ORLANDO, Fla. — "Ten seconds, 10 good seconds!” Iren Rainey yells inside a downtown Orlando gym.  Rainey is running a practice that feels a lot like a game.  

“The most important thing for me is making sure each one of our players is performing as the best version of themselves,” Rainey said.  Rainey is an NBA player development coach with clients like former Magic Nikola Vucevic, Aaron Gordon and current Orlando center Wendell Carter Jr.

“There we go. I like that, Tone, I like that, Tone,” Rainey said to Antonio Blakeney after a made layup. Blakeney is also a client and a member of Florida TNT, which will be competing in this year's The Basketball Tournament, or as it’s more commonly known, TBT.

“The Basketball Tournament is a tournament that offers former NBA guys, former pros and guys that are still looking to play at the professional level an opportunity to compete at the highest level,” Rainey said.

The tournament was launched in 2014. This year's version begins Friday, July 16 and is currently a 64-team winner-take-all-format with $1 million dollars on the line broadcast on ESPN.  Rainey and GM Terry Hughes selected a group of Florida-based players to represent the state and City of Orlando.

“It feels good just seeing the familiar faces,” Matt Williams said.  “Just being around the guys, just having the adrenaline of playing basketball again, it feels good.”

Williams is one of several former UCF stars on the roster.  Keith Clanton is another.

“Growing up, being from here,” Clanton, an Orlando Christian Prep alum, said.  “We have a team based out of Orlando that we just want to go out put on the best performance we can.”

“That’s tough, Tone, I like that,” Rainey said as Blakeney knocks down a three.

Blakeney played high school basketball at Oak Ridge High School and college basketball at Louisiana State University.  His pro career has included stops with the Chicago Bulls and China.  He spent last season with the Canton Charge in the NBA G League.  He and the rest of the team know a great performance in the TBT could mean another shot at the NBA.

“Anytime you can go out there and play on TV and be seen, it means everything," Blakeney said.  "People are always watching and evaluating you.”

Florida TNT was left out of last year's TBT so the players come in this year motivated and ready to prove they belong.  Their first game is Saturday, July 17 in the Wichita bracket and will be available on ESPN3. The tournament concludes in Dayton, OH.

“We go out there and play selfless basketball," Rainey said. "We go out there and execute. We got out there and believe in each other and have fun. We are going to dominate this whole tournament.”