On October 19, 2025, the 3-on-3 College Basketball Finals and the “McGrady Campus Tour” event, part of Shanghai Jiao Tong University’s Freshman Sports & Culture Festival – Sports & Health Day, were held at the Minhang Campus. Former NBA legend Tracy McGrady attended the event in person, watching the games and interacting closely with students and faculty to share the joy of basketball. Our university’s students were invited to form teams for the competition and, after fierce contests, swept both the men’s and women’s national finals of the Healthy Campus 3-on-3 Basketball Challenge.
The Healthy Campus 3-on-3 Basketball Challenge, hosted by Tencent Sports, began in September and lasted over a month. Fourteen champion teams from seven universities—including Central South University, Chongqing University, and Beihang University—converged at Shanghai Jiao Tong University to compete against specially invited champion teams for the national title.
McGrady cheered alongside students and faculty, energizing the audience. During an interactive session, he shared experiences from his professional basketball career, guided representatives in a 60-second three-point shooting challenge, and taught dribbling and shooting techniques. The atmosphere was lively, full of laughter and excitement.
During the event, Gong Qiang, Party Secretary of the School of Physical Education, Wang Kun, Director of the School, and Xiao Binrui, President of the SJTU Basketball Association, presented McGrady with the “SJTU Campus Basketball Mentor” plaque to thank him for his contributions to promoting basketball. They expressed hope that his athletic spirit would inspire more faculty and students to participate in campus sports. In return, McGrady presented an autographed jersey.
The competition followed a single-elimination format, with eight men’s teams and eight women’s teams facing off in pairs. The atmosphere was electric, with cheers echoing throughout the venue. After multiple rounds of intense competition, the teams gave their all, delivering a series of thrilling basketball matches for the audience. Ultimately, with outstanding performance from the players and on-site commentary from McGrady, the SJTU men’s and women’s teams both won the national finals. McGrady highly praised the players’ performances and offered defensive advice.
McGrady, along with Gong Qiang and Wang Kun, presented awards to the champion SJTU women’s and men’s 3-on-3 basketball teams and took commemorative photos together.
The Freshman Sports & Culture Festival series is an important part of campus sports at SJTU. The university continues to foster a positive and active sports culture. Following the Freshman Basketball Carnival and the LeBron James Campus Tour, this event brought the festival to a new high. Upcoming activities include the Freshman Sports Carnival & Class Games, the “Freshman Cup” sports competitions, Freshman Soccer Carnival, and Freshman Dragon Boat Race, providing more opportunities for students and faculty to exercise, interact, and embrace the spirit of “Love SJTU, Love Sports” as both a cultural identity and an active practice for every member of the SJTU community.
