The Equinox Basketball League in New York City is open to members and non-members alike.
In New York City, basketball is king. It’s a truth that’s clear at Equinox Sports Club and East 61st Street, where the city’s top athletes face one another in the fierce competition known as the Equinox Basketball League.
Launched in 2015, the NYC league is open to members and non-members alike, says Charles Jackson, the complex sports manager for the two locations. This past season, nine teams participated at each Club, competing in eight games plus a playoff tournament for the top eight teams. In late May, the winning team at each Club fought for the title of All-City Champion, with Team OnCore (the East 61st victors) defeating Team Snakes (the Sports Club champs).
Though the league consists mostly of former high school and collegiate players, the members’ rivalry and commitment to the game matches that of NBA players, says Jackson. They often hit the court up to four times a week. “They're always in shape,” he adds. “The jump shot is always ready to go.” Some players even take on the identity of “most hated captain in Equinox,” says Jackson. This year, the role went to Rob Marder of Team OnCore. “He always has super teams. He’s won quite often, so he’s taken on that [villain] persona. I think he loves it. He loves the game — he's an avid Knicks fan. And these guys love to compete against one another and have bragging rights.”
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The feuds don’t stop in the off-season, either. “A league is a living, breathing thing,” says Jackson. “It has a preseason, an in-season, and a postseason…whether the guys are actually playing the game or not, the members are always talking about it, and it carries over to the next season. That's the beauty of the league. You start to develop rivalries and grudge matches, and then you have players jumping from one team to another team. It's a year-round entity.”
Before each session, some players switch teams due to a lack of chemistry with their teammates or frustration over playing time. Old-timers battle one another to recruit new players who show up to (and show off at) open runs, says Jackson. Established teams religiously play together throughout the entire year, honing their craft, while teams made up of “free agents” — members who don’t sign up for the league with a full team in mind — typically have a few practices before the season starts, he notes. (That said, without longtime bonds, these teams usually struggle through the season and tend to lose games or forfeit them altogether, says Jackson.)
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Over the years, the league’s players have gotten younger, as many of the older members have gotten married or moved away, especially during the pandemic, says Jackson. More corporate teams have also joined; last season, ESPN employees formed a team in the league, for instance. Moving forward, Jackson is looking to recruit “new blood” from the other Equinox locations in the New York City area and lock in 15 teams at each Club. One day, he hopes to create a tournament between the NYC, Boston, and Washington, D.C. leagues to determine the best team on the East Coast. “That would be game-changing, in my opinion,” he adds.
Though new faces have come and gone, the community at the heart of the league has remained — and so have many of the members who joined on day one. What keeps them coming back? It’s simple, says Jackson: “The love of the game.”