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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Spin Control

Inslee: I’ll be there for Hoopfest

OLYMPIA -- Gov. Jay Inslee goes up for a rebound in an Inauguration Day pickup basketball game at a hoop set up on the garage of the Governor's Mansion (Jim Camden)
OLYMPIA -- Gov. Jay Inslee goes up for a rebound in an Inauguration Day pickup basketball game at a hoop set up on the garage of the Governor's Mansion (Jim Camden)

Inslee goes up for a rebound in an Inaugural Day game at the governor's mansion.

OLYMPIA -- Gov. Jay Inslee is a self-proclaimed hoopaholic who likes basketball so much his staff organized a pick-up game to provide a break in Inauguration Day.

He likes it so much he wants to turn that game into an annual event. 

He likes it so much the staff is looking for a place to set up a full court (and reportedly eyeing the parking lot between the Capitol press buildings.)

He likes it so much he said Wednesday he'll bring a team to Spokane for Hoopfest again this year, with plans to double the number of wins from his 2012 team. . . which would mean they'd win two games.

Rep. Marcus Riccelli of Spokane, who played on Inslee's Hoopfest team last summer, said that technically they did win two games in 2012. But only because one of the teams they were supposed to play didn't show up, so they won by forfeit.

Inslee said the Inaugural Day basketball game was, in part, an effort to encourage people to exercise more and make Washington the healthiest state in the nation.



Jim Camden
Jim Camden joined The Spokesman-Review in 1981 and retired in 2021. He is currently the political and state government correspondent covering Washington state.

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