Alburgh Vermont Basketball Fight

Alburgh, Vt. resident Brian Watson has been very well-known for his love of basketball and organized teams in the area, especially on the Boys Winter Hockey team — but the 18-year-old is about to put that to a challenge in what he hopes will be an epic battle with other young sports heroes across the world at an all-day competition set up by Sports Illustrated as part of its 2013 FIBA World Junior Championship coverage.

Watson begins hosting the 13th annual National Geographic FIBA Junior Challenge Live tournament, held July 7-9 from Wortley. He is the top official, giving out scoring awards, coaching U18 players and taking scores during his evening class. The event is promoted by Matt Moran and Rob Carney on ESPNU as Team USA tries against 614 others — including eight-year-olds from 20 countries around the globe who compete to win one grand prize.

Most have heard the buzz over Watson and his fast approach to life, which includes playing hockey full time for Otter River’s North County Dragons, working as an FBI agent’s translator and racing Jeeps with his older brother and racing buddies under the yellow wing decals as part of National Spelling Bee champion Daniel Johnston’s “Beast of Haddonfield USA” team. All that takes center stage when people get near him: red lipstick, bubbly personality and a light-hearted sense of humor.

But it’s not the easy going that trips off most people’s tongues about him and his peers as they become entranced by their soccer efforts. The boys are now 17, about 150 pounds lighter than last year and feeling more confident and assertive. They’ll bring American flags with them this weekend (Aug. 2) instead of those last summer promoting awareness of police brutality, killing of unarmed suspects and legislation discouraging blacks from driving.

In addition to Watson himself, who is taking classes in computer science at Dartmouth, 15 of the 16 NBA rookies are participating in the tournament along with 35 collegiate coaches and scouts. Thirty National Geographic photographers, accompanied by editors, also will document every action (along with frequent color commentator John Wilkes Booth).

Watson says he chose national basketball junior tourneys after winning medals competing at worlds he had never seen before without even qualifying for nationals.