Tatianna Griffin, wins first place in “The One” Jordan Brand – Essence

With the Olympic Games, the Eiffel Tower and a region wealthy in history as its backdrop, the Jordan Brand took root in Paris, France. There, the worldwide brand provided a protected space for among the world’s best basketball talent to land, advance and have a probability to be crowned the very best one-on-one player in the world at The One Finals.

Between the throngs of black women wearing cornrows, the hair salon in the lobby, and the handfuls of sneakerheads in their cleanest, retro-Jordanian kicks, the connections between what’s happening in fashion on and off the basketball court became obvious.

At Le Trianon et L’Élysée Montmartre, positioned in the culturally-wealthy 18th arrondissement, members of the local people, basketball fans, NBA players like Chris Paul and Zion Williamson, and celebrities including Spike Lee gathered at Jordan’s newly renovated court to see who would change into the very best one-on-one player in the world.

Jordan Brand CEO Sarah Mensah, who made history herself by becoming the corporate’s first female CEO, made the tournament’s intentions clear. Mensah said that the bridge between the brand’s patron and the subsequent wave of basketball’s elite is a component of what makes The One so special.

“Michael Jordan’s original passion for basketball started with one-on-one play, and I think that’s true for a lot of players around the world. It’s a tribute to the people who love the game so much that they find a way to participate in it, and it’s just amazing that we were able to bring it to the world stage,” Mensah said.

In true basketball style, the stage was perfectly set for the one-on-one duels.

Standing in one corner of the court, a DJ would spin bangers like Kendrick Lamar’s diss track “Not Like Us” back-to-back throughout the night. The announcers would continually pump up the players during each match, and the spectators would stand on the sidelines ready and willing to run onto the court on the sight of somebody getting crossed.

With the lads’s and ladies’s divisions established, 20 of the very best amateur basketball players in the world, who each needed to win their previous head-to-head tournaments to qualify for the ultimate showdown in Paris, took to the court to earn bragging rights, a winner’s trophy and a one-12 months partnership with Jordan Brand.

The rules were easy: win or go home.

In each round of competition, with nothing to lose but a bit sweat, the youngest competitor on the ladies’s team, Tatianna Griffin, wowed the audience together with her all-round skills and a demeanor that made her seem smart and naturally astute.

With a fringe game that pushed opponents outside of their defensive comfort zones, combined with relentless power under the basket, the 14-12 months-old phenom was unstoppable. During Griffin’s relentless run, the tournament’s announcer made it some extent to emphasise to the gang, “She’s only 14!” With every point, Tatianna doubled down on the undeniable fact that her age was an element in her vaunted athletic accomplishments.

Griffin, a Los Angeles native, made it clear that despite her young age, her focus is keen and greatness can be hers. When asked about her outlook on the longer term, she confidently replied, “Moving forward with basketball, my goals are to break records in college and the WNBA and just inspire the younger generation.”

It’s protected to say that Griffin began a wave of inspiration that continues to permeate prep sports. The 5’10” starting small forward boasts a 4-star rating, earns 11 All-Tournament honors across the country and has received offers from powerhouse colleges just like the University of Southern California and Virginia Tech University.

Capturing worldwide attention and mirroring the competitive spirit of arguably the best player to ever play the sport, Michael Jordan, Griffin has a shiny future on the court, and her maturity on and off the court is refreshing.

As is commonly the case in head-to-head basketball, when the winner of a match defeats their opponents, they ask one easy query to those waiting in line to dethrone them: “Who’s next?” In this case, it’s protected to say that Tatianna Griffin is next. And judging by what she’s achieved to this point and what her basketball journey holds, her place in hardwood history can be firmly cemented for years to come back.