In the Downbeach community of Margate, New Jersey, where summer sports tradition meets the passion of tri-state basketball culture, a major athletic movement is preparing to take center stage. On August 29th, the upcoming Margate Wellball activation brings together a showcase of basketball leadership and cultural figures, featuring two-time NBA All-Star Stephon Marbury alongside local student-athletes, youth teams, and community members.

Founded by South Jersey native, former Sacred Heart University Division I standout, and elite skill trainer Omar Wellington, Wellball continues to expand its footprint across the region by offering a platform where skill, stamina, and strategy supersede physical contact.

For Wellington, the lightbulb moment for Wellball struck back in 2018 while training high-level talent, ranging from NBA stars like Jalen Brunson to top-tier youth prospects. He recognized a massive gap in the market for a basketball-adjacent sport that eliminated physical wear and tear while retaining high-stakes competition.

“I saw there was a gap in the market,” Wellington told ScoopB.com. “There was a need to have a basketball-adjacent sport that allowed basketball players from all walks of life—whether it be former basketball players or people that admired the game—to participate. Being on the court that much gave me the idea that competition is everything. When you have players shoot against each other in a training session, it’s electrifying. What was missing was ‘The Well,’ and that’s what we created. Wellball is what we call the purest, most merit-based sport in the world. Anyone can play against anybody. Your physicality, how strong you are, how big you are, how fast you run—none of those things are factors.”

Widely described as the “pickleball of basketball,” Wellball strips away physical isolation play, one-on-one defense, and heavy dribbling to focus on high-speed execution, cardiovascular stamina, and team rhythm. The sport centers around a patented rim-mounted rebounding device known as “The Well.”

When a shot is taken, the ball funnels through the device and drops back toward the floor. Dribbling is entirely eliminated from gameplay. Instead, players must sprint directly to retrieve the basketball as it exits The Well and immediately throw an outlet pass back to an open teammate stationed across designated shooting spots. This setup creates a continuous, high-octane cycle of sprinting to secure the ball, delivering accurate perimeter passes, and shooting in rhythm against a ticking clock across 36 distinct floor spots.

Wellington’s partnership with Marbury materialized following a showcase hosted in coordination with the New York Knicks. “The opportunity materialized when the Knicks approached me to do a Wellball tournament at Basketball City,” Wellington recalled. “That was the first time that Stephon Marbury played. He was coming in just to participate in some type of shooting game; he didn’t know what it was. Then he played for the first time, and it was a beautiful moment because it brought him back—it brought him back to being the All-Star and the basketball icon that he is. The very next day, he called me, and ever since then, we’ve been on a rocket ship together. Stephon is a brilliant businessman, and I’m excited about continuing to showcase his abilities on the business side.”

For Marbury, returning to New Jersey carries special meaning. Reflecting on his time wearing the New Jersey Nets uniform, where he blossomed into an NBA All-Star, Marbury shared fond memories of playing in front of Garden State fans.

“I loved playing in New Jersey, let’s get that clear,” Marbury said. “I think everybody knows I loved playing in New Jersey. Every time I played in New Jersey, it was always fun… I’m a hooper. I want to win more than anything. When we were winning, they were talking about me being an MVP candidate.”

Stepping up to The Well reignited that exact competitive passion that often fades post-retirement.

“For me, being able to be restored with that feeling again, I think that’s what it’s about,” Marbury said. “It gives that connection of being able to play the sport that you love, something that you practiced all your life… but now you can do it again at 50, 60, 70, and 80. We’re getting the older generation who love basketball back playing, shooting, and moving. Having the next generation of players play along with the older generation, we feel like this is for the planet.”

Marbury famously described Wellball’s non-contact format by stating that “your defense is your offense,” framing the sport as the ultimate competitive training tool. In our sitdown conversation, Starbury stands by that assertion.

“It’s literally a competitive training tool,” he said. “It gives the athlete the opportunity to measure how they shoot the basketball from the perspective of having to shoot the ball with the proper arc. Some guys have a line-drive shot, but if they play Wellball, it’s going to correct their shot. So when you look at 5-on-5, if you play Wellball first as your warm-up, I guarantee your shot will be in proper form. We want to introduce Wellball as the new layup line. We guarantee in a one-hour match, you’re going to shoot at least 125 to 130 shots.”

The competitive spirit of the sport will take over Margate on August 29th, featuring teams traveling from New York, Philadelphia, New Jersey, and the DMV. Tournament winners will earn the opportunity to hit the floor against Marbury and New York Knicks President Leon Rose, who previously faced off in a 55-to-53 nail-biter.

“The competitiveness between Leon and Steph is so unique,” Wellington noted. “You’re like, ‘Wait a minute, this is the President of the Knicks playing against an ex-NBA All-Star!’ Leon is a very competitive individual. He’s a basketball player at heart, played in high school and college, so he knows how to play and shoot. For Margate, it bridges the gap in a beautiful way. You’ve got Leon Rose and Stephon Marbury playing in a matchup that the community gets to come watch for free. There’ll be prizes, giveaways, a lot of energy, and a lot of fun.”

Marbury’s passion for basketball infrastructure also ties directly into his deep roots with New York basketball culture, from evaluating current stars to sitting courtside during the playoffs next to Knicks owner James Dolan. Reflecting on sitting next to Dolan in Atlanta, Marbury noted how meaningful it was to reunite and put past differences aside.

“People thought a lot of different things after I left the Knicks,” Marbury reflected. “When I came back, nobody knew what to think. When Mr. Dolan let me sit next to him, he showed everybody how he felt. I love Mr. D like a father figure. Even though things went the way they went in the past, I always stayed respectful. I made mistakes back then, nobody’s perfect, and I was able to put differences aside because the Knicks are my favorite team on the planet. I’m the number one fan. There’s nothing more important to me when it comes to basketball than this team. To sit there with Mr. D after everything that was said in the past just melted all of that away and allowed us to reset. I’ve always wanted this team to bring a championship back to New York. That’s the ultimate goal and the energy New York deserves.”

Looking ahead, Wellington and Marbury are executing an aggressive expansion playbook for the remainder of 2026 and into 2027, including global activations in China and the development of a flagship venue.

“We are aggressively going to continue to do activations all over the country and in China to drive awareness,” Wellington emphasized. “As far as permanent locations, we have plans to build out our flagship location in Brooklyn at the former Toys ‘R’ Us building, which will also include other alternative sports such as pickleball, paddle, and flag football. But the beauty of the game is that it can be played anywhere where there is a hoop. In 3 to 5 years, I see Wellball having a similar explosion to pickleball, expanding globally very quickly.”

Marbury echoed that global trajectory, envisioning the sport on major stages like The Sphere, Wukesong in Beijing and eventually the Olympic Games.

“Alternative sports are proving to be the next wave of the future,” Marbury added. “Through the infrastructure we’re building with Wellball, the goal is to develop pure hoopers right here in New York and across the world, giving athletes at every level a real, scalable platform.”