Local schools to take court in George Yardley Summer Tournament

Apart from the repeat narrative for the Golden State Warriors, a four-game sweep in the championship series made this year’s NBA Finals less than memorable.

For those who are looking to rekindle their love of the game of basketball, Newport Harbor High has some of the most exciting action around outside of LeBron James’ impending free agency.

Newport Harbor will once again be putting on the George Yardley Summer Tournament, which will have a 16-team field stocked full of quality boys’ basketball programs.

The four-day event begins with first-round play on Thursday, June 28, and it will continue through Sunday, July 1, with the final being held at 6:45 p.m.

Local schools account for half of the teams in the draw. A pair of first-round matchups will pit area teams against one another.

Edison and Laguna Beach open the tournament at 11 a.m. on Thursday. Both teams advanced to the second round in their respective CIF Southern Section playoff runs.

Each will also be looking to develop new leaders. The Chargers (Division 1) saw the likes of guard David Atencio and center Josh Phillips graduate, while the Breakers need to replace dynamic forward Blake Burzell.

Corona del Mar versus Huntington Beach (1:30 p.m.) is another local-local opener. All on-court experience comes in handy for a team like the Oilers, who hope to improve upon last year’s two-win campaign.

Costa Mesa came on strong and was very competitive in two Division 4AA playoff games at the end of last year. The Mustangs will take on Northwood in their opener.

Fountain Valley draws Orange Lutheran (5:15 p.m.), Sage Hill takes on El Toro (6:30 p.m.), and the host Sailors battle with Santa Maria in the nightcap at 7:45 p.m.

When the calendar turns to the new school year, CdM and Laguna Beach will be part of the new eight-team Sunset League. Six of the eight teams in the league will be represented in this tournament, although Sailors coach Robert Torribio has cautioned some against the idea of viewing the tournament as a preview of the new league.

“We try not to get involved in that because [teams] are missing guys, guys move, guys transfer, guys transfer in,” Torribio said. “We try not to read too much into summer, but for us, it’s an opportunity to play together as a new group, and for guys who are new to varsity to try to learn our system a little bit.”

All games will be played under the regulation format (eight-minute quarters, 35-second shot clock and fouls). Admission is $5 per person. Mater Dei, Villa Park and Esperanza are the other competing schools.

The tournament continues to serve as a reminder of the impact made by George Yardley on the local community until he died of ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease) in 2004. The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer attended Newport Harbor, and he was the first player in NBA history to score 2,000 points in a season.

“It’s a great opportunity for us and the community to remember such a fine gentleman that is from the area,” Torribio said of the tournament’s namesake. “He obviously had a lot of success on the court athletically, but also as a businessman, an engineer, and as a family.

“The Yardley family has been very supportive of the community for many, many years, and to this day. They’re nice enough to let us continue to use his name.”

andrew.turner@latimes.com

Twitter: @ProfessorTurner