Thousands of hoop enthusiasts flocked to downtown East Lansing this weekend to christen the city's asphalt courts during the city's first 3-on-3 Howard Soifer Memorial Gus Macker Basketball Tournament.

Albert Avenue was closed off from Bailey Street to M.A.C. Avenue for the event, which featured 417 teams and an estimated 7,000 spectators.

Bikes and backpacks were replaced by nets and sneakers. The smells of barbecued turkey legs and perspiration mingled with the blaring "Jock Jam" anthems pulsing through loudspeakers. It was a city transformed into a haven for jump shots, tomahawk dunks and no-look passes.

"It's beautiful