Organizers: Gus Macker in IM a success despite early rain
- The Gus Macker 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament wrapped up Sunday in Iron Mountain, drawing hundreds of players ranging from young kids through adults, along with spectators and volunteers. The Dream Court is a centerpiece of the Gus Macker tournaments. (Submitted photo)
- Bear Kaman, son of former NBA star Chris Kaman, goes through the “High Five” Dream Court Tunnel. (Submitted photo)
- Scott “Gus Macker” McNeal and Patty Donovan, Gus Macker vice president of marketing and community affairs, get ready for action at the Iron Mountain event. (Submitted photo)

The Gus Macker 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament wrapped up Sunday in Iron Mountain, drawing hundreds of players ranging from young kids through adults, along with spectators and volunteers. The Dream Court is a centerpiece of the Gus Macker tournaments. (Submitted photo)
IRON MOUNTAIN — Another successful Gus Macker 3-on-3 basketball tournament is in the books, as thousands of athletes, spectators and volunteers filled Iron Mountain streets over the weekend.
Gus Macker co-coordinator Barb Reisner said she takes pride in how passionate the Iron Mountain and neighboring communities are about Gus Macker basketball.
This year, 295 registered teams took part in the two-day competition.
Gus Macker estimates more than 25,000 come to town each year for the tournament.
“Gus Macker weekend is great for economic development, when motels are filled to capacity and restaurants are extremely busy from Thursday night to Monday morning,” Reisner said.

Bear Kaman, son of former NBA star Chris Kaman, goes through the “High Five” Dream Court Tunnel. (Submitted photo)
Reisner is “fired up” about the fact Iron Mountain has the most sponsors and leverages the most profits among all the Gus Macker annual tournaments. The 2025 event had 112 businesses, individuals and foundations recognized as sponsors.
“Once again Iron Mountain’s Gus Macker was amazing, and I’m quite sure that this weekend’s Macker tournament was the best organized and the most fun of any Gus Macker basketball weekend I have been at,” Scott “Gus Macker” McNeal said at the close of the event.
Reisner gives props to all 15 Iron Mountain Team coordinators, who led more than 150 volunteers.
“I have never seen teamwork quite like this event,” she said. “The set up and take down were completed in an hour or less,” she said. “The scorekeepers, registration table workers, ground crew and officials were exceptional.”
She added that everyone seemed very happy, as the brief rain didn’t damper Saturday’s activities.

Scott “Gus Macker” McNeal and Patty Donovan, Gus Macker vice president of marketing and community affairs, get ready for action at the Iron Mountain event. (Submitted photo)
More than 70% of the teams were 15 and younger at this year’s Iron Mountain tournament.
With more youth signing up, McNeal — who also didn’t want to only focus on exceptionally experienced basketball players — explained that’s why he originated the Dream Court 15 years ago.
The Dream Court, which is known as the centerpiece of the Gus Macker, is the court where these young players are spotlighted. Each players is introduced and given high fives as they run through a tunnel created by Dream Court sponsors. Gus Macker himself provides play-by-play commentary of the entire game. Players have their own benches with coaches, fun music is played, and at the end of the game an MVP is announced and given a special award and interviewed by Gus Macker.
“The Iron Mountain Gus Macker Tournament is extremely community-oriented. Players, spectators and volunteers are smiling and the atmosphere is very friendly and happy,” said Patty Donovan, vice president of marketing and community affairs at Gus Macker, a 16-year veteran. “When talking to people they all seem to know they are raising money for an exceptional cause — the new Imagination Factory Community Center.”
“Thank you Iron Mountain community for making us all proud to be living in this wonderful place where children’s needs are prioritized and parents smile and show love when watching their children play Gus Macker basketball,” Reisner said.
The next Gus Macker in Iron Mountain is set for Aug. 15-16, with registration to open in the spring.
All proceeds go to benefit the renovation building project of the new Imagination Factory Community Center.
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Terri Castelaz can be reached at 906-774-2772, ext. 85241, or tcastelaz@ironmountaindailynews.com.