NPR’s Scott Simon talks with Kareem Maddox, who is competing in the 3×3 World Cup in Amsterdam. The relatively recent competitive sport is also now set to debut at the 2020 Olympics.

SCOTT SIMON, HOST:

You know, the last time we spoke with our friend Kareem Maddox, the former public radio announcer was playing pro basketball for a team in Poland. He’s also now a producer for Gimlet Media. And he is still shooting hoops this week at the 3×3 World Cup in Amsterdam. He joins us on the line. Kareem, good to talk to you again.

KAREEM MADDOX: Hey, you, too, Scott. Thanks for having me.

SIMON: Three on three (ph) – you like to call it 3×3 – we’ll explain is a half-court kind of basketball game. And it will debut as an Olympic sport in 2020. How is the game different?

MADDOX: Exactly. I mean, just how it sounds. You know, there’s three guys on the court for each team, instead of five. I guess a close parallel might be what they did for the Olympics, bringing in beach volleyball to accompany, you know, regular volleyball. So it’s a little bit like that.

SIMON: And you play outdoors, right?

MADDOX: Outdoors, yep, in some beautiful venues, too, yeah. Here in Amsterdam, we’re outside the Rijksmuseum, you know, one of the biggest museums in Amsterdam.

SIMON: Oh, my gosh. That’s a beautiful museum.

MADDOX: It is. It is. And…

SIMON: Don’t miss a shot and knock down a Rembrandt, OK?

MADDOX: Yeah. That’s true. We’re steering clear of the Van Gogh Museum, which is also right here.

SIMON: Yeah. Van Goff (ph) I think they say there. Listen; Kareem, you guys, the U.S. team, has been doing well, right?

MADDOX: We have been. We’re 4-0 in full play, so undefeated so far in this World Cup.

SIMON: So South Korea you were able to defeat, and then the host, right?

MADDOX: Yeah, South Korea, the Netherlands. We played, you know, the reigning champs, Serbia, and we also played Turkey. So yeah. Yeah, we had a good four games of full play.

SIMON: I understand the French team looks strong.

MADDOX: They are strong. They’re very good. There’s a lot of good teams here. I mean, this is the highest level of 3×3 in the – 3 on 3 (ph) basketball there is around the world.

SIMON: Do you feel you’re kind of in on the ground floor of a sport that’s going to become more popular around the world?

MADDOX: I hope so. I mean, it’s a lot of fun to watch. It’s fun to play. It’s very accessible. You know, you have less requirements. You don’t need a full court. You can play with a half court. You need less players. You’re not even allowed to have a coach on the floor with you.

So I think it’s, you know, it’s a great learning tool, and it’s a great sport to play and be a part of. So you know, I hope we are on the ground floor and it just continues to gain popularity after the Olympic Games next year.

SIMON: When’s your next game in this tournament, this World Cup?

MADDOX: In a few hours, actually. We play Slovenia at 7:30 your local time.

SIMON: Shouldn’t you be napping or something, or carbo-loading?

MADDOX: I was just doing both of those things. But, you know, I had to wake up from a nap to chat with you, which I’m very happy to do.

SIMON: Oh, mercy. Well, I’m sorry. Well, OK, you have a big game coming up. I thank you very much for spending time with us. How are you going to go back to podcasting after you’ve been playing hoops in front of the Rijksmuseum?

MADDOX: You know, I don’t know. I think it calls for a podcast about that very experience. But, you know, it’s great. I love juggling both. As you know, I’m a radio guy, so I want to do both always.

SIMON: All right, well, it’s wonderful to talk to you again. Good luck to you and your teammates and to everyone there.

MADDOX: Thank you. Appreciate that.

SIMON: Kareem Maddox speaking to us from Amsterdam, where he’s been competing in the 3×3 World Cup.

(SOUNDBITE OF CORY WONG’S “THE OPTIMIST (LIVE IN MPLS)”)

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