Entertainment & Sports Arena to host the capital region’s best high school basketball players facing off against the nation on Saturday April 29, 2023
WASHINGTON, DC – Hoop Culture and Events DC announced today, the nation’s first high school basketball All-American game, the Hoop Culture Capital Classic presented by Events DC, is returning to Washington, DC on Saturday, April 29, 2023 at Entertainment & Sports Arena to celebrate the 50th anniversary of “The Game That Started It All.” Since 1973, the Hoop Culture Capital Classic presented by Events DC features the top high school basketball talent from the capital region (DC, Maryland and Virginia) versus student-athletes from across the United States. The game has become a steppingstone for many collegiate All-Americans, NBA All-Stars and Basketball Hall of Fame recipients.
“We are very pleased to partner with Events DC and LootMogul to bring the top high school basketball talent from around the country together at the Capital Classic in Washington, DC’s Entertainment & Sports Arena,” said Thomas Doyle, CEO of The Capital Classic. “This is a particularly special year as it represents the 50th anniversary and longest running high school All-Star game in the country. This year we will make sure that the game is a tribute to the founder, Robert Geoghan, and a reminder to all what great things Bob did for the sport of basketball and the Washington Metropolitan community.”
“As the official convention and sports authority for Washington, DC, Events DC will eagerly host the 50th Capital Classic at Entertainment & Sports Arena,” says Angie M. Gates, President and CEO of Events DC. “The District is a hotbed for high school basketball talent and providing our student-athletes with a professional-caliber platform to launch the next phase of their careers further enhances our city as the District of Champions.”
The 2023 Hoop Culture Capital Classic presented by Events DC has special meaning as 2023 marks the 50th annual game and is dedicated to the games’ founder, Robert “Bob” J. Geoghan, who unfortunately passed away in February 2022. The Capital Classic is affectionately called, “The Game That Started It All,” because when it began in 1973 it set a precedent for future high school basketball games including the McDonalds All-American Game and the Jordan Brand Classic, both of which Mr. Geoghan established. As an industry leader, the Classic will set another milestone in 2023 as the first mix-gender high school basketball all-star game with both the Capital and United States teams’ featuring eight men and two women.
“We are thrilled to be a major partner of the 50th anniversary Capital Classic,” said Raj Rajkotia, CEO and Founder of Loot Mogul. “LootMogul is proud to continue serving this vibrant community of young stars. Leveraging our AI-Driven sports metaverse, the next generation of professional athletes are generating multiple monetization opportunities for their future.”
LootMogul, an athlete-led sports metaverse web3 platform, will bring the 50th Hoop Culture Capital Classic into the digital world by providing unique NFTs, player avatars and even game highlights in the DC MetaVerse Stadium. Athletes own land, studios, stadiums, and experience hubs to generate lifetime royalties by engaging with fans through Learn2Earn and Play2Earn models while fans learn new skillsets, earn rewards and merchandise, and gain access to real-world VIP events. LootMogul (metaverse.lootmogul.com) is expanding the web3 community by bringing web 2 gamers and sports fanatics to the metaverse.
The Hoop Culture Capital Classic presented by Events DC is a living legacy sports event —a virtual who’s who of basketball—and the players named for both Capital and U.S. teams over the years are among a pantheon of all-time greats. Throughout the years, the game has showcased notable NBA icons including Moses Malone, Magic Johnson, Dominique Wilkins, Michael Jordan, Patrick Ewing, Grant Hill, LeBron James, Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony and Klay Thompson.
Opened in 2018, Entertainment & Sports Arena will add the Hoop Culture Capital Classic presented by Events DC to an already robust basketball legacy, serving as the home court for the WNBA Washington Mystics, NBA G-League Capital City Go-Go, Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) basketball tournament as well as regularly hosting USA Basketball men’s and women’s FIBA AmeriCup and FIBA World Cup qualifying games.
As part of the celebration for the 50th year, the games’ founder, Robert “Bob” Geoghan, will be honored at halftime and there will be an on-line vote recognizing the Capital Classic All-Time Team.
For more information, visit thecapitalclassic.com. Tickets will be available soon. Sign up here to pre-register: www.eventsdc.com/thecapitalclassic
For sponsorship inquiries, contact Pete Deoudes at pdeoudes@gmail.com.
About Hoop Culture
THE ORIGINAL. Hoop Culture is the premier, one-stop store for copping unique basketball accessories; the forerunner of independent street and lifestyle apparel, setting trends with each and every new arrival. FROM THE BOTTOM UP. Back when it was still just textbook definition, we were first to bring you what it means to be unequivocally part of the Culture. Ten plus years later, and not only have we changed the apparel game, we may have reinvented the wheel, somehow. Pioneering the many tags that resonate now with your generation: Eat Sleep Ball, Hoop Vibes, This Game Is My Life, Basketball Above All, Ice in My Veins, and plenty more. What started out, back in 2009, with one kid's ambition, dream, and a single slogan on a graphic t-shirt reading "This Game Is My Life," grew into a global movement thanks to the millions of supporters who've seen us grow on every mainstream social platform. Hoop Culture is fitted: Basketball Made. Players welcome.
About Events DC
Events DC, the official convention and sports authority for the District of Columbia, delivers premier event services and flexible venues across the nation’s capital. Leveraging the power of a world-class destination and creating amazing attendee experiences, Events DC generates economic and community benefits through the attraction and promotion of business, athletic, entertainment and cultural activities. Events DC oversees the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, an anchor of the District’s hospitality and tourism economy that hosts more than 1.7 million visitors and generates more than $400 million annually in direct economic impact and the historic Carnegie Library at Mt. Vernon Square. Events DC manages the RFK Stadium-Armory Campus (RFK Campus), including Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, Festival Grounds at RFK Campus, the non-military functions of the DC Armory and the Skate Park at RFK Stadium. Stay current on the 190-acre RFK Campus Redevelopment Project at www.RFKFields.com. Events DC also built and serves as landlord for Nationals Park, the first LEED-certified major professional sports stadium in the United States. Events DC manages Gateway DC, R.I.S.E. Demonstration Center and Entertainment & Sports Arena all conveniently located in the Congress Heights neighborhood of Washington, DC. For more information, please visit www.eventsdc.com and find us on social media – Facebook, Instagram and YouTube (Events DC), and Twitter (@TheEventsDC) — and on our new hub for live and on-demand event programming on GATHER by Events DC at www.gatherbyeventsdc.com
About LootMogul
LootMogul is an athlete-led sports metaverse that is powered by virtual real estate, training academies, blockchain games, meta shops for athletes, and brands with in-real-life (IRL) rewards. LootMogul has currently signed up 239+ professional athletes as well as 16 sports leagues from NFL, NBA, WNBA, MLB, UFC, etc., under a multi-year contract. LootMogul was competitively selected by National Basketball Player Association in collaboration with Andreessen Horowitz (a16z)’s Cultural Leadership Fund and Patricof Co in their 2022 NBPA Players Accelerator Program.Media Contacts
Media Contacts:
Jay Scott, Gavin
jscott@gavinadv.com
484-695-3774
Craig Chester, Events DC
cchester@eventsdc.com
