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At other points in the game, it might be Fat
Joe's urban anthem "Lean Back" that hits the right vibe, or a
throwback guitar lick from surf rock. Because when 3x3
basketball made its Olympic debut in Tokyo, it came with a
soundtrack. And the man behind the turntable is Frenchman
Lassana Karamoko, AKA DJ Lass.
The high-speed, half-court version of basketball is played to
constant accompaniment of thumping hip-hop that call back to the
sport's streetball origins. DJ Lass crafts the sounds that match
the players, teams, and critical moments of the game.
"I usually start the game at a slower pace, and it's actually
the players that dictate the pace," DJ Lass said during a lull
between matches on Tuesday. "I just adjust to the intensity on
the court."
Although the pandemic has meant that the 3x3 arena at the Aomi
Urban Sports Park has been mostly empty of spectators, he's kept
up the music as a service to the players and the culture of the
fledgling event at the world's biggest sporting spectacle.
"Except for the streets, many people have never seen the real
competition of 3x3," he said. "And it's good for the players to
have music all the time."
DJ Lass has been a fixture of 3x3 over the past four years,
hosting events throughout Europe, Asia and the Middle East.
He'll typically have 600 tracks lined up, but copyright
clearances at the Olympics meant he had to trim that by about
half.
Along with skateboarding, surfing, and sport climbing, 3x3 has
been added to these Games in an effort to broaden the
spectacle's youth appeal. With a 12-second shot clock and game
time of just 10 minutes, 3x3 is tailor-made for social media
sharing.
In addition to the cool factor, the music has a practical
effect. In public exhibitions, people gravitate toward the tunes
and stay to watch the game. But the Games are the biggest stage
yet for 3x3, which has run events on a global circuit for about
10 years.
DJ Lass, 37, takes requests from the players and the teams. The
Japan women's team, for example, like anime-based songs, and
their high-speed style of play requires similarly dynamic music.
On Wednesday, the 3x3 event moves into its semi-finals and its
first-ever Olympic medal matches. The Serbian https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/3x3-basketball-serbias-mr-bulletproof-adds-olympian-accolades-2021-07-24
men are highly favoured to take gold, while Team USA women's
squad, packed with WNBA talent, will be hard to beat.
But the tournament has already seen numerous upsets. And if gold
medal stakes weren't exciting enough, DJ Lass will be there to
amp up the drama.
"I put on songs that have a higher BPM (beats per minute) in the
last seconds of the game to create even more anxiety and
emotions from the fans," he said.
(Reporting by Rocky Swift; Editing by Stephen Coates)
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