Latino Basketball Tournament brings heritage and hoops to Cerritos

CERRITOS, Calif. — Over Memorial Day weekend, Cerritos College hosted the 2025 National Latino Basketball Tournament, a four-day celebration of sport and community that brought together 93 teams from across the country.

According to event coordinators, players must be of “Latino heritage” to be able to participate. The tournament features divisions spanning across age and gender, from players age 10 and under to veterans over 45. A total of 182 games were played between Friday evening and Monday afternoon, culminating in the championship game of the marquee “Latino Open” division — a showdown between 27 top-tier teams.

In Monday’s final, LNR defeated Puro Money 67-61 in a tightly contested match. Though Puro Money held a lead in the first half, LNR rallied for the win. Both teams included a mix of members with high-level experience, including overseas players and former NCAA Division I athletes.

This year’s tournament was organized by Robert Zaragoza, who has overseen the event for the past five years and, for the last three years, has collaborated with others to host basketball tournaments in various locations. Under his leadership, the National Latino Basketball Tournament has hosted competitions in places like Arizona, Texas, Rosarito Beach in Baja California and other parts of California.

Zaragoza told CALÓ News that part of what makes these tournaments so meaningful is that there is not a lot of Latino representation in the NBA.  “When the little kids watch these guys compete, they think, ‘This is dope — they’re older, but they can really play. And they’re Latino, like me,’” he said.

Latino basketball tournaments have a long history in the United States, dating back more than half a century. Many of these leagues emerged in the 1950s and ’60s in response to discriminatory practices that restricted Latino access to public recreational facilities. In turn, they became vital spaces for community-building and athletic development.

Although some progress has been made in recent years, representation in professional basketball still has a long way to go. According to data from Statista, the 13 active Hispanic NBA players made up just 2.2 percent of rosters during the 2023–2024 season. 

However, the National Latino Basketball Tournament continues to defy the odds, offering Latino athletes a space not only to compete but to connect. Whether through competitive rivalries on the court or shared moments of camaraderie off it, the tournament fosters a lasting sense of community and pride among generations of Latino players.