‘Baby Shaq’ wins Red Bull King of the Rock Tournament on Alcatraz

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Washington, D.C., native Hugh ‘Baby Shaq’ Jones defeated New Orleans native Lance Perique, 18-9, in the finals of the Red Bull King of the Rock one-on-one basketball tournament held Saturday night on Alcatraz Island in the San Francisco Bay.

Jones was the last of 64 total competitors from 13 countries who qualified to make the tournament. He took home its $10,000 first-place prize by using a strong post-up game against Perique, repeatedly backing him down toward the basket with his 6-foot-3, 230-pound frame until he scored an easy basket.

It’s the second year of the tournament, where the half-court games are held in the old prison’s recreation yard. Inglewood native Izeah ‘Clutch’ Bowman won it last year, but was knocked out in the round of 16 this year by Dalane Finely of Norfolk, Va.

For more background on the tournament, see The Times’ Saturday feature about it and Bowman.

For more about sports history on Alcatraz, see this additional Times’ blog post.

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