Theresa Proudfit/Daily News photo Preparing paperwork for the Gus Macker 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament planned for downtown Iron Mountain this June: from left, in back are event team members Dave Kasten, Suzanne Larson, Donna Rahoi, Kim Webb and Amber Pipp; in front are Henry Mann, Jonathan Ringle, Barb Reisner, Dave Beauchamp and Jeff Gurchinoff.

IRON MOUNTAIN — Downtown Iron Mountain again will be a venue for “the world’s largest three-on-three basketball tournament.”

After a two-decade hiatus from the area, Gus Macker Basketball will return to the downtown in early June, local event organizers announced Thursday.

The city’s Gus Macker basketball courts are at Hughitt Street and Carpenter Avenue, near the Central School addition. Iron Mountain Schools installed Gus Macker courts while the district was involved with the tournaments from 1992 to 1997, according to Daily News files.

“Making this announcement is a dream come true for all of us who remember playing in and watching the Gus Macker Tournament back in the late 1990s,” said Kim Webb, a Gus Macker event team member.

A “Bring Gus Macker Back Event Team” formed in late summer to revive the event in Iron Mountain as a fundraiser for the new Imagination Factory Children’s Museum, in the upper Central school site at 217 W. Hughitt St.

Amber Pipp of the Downtown Development Authority said she immediately was on board.

“I am delighted to see Gus Macker come back to the area. It will have such a positive impact on downtown Iron Mountain and on this community as a whole. It’s also extremely encouraging to see the various organizations and individuals working together, and we look forward to supporting this great event,” Pipp said.

According to its website, Gus Macker tournament play originated in 1974 in Lowell in downstate Michigan and remained a single local tournament for 13 years before expanding to other communities. It since has sanctioned almost 1,500 Gus Macker Tournaments with almost 700,000 teams, or almost 2.7 million players, the website states.

Four-members teams pit three-on-three players on half-courts set up in parking lots, playgrounds, streets, parks and other outdoor settings.

The Iron Mountain event is scheduled for June 5 to 7. Additional tournament details are expected to be announced in January, with entry forms available online for teams in February.

“Mark your calendar and start forming your four-person teams now,” Webb said.

“Whether you are just a beginning, a seasoned pro, a weekend warrior or an ageless amateur at the game of basketball, the ‘Macker’ is for you, “ organizer Barb Reisner said.

The event team also seeks major sponsors to help finance this weekend of basketball, so the children’s museum gets the maximum benefit from the event. Interested sponsors can contact Gus Macker event leaders for more information.

“I think it’s a great event. We’ve had Macker in the past; it brings a lot of people into our community,” said Dave Kasten, event team member.

The Gus Macker tournament seems to be experiencing a resurgence in the Upper Peninsula. Ishpeming hosted an event in June of last year after a 16-year gap, drawing about 124 teams and 496 individuals spanning 12 age divisions, according to the Mining Journal of Marquette.

Theresa Proudfit can be reached at 906-774-2772, ext. 245, or tproudfit@ironmountaindailynews.com.