Downtown San Jose is getting a weekend of fast breaks, crowded courts and enough prize money to make a casual pickup game feel suddenly very serious. Slam Jose, a two-day 3-on-3 basketball festival, is scheduled to bring competitive hoops, youth divisions, music and food vendors to the heart of the city this September.
Teams Can Chase Cash, Medals And Bragging Rights
Registration is open for the tournament, which is set for September 26 and September 27, according to The Press Democrat. Teams of three to five players can register for $250 by September 23, and each team is guaranteed at least four games, with top teams potentially playing six.
The biggest checks are reserved for the men’s, women’s and wheelchair pro-am divisions. The Slam Jose website lists $5,000 first-place prizes and $2,500 second-place prizes in each pro-am division, with at least 10 teams needed in a division to qualify for the maximum payout.
Free Downtown Festival Will Include Music And Contests
Fans can attend for free, while organizers are asking spectators to RSVP in advance. The weekend will run from 9 AM to 6 PM Saturday and 10 AM to 4 PM Sunday in downtown San Jose’s central plaza area, with live music, vendors, food and drink options, and public contests including a 3-point shootout, knockout and free-throw competition, according to Visit San Jose.
The tournament is designed to pull in more than just pro-am hopefuls. Its listed divisions include adult recreational brackets for men and women, 31-and-over and 40-and-over groups, a six-foot-and-under division, plus boys’ and girls’ youth brackets ranging from 10-and-under through 18-and-under, as detailed on the event’s division breakdown.
Slam Jose Returns After Its Downtown Debut
The festival is returning for a second year after the San Jose Sports Authority announced its first annual Slam Jose event in 2025. Organizers describe the tournament as a partnership between the San Jose Sports Authority and the Boys & Girls Club of Silicon Valley, giving the weekend a community-sports angle alongside the cash prizes and downtown spectacle.
For local players, the timing is straightforward: build a roster, pick a division and get registered before the September 23 cutoff. For everyone else, the event offers a free weekend of outdoor basketball with plenty of reasons to linger after the final buzzer.
