Over the past few years, the Boston community has shown a united effort to promote culture and social activities. This article focuses on the 14 League and the individuals driving this movement.
As Boston undergoes physical changes, its culture is also evolving. The emergence of new venues and nightclubs in the seaport area exemplifies the fresh vibes in Boston. It appears that the city is actively appealing to young adults to make the town more dynamic and captivating.
This summer, numerous events are taking place, including festivals, concerts, nightlife, and sporting events. The city seems dedicated to catering to the overall cultural scene in town.
While Boston has always been known for its competitive sports teams, Aiden Marshall, Trey Davis and Marcus Smart are revolutionizing the scene with a unique sporting event for the city.
The first tournament of the 14 League took place this past weekend. The league offers a fresh take on competitive basketball, attracting professionals from various backgrounds within the sport to compete for a $20,000 prize. We had the opportunity to interview Aiden Marshall, one of the people responsible for organizing the event. He shared some insights about himself and explained the motivation behind the tournament.
Aiden hails from Marlborough, MA, a town near Boston, where his love for basketball developed. As a youngster, he played for the local AAU team and occasionally volunteered for tasks like keeping score.
His passion for the sport extended to basketball apparel and fashion. By the time Aidan reached high school, he was designing custom sneakers for his classmates and anyone interested. This trade honed Aiden’s business acumen.
Aiden’s custom sneakers opened doors for him to collaborate with prominent sneaker boutiques in Boston, such as Concepts. Through partnerships, Aiden expanded his craft beyond the local community and into the broader Boston area.
Through his sneaker ventures and his passion for basketball, Aiden had the opportunity to meet Trey Davis, a Texas native, European basketball player and founder of YGC Global. Aiden met Trey while he was at the University of Massachusetts.
YGC Global is a clothing brand that emerged during the Covid epidemic. The aim of the brand is to connect people through basketball and fashion. Marcus Smart, a former Celtics player, joined forces with Trey in this endeavor. Smart uses the full acronym as his Instagram handle @youngamechanger.
During a trip to New York’s legendary Rucker Park, where they attended the annual TBT Tournament, the trio felt inspired to bring a similar event back to Boston. Combining Trey’s love for the sport, Marcus’ NBA exposure, and Aiden’s business savvy, the trio conceived The 14 League. The number 14 holds significance because 6+1+7 (Boston’s area code?) equals 14, and Marcus Smart was drafted in 2014.
The inaugural 14 League tournament took place on July 1st and 2nd at the Dana Barros Basketball Gym in Stoughton, MA. While basketball was the central focus, Aiden was keen on incorporating music and fashion into the show. One of the 14 League’s main objectives was to connect people not only through sports but also through music and fashion.
The event was hosted by the charismatic Herv Gotti (@successismycologne) and Chin (@chingotjuice). DJ Famous (@musicbyfamous) provided the music, and the lineup included acts such as AVENUE (@avenueblvd), MS. $PEAKS (@nay-speaks), LUKE BARS (@lukebars), MOSA (@heartbreakmosa), and KEI (@keiweifruit).
Overall, the event was a resounding success, offering entertainment and a platform for networking and connecting with others. Aiden shared some plans for next year and left us with the impression that the 14 League is just getting started and will continue providing more events for the community in the future!
We’d like to congratulate Aiden and his team for coming up with the idea and putting together their first successful tournament. We are excited about the direction the city is going in are looking forward to seeing what the 14 League as in store for the community!
Shout out to @emartinezflics, @sjp2ca_lowermills, @50cal_tur for the great flicks of the event! 💯💯🎞️📸