3X3 Unites

Leaders of Unites  #139 - Brian ten Bosch

“The philosophy of 3X3 Unites to teach young people life skills through basketball really appealed to me.”

Born and raised in Elst, 33-year-old has called Zwolle home for over fifteen years — the city he moved to as a teenager to join the Landstede youth programme.
What started as a shot at a professional basketball career became something bigger: a lifelong role in growing 3x3 in his adopted hometown.

Brian helped organise 3X3 Unites’ very first event back in 2016, and by 2017 he was building a 3x3 community in Zwolle from the ground up — recruiting young people from his basketball club into the 3X3 Leader Course and coordinating the program for nearly four years. Several of the Leaders he brought in now play an active role within 3X3 Unites themselves.

Now organising 3x3Zwolle for the third year running with a growing core team, Brian’s goal is bigger still: to see the tournament fully run by 3X3 Leaders from Zwolle and grow it into the biggest 3x3 event in the Netherlands.

Want to read more about Brian’s story, his love for Kobe Bryant, and his vision for 3x3 in Zwolle?
Tap the link in our bio! 🔗

👤:
📷: Arno Stevens

A basketball court can be more than a court.
Ask anyone from Kraaiennest.

K-Fest turned the neighbourhood into one big playground. 1v1 in the , talent on stage, food trucks, music — kids, teens and adults all in the same space, doing their thing.

But this isn’t just about one good day. It’s about what happens when young people have somewhere that’s actually theirs.

“I am from Kraaiennest and I attended K-Fest myself two years ago. That was when I first came into contact with 3X3 Unites through KraaienNext.” — Jaimy

Two years later, Jaimy wasn’t just attending — he helped organise the whole thing, and even got on stage himself. From participant to leader, in the same neighbourhood, on the same court. That’s the whole point of the Paper Dome.

“This neighbourhood is bursting with talent. They deserve to be able to showcase themselves in all kinds of ways.” — Dennie Armélita, 3X3 Unites

The Paper Dome isn’t just a covered court — it’s a place where young people from K-buurt find community, mentorship and a reason to keep showing up.

That’s what a safe space actually does: it turns a court into a second home.

“It just goes to show once again that it doesn’t take much to create a community.” — Jaimy

Same energy is heading to Utrecht (Sept 6) and Groningen (Sept 19) for The Urban Sports Event — more courts, more safe spaces, more stories like Jaimy’s.

If you needed a sign that this stuff actually changes lives — this is it.

Read more about it at the link in bio ⤴️

📷:

Leaders of Unites #138 - Damianos Giannis

“Because of the 3X3 Leader Course, I realise even more that someone within a group has to take the lead.”

Born in Belgium to Greek parents, 22-year-old grew up moving between countries, fostering a deep belief in European unity, diversity, and open communities. Currently studying Built Environment at Eindhoven University of Technology, Damianos combines his passion for urban design with his love for 3x3 basketball.

From organizing his first tournament at age 16 to running the Rabo 3x3 Street League in Eindhoven for four consecutive years, Damianos uses basketball to bridge cultures and bring people together in public spaces.

To Damianos, 3x3 basketball is more than just a game—it represents freedom, independence, and creating accessible spaces where everyone belongs.

Want to read more about Damianos’ story and his vision for accessible public spaces? Tap the link in our bio! 🔗

👤:
📷: Arno Stevens

Four days. One court. Zero labels. 🏀🏳️‍🌈

3X3 Unites was proud to be part of World World Pride Amsterdam 2026, running the sports programme at Pride Village on Museumplein together with KNHB , at the invitation of Rabobank Amsterdam.

Our brand-new 3x3 Legacy Art Court became a place where everyone could just be themselves — clinics, challenges, tournaments, a shoot contest, and Pride Talks hosted by Rabobank Amsterdam, all built around inclusion, respect, identity, community, body positivity and mental health.

One of our favourite moments?
A game where every player had to give their opponent 3 compliments. “Afterwards, the teams talked about why they gave those compliments, how they landed, and what it made them feel,” says , who coordinated the activations for 3X3 Unites.

On the final day, we ran wheelchair basketball clinics too. They were such a hit we had to shut them down ourselves — just to clean up the court. Nobody wanted to stop playing.

3X3 Leader Turab put it best: “Someone was in a full Batman costume, someone else looked completely different — those differences disappeared on the court. Everyone spoke the language of 3x3 basketball.”

And it wasn’t just the players. Passersby stopped, sat on the benches, started dancing. Music, laughter, community.

That’s the power of 3x3.

📷: Dusan Jocic

LEADERS OF UNITES NO. 137 - Ninthe Bongers
She fought her way back from depression — and became a leader.

