A Championship Game Defined by Chemistry
The USS Essex Navy and Marine Corps basketball team emerged victorious in the RIMPAC 26 Games final, defeating their counterparts from the USS Carl M. Levin by a score of 49-41. The close contest showcased the intensity of competition among the service’s elite athletes.
The tournament forms part of the broader Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) Games, a multi‑sport festival that runs alongside the world’s largest maritime exercise. While the games feature a variety of athletic events, their primary aim is to foster camaraderie among participating forces.
RIMPAC 2026 brings together 30 nations, more than 30 surface ships, five submarines, 15 national land forces, over 200 aircraft and roughly 30,000 personnel. The sheer scale of the exercise underscores its role as a crucible for joint training and interoperability.
Coach Jawan Lary, an Information Systems Technician second class, guided the Essex squad with a focus on collective strategy, while center Ensign Myles Evans provided a steady presence in the paint. Their combined leadership exemplified the chemistry that the team credited for the win.
Beyond the scoreboard, the championship underscores how sport can serve as a bridge between allies, reinforcing relationships that extend into broader maritime cooperation. As the exercise continues off the Hawaiian coast, the lessons learned on the court will ripple through the participating navies.