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About City of Palms

The Tournament History

In December 1973, the City of Palms Classic began, like so many events, as a simple, local Christmas basketball tournament — the brainchild of legendary Edison Community College head coach Hugh Thimlar and a small group of high school coaches and administrators. Over the years, the “City of Palms Classic” (named by Donnie Wilkie in 1987) has grown and expanded its scope to include many of the nation’s finest players and teams, setting the standard during the past four decades by which all other holiday basketball tournaments are compared.

The City of Palms is high school basketball’s closest thing to a national championship!

Historical Highlights

  • More than 1,000 City of Palms players have advanced to NCAA Division I competition, including 162 in 12 of the most prominent conferences last season alone
  • 85 players were on National Basketball Association rosters at the start of the 2023-24 season, constituting nearly 20 percent of the entire league! The roll call of City of Palms stars through the years includes:
    • Eight overall No. 1 NBA Draft picks — Paolo Banchero (2022), Cade Cunningham (2021), DeAndre Ayton (2018), Ben Simmons (2016), Andrew Wiggins (2014), Anthony Bennett (2013), John Wall (2010) and Kwame Brown (2001)
    • Six NBA Rookie of the Year winners — Paolo Banchero (2022-23), Cade Cunningham (2021-22), LaMelo Ball (2020-21), Ben Simmons (2017-18), Andrew Wiggins (2014-15) and Tyreke Evans (2009-10)
    • 133 first-round NBA Draft choices since 1994, including eighteen in 2021 — Cade Cunningham (1st overall), Scottie Barnes (4th), Moses Moody (14th), Tre Mann (18th), Kai Jones (19th), Cam Thomas (27th), Jaden Springer (28th) and Day’Ron Sharpe  (29th)
    • A stunning 18 Naismith Prep Players of the Year over the past three decades, including 11 of the past 14 from 2011-24 — Cooper Flagg (2024), Isaiah Collier (2023), Dariq Whitehead (2022), Cade Cunningham (2020), R.J. Barrett (2018), Michael Porter, Jr. (2017), Lonzo Ball (2016), Ben Simmons (2015), Andrew Wiggins (2013), Shabazz Muhammad (2012), Austin Rivers (2011), Brandon Jennings (2008), Kevin Love (2007), Louis Williams (2005), Gerald Wallace (2000), Donnell Harvey (1999), Al Harrington (1998) and Ron Mercer (1995)
  • 211 City of Palms alums have played in the prestigious McDonald’s All-American Game at the end of their senior seasons, including 11 in 2024.
  • A book titled “Dunks, Threes & Palm Trees,” authored by former News-Press sports writer David Dorsey, chronicled the history of the storied high school basketball tournament and was published in coordination with the tournament’s 50th Anniversary in 2023. Amazon.com: Dunks, Threes and Palm Trees: How the City of Palms Classic became high school basketball’s best tournament: 9798218292577: Dorsey, David A.: Books
  • Throughout the tournament’s storied history, four City of Palms Classics stand out above the rest:
    • The 2023 City of Palms Classic featured all of the top-5 teams in the preseason BallisLife Fab 50, a first for any bracketed holiday tournament in the history of high school basketball.
    • The 2015 tournament (the last one played at Bishop Verot HS) produced 17 NBA first-round draft choices, including 12 lottery picks.
    • The 2008 tournament was labeled “the best field in the history of high school basketball” by national recruiting guru Clark Francis of HoopScoop Magazine.
    • The 1993 tournament (the last one played at Edison Community College), with Los Angeles Crenshaw beating Miami Northwestern in the title game, featured Tim Thomas, Ron Mercer, Danny Fortson and future NFL quarterback Daunte Culpepper in the consolation bracket.
  • Hundreds of college coaches and NBA scouts at every level use this venue for recruiting. Here are some of the top NCAA Division I coaches that have attended past City of Palms Classics:
    • Roy Williams (North Carolina)
    • John Calipari (Arkansas)
    • Mike Krzyzewski (Duke)
    • Leonard Hamilton (Florida State)
    • Bruce Pearl (Auburn)
    • Rick Barnes (Tennessee)
  • Many other top NBA and basketball celebrities have attended past tournaments including:
    • Dick Vitale – Hall of Fame ESPN broadcaster
    • Larry Bird – NBA Hall of Famer, Boston Celtics
    • Billy Donovan – Head Coach of the Chicago Bulls & the University of Florida’s two-time national champions
    • Doc Rivers – Head Coach of the Milwaukee Bucks
    • Kenny “The Jet” Smith – Emmy award-winning commentator, TNT’s “Inside the NBA” & two-time NBA champion (Houston Rockets)
    • Donnie Walsh – Consultant for Basketball Operations of the Indiana Pacers

History