Three years after the passing of Emporia native Adam Tebben, his memory and love for teamwork and competition continue to live on through the efforts of his friends and family and the support of his hometown.
The third annual Adam Tebben 3-on-3 basketball tournament was held Saturday at the Emporia State University student rec center, welcoming nearly 30 teams of all ages. Organizer Brandon Wolter says attendance was down slightly from previous years, which he attributes in part to the busy schedule of events happening in and around the community that same day.
That said, he was still very pleased that so many individuals made the tournament a part of their weekend, saying they know they can always count on the community to show up for a good cause.
Tebben, an Emporia native, died in January of 2024 following a medical helicopter crash near Weatherford, Oklahoma. The basketball tournament was then established to support both Tebben’s memory and a scholarship fund set up in his honor at Emporia State University.
Wolter, Tebben’s brother-in-law, says it is an extension of Adam’s love for others and a way to continue bettering the lives of others, much like he did in his professional and personal life.
More than money generated for the scholarship, Wolter says the best part of the event is the life lessons participants take away from it, lessons and values that Wolter himself embodied throughout his life.
Totals from the tournament fundraiser are currently pending.
Click here for a YouTube Short from the 3on3 tournament.
Photos by Tagan Trahoon/KVOE News
