quick shots, cheering families and the unmistakable energy of street basketball as the Gus Macker 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament returns to Genesee County on July 25–26, 2026.
The Genesee County Board of Commissioners is serving as the Presenting Sponsor of this year’s tournament, a role county leaders say reflects a wider commitment to community events, recreation and local economic activity.
The tournament will again be hosted by The Salvation Army L.I.F.E. Center, marking the third year the organization has led the event in Flint. Organizers expect as many as 200 teams to take part.
For Flint, the tournament is more than a weekend competition. It connects the city’s present-day sports culture with a long basketball story that reaches back decades.
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The Gus Macker event was founded in 1974 by Scott “Gus Macker” McNeal, beginning as a small backyard game among friends in Lowell, Michigan. Over time, it grew into a national 3-on-3 basketball tradition, welcoming players of different ages, backgrounds and skill levels.
Flint’s own connection runs deep. Linnell McKenney, remembered as one of Genesee County’s standout basketball players and a longtime friend of McNeal, played in some of the earliest games in McNeal’s driveway, his mother’s backyard and neighborhood streets.
McKenney later helped introduce the tournament to Flint, where the first local event was held at Northern High School in the early 1980s before moving downtown for several years. After a 20-year absence, he helped bring it back in 2021.
“Genesee County has a proud sports tradition, and events like the Gus Macker tournament allow us to lean into that tradition,” said Dale K. Weighill, Chairman of the Genesee County Board of Commissioners. “By supporting events like this, we are helping strengthen our reputation as a destination for sports and recreation while creating opportunities for families, athletes, and visitors to experience all that our community has to offer.”
“Gus Macker has always been about more than basketball,” said Linnell McKenney, Director of The Salvation Army Flint’s L.I.F.E. Center. “Flint has always had a special connection to this tournament, and I’m proud to see it continue growing in downtown Flint with the support of Genesee County.”
Along with 3-on-3 games, the event is expected to include music, food, family activities and community-centered opportunities. Registration and tournament information are available at macker.com/local/flint-mi.