Shark, banana costumes draw laughs as thousands pour into downtown for Hoopfest

Some players treated Hoopfest like Game 7 of the NBA Finals.

Others, like Cody Krull and Luke Livingston, dressed up in banana and shark costumes, double high-fiving and chest-bumping after each basket and even hiking the ball between their legs to start one offensive possession.

The duo, part of the coed team, Hawaii Five-Uh-Oh, brought smiles and laughs to many interested spectators walking by their court Saturday in downtown Spokane.

Team members, who also includes Krull’s girlfriend, Brooke Giachetti, and Livingston’s fiancée, Jenna Dejonge, said they simply wanted to have fun at the 3-on-3 basketball tournament, which drew thousands to the downtown streets and Riverfront Park Saturday.

“Just relax, have fun,” Krull said. “We’re all here to enjoy it and have a good time. Make it a good weekend. It’s only once every year.”

Krull wore a yellow banana costume with red, white and blue head and wrist bands. Livingston sported a blue and white shark costume with black socks and a green headband.

Giachetti wore a red lifeguard outfit and Dejonge put on a purple swimming cap before adding a snorkel and goggles to her attire after the team lost 20-10 near Main Avenue and Howard Street.

“They’re all beach-themed and I don’t know why I’m here,” Krull said. “It worked out in the end.”

The costumes drew a variety of comments from spectators.

One could be heard saying, “That is hilarious.”

A woman asked, “Can you imagine playing in that?”

One man said about Livingston, or the shark, “He ain’t even got hands. He got flippers.”

Livingston said he was able to free his hands to shoot the basketball.

The team said it started planning the outfits about a month ago.

“I had a shark costume and it just snowballed form there,” Livingston said.

Livingston confirmed the costumes made their players extremely hot.

“I’m absolutely dying,” he said.

Krull said they took the costumes off between games and made sure to stay hydrated.

The four players, all 24 years old except 23-year-old Giachetti, lost both games Saturday and were scheduled to play Sunday.

Joe Spencer, who was part of the team that beat Hawaii Five-Uh-Oh, thanked the team for making the game fun.

“I think that they’re really embodying the spirit of Hoopfest,” said Spencer, sporting a Taco Bell shirt.

The street courts were filled with people of all skill levels, age and gender. Some were longtime friends and others, like the Brown Family, played as a family.

The Brown Family team was made up of three brothers, Miles, Jacob and Ammon, and their father, David Brown. They all wore green jerseys with No. 33 in reference to Hall of Fame Boston Celtic Larry Bird.

The team lost its first game but won its second 15-11, and was set to play a third game late Saturday afternoon.

The Brown family members typically play on different teams at Hoopfest but decided to play as a family for the first time this year.

Their usual teams fell apart and David Brown said he may not have many Hoopfests left because of his age, so they decided to play as a family.

“My clock is ticking,” he said. “I don’t know how many games I have left, so we figured we better do it quick.”

Miles Brown said the family plays basketball together, especially on the weekends when they’re able to get together.

“We’re always beating on each other, so it’s nice to kind of gel together and not be hammering each other,” David Brown said.

Jeffrey Kimmel’s team, Juco Stars, won its second game 20-16 after losing its first game in what Kimmel called a “controversial” two-point loss.

Kimmel, a 31-year-old student at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle, said he had not played at Hoopfest in about 10 years.

“It’s just gotten bigger and better,” said Kimmel, a former junior college basketball player.

The Spokane Fire Department responded to 11 serious calls in the Hoopfest area as of 6 p.m. Saturday, Spokane Fire Department Chief Brian Schaeffer said. The calls included overdoses, traumas, seizures, chest pain and breathing problems.

Most or all of the calls were related to Hoopfest players or visitors, Schaeffer said.