Ninthe never liked being alone — she’s always been the one who wants people around her. Swimming, gymnastics, karate, she tried it all, but nothing clicked until she found basketball. Even then, it took a few tries: she quit her first club after a lonely year as the only girl on the team. But she came back, joined OBC in Oss, and found her people — teammates, her best friend, a Girls U18 squad that finally showed her what team sport really means.

Winning together, losing together, sharing it all.

Then came depression. The girl who used to speak up, take charge, lead the room — she disappeared into the background instead. Her parents weren’t sure the Leader Course was a good idea. Her psychologist said to do less, not more.

She convinced them anyway.

The course didn’t just give her a skill. It gave her back her voice. Ninthe designed and led the final event herself — a 3x3 tournament with a tic-tac-toe twist, where every basket earned a team a move on the board. Strategy on top of sport.

“It felt so good to be the old version of myself again,” she says. Her parents saw it too — they told her they could see her flourishing again.

Now she leads activations in Oss three times a week, with Public Enemy blasting in the background (thanks, Dad) and her sights set on studying Biology and Medical Laboratory Research. She missed this year’s 3X3 Festival for exams — but she’s already promising next year.

This is what 3X3 Unites is really about. Not just 3x3 basketball. Growth. Confidence. Community.

👤: .bongers 
📷: Arno Stevens

Amsterdam just got a brand-new art basketball court.

Museumplein’s court has been transformed with a striking mural by artist Munir de Vries , chosen by local residents and court users themselves.

Titled “They Tried to Bury Us, But They Didn’t Know We Were Seeds,” the artwork ties street basketball, art and social protest together in one space — set to stay on Museumplein for at least five years.

It’s the latest chapter in a story that started in 2017, when 3X3 Unites first brought Legacy baskets to Museumplein during the 3x3 Basketball | FIBA3x3 European Championship. Since then, this spot has grown into a permanent home for the local 3x3 community.

Right next to the Stedelijk and the Rijksmuseum, Museumplein now has art you don’t need a ticket to see.

Come check it out. 👇
📍 Museumplein, Amsterdam

Design: Munir de Vries 
Photos: Dusan Jocic

LEADERS OF UNITES NO. 136 - Flint Sonnenberg 

From an empty schoolyard to leading his own community.

At primary school, was one of the only kids who loved basketball. No club in Amsterdam had room for him. So he played anyway — on the streets, on the courts, alone if he had to be. Music in, ball in hand, mind clear.

Then one tournament changed everything. His team won, unexpectedly, in Amsterdam Southeast. At that tournament Jacopo Bertotti saw something in him — not just a player, but a leader waiting to happen.

The Leader Course gave him the courage to walk up to strangers on the court and pull them in. The Mentor Course gave him something even bigger: the words to finally talk about what he’d been carrying since his parents’ divorce, since a childhood spent not knowing how to say what he felt.

Today, Flint is Regional Lead for Amsterdam South. He’s not just running courts — he’s building the kind of place he once needed: welcoming, open, somewhere every kid feels like they belong, no matter how few others show up first.

This is what 3X3 Unites is really about. Not just 3x3 basketball. Growth. Confidence. Community.

👤:
📷: Arno Stevens

LEADERS OF UNITES NO. 135 – JESSE KOOT

Meet Jesse Koot. At just 17 years old, basketball has already shaped much more than his game. It’s where he found friendships, confidence and a purpose that reaches far beyond the court.

Growing up in Halfweg, Jesse tried everything from judo and gymnastics to rugby. But basketball always pulled him back. There was always a hoop in the garden, and his basketball came everywhere with him even on family holidays. For Jesse, the game became more than a hobby. It became his way to clear his mind after a busy day.

His second home became Hot Pepper Heat in Zwanenburg, where he not only developed as a player but also built friendships that still last today. Now he’s giving back as a coach, helping younger players improve while discovering how rewarding it is to see others grow in confidence.

Jesse’s introduction to 3X3 Unites came through a local tournament. Soon after, he joined the 3X3 Leader Course. What started with doubts quickly became one of the most valuable experiences he’s had.

Standing in front of a group used to make him nervous. Today, he’s leading activities, taking initiative and helping build a new 3x3 community in Badhoevedorp. Together with fellow leaders, the first pick-up session already brought together seventeen young people.
And he’s only getting started.

After finishing his exams and spending a season teaching skiing in Austria, Jesse wants to return with one goal: launching his own 3X3 Leader Course and continuing to build a strong 3x3 community in Zwanenburg and Badhoevedorp.

Leadership starts with taking the first step. Jesse did exactly that.

👤: Jesse Koot
📷: Arno Stevens