Night League coverage takes over Twitter
“Night League Shams” brings new side to the league
The champion teams celebrate with their golden shoe trophies
Night League at New Trier brings together all the great qualities of sports — fierce competition, team camaraderie, and a sense of community. Players play for pride, bragging rights, and a chance to win the coveted golden shoe trophy. On Wednesday nights, basketball unites everyone, from title contenders to teams hoping to just win a game.
The league is like a mini-NBA, with free agent transactions, in- season trades, and news every week.
I had the good fortune to play in Night League last year, and I saw firsthand how assiduously teams prepared for the season. My team had a nutritionist, and other teams had scouting directors and consultants in addition to head and assistant coaches. The commitment of everyone involved is evident.
With all this preparation and dedication happening behind the scenes, I decided somebody needed to chronicle Night League for the world to see.
My teammates always discussed their stats and who would win league MVP if there was an award. I thought about how much more exciting Night League would be if there was a source for news and updates.
On December 14, 2018, I created a Twitter account called Night League Shams.
My inspiration was Shams Charania, the famous NBA reporter and NT grad, and the older brother of my friend and NT senior Nurain. Shams is well known for breaking basketball news on his Twitter, and I aspired to be Night League’s version of him. In addition to breaking stories, I added weekly power rankings and an MVP vote to engage with the players and fans. Night League Shams went dormant after last season ended in February, and I debated whether to continue running the account. I played on the varsity basketball team this year, so I was ineligible to play Night League. I considered passing the torch to a returning league member, but ultimately knew I wanted to continue Night League Shams’ legacy.
This season the account went much more in-depth, with All-Night League teams and several more awards such as Most Improved Player, 6th Man of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Coach of the Year, along with MVP. I also contacted sources to get accurate scores and stats when I couldn’t make the games due to varsity basketball conflicts. The season culminated with the championship game, featuring the #1 seed Jelly Swervo Decepticons against the #2 Silly Sea Monkeys. The Sea Monkeys pulled the upset, winning 40-32 against the undefeated Decepticons. I livestreamed the game, and over 180 fans tuned in to watch on Twitter.
I was able to create a platform for one of NT’s most popular extracurriculars, where fans and players could discuss, vote, and stay updated on the league. Running Night League Shams was a lot of fun, and I am thankful to have put my mark on Night League history.
2019-20 Night League Awards:
MVP: Drew Robinson
Finals MVP: Jack Miller
Coach of the Year: Hugh Gard
Defensive POY: Cooper Yaccino
6th Man of the Year: Jack Weisenberger
Most Improved Player: Brian Dolby
2019-20 Boys Night League Champions:
Gold Bracket Winner: Silly Sea Monkeys
Silver Bracket Winner: Challah Farmers
