Boston Local 103 and Indianapolis Local 481 took their skills and solidarity to the court for what they hope will be the first annual IBEW basketball tournament.

Considering how popular basketball is in Indiana, it was the perfect choice of sport to get the inaugural games off and running.

“In Indiana, basketball is a religion. It’s one of our favorite pastimes,” said Local 481 business manager Jeff Wheeler. “When we learned that our sisters and brothers in Local 103 shared a love of the sport, it was like a match made in heaven.”

Local 481 has had a basketball league for close to 40 years, with over 100 members participating, said Local 481 member Dominic Collins. The multi-local basketball competition is an idea that has been tossed around at different IBEW conferences for years.

“We would brainstorm with delegates from locals across the country on ways to make it happen,” said Collins, who was the point person for Local 481. “Then finally Lou and his team came up with a plan and reached out to us to participate.”

For Local 103 Business Manager Lou Antonellis, the decision to go with basketball was simple: “Why not!”

As the host team, Local 103 members had their hands full, from planning a pre-game reception to securing a place to play — for which they got the Auerbach Center, the union-built practice facility for the Boston Celtics.

“Fortunately, we have a relationship with the Celtics where we’re allowed to use it sometimes,” Antonellis said, noting that the space was wired by IBEW members. “It’s a beautiful building. We were happy to show it off.”

The first game was nail-bitingly close, going into double overtime and then sudden death, with Local 481 emerging as the winner. The second game was not as close, with the Indiana team trouncing Local 103 and taking the W again.

“It was a lot of fun,” said Local 103 member Jeff Sheehan, who revived the idea to have a basketball tournament. “I also learned a lesson: Don’t take on a team from Indiana, especially for the first tournament. That was an error on my part.”

Collins noted that, for a lot of his fellow Local 481 members, it was their first time playing on an NBA regulation-size court, which is about 10 feet longer. There’s also an extra four feet on the 3-point line versus a high school court.

“The 10-foot difference in court length doesn’t sound like a lot, but it was fun to watch the young guys in their 20s become winded after running up and down the court only a few times,” Collins said. “There were also a few airballs from not factoring in the additional four feet when they would try for a 3-pointer.”

The tournament was a lot to arrange in a short time, Sheehan said, but the experience was worth it.

“It wasn’t two different locals playing a couple games and then going home; it was one IBEW team,” he said.

The two teams had about 20 members each, from all ages, including retirees. For some, it was their first time meeting someone from another local.

“The basketball games were fun and exciting to watch, but what I enjoyed most about the tournament was seeing members from both locals laugh and interact with each other,” Collins said. “These memories will stick with them for a lifetime.”

There’s no set date for a second tournament, but it will likely take place in the winter, Antonellis said.

“We’re talking about visiting Indianapolis next time,” he said, brushing aside any worries about a home court advantage. “We’re looking to even up the series.”

Playing a game or two was only part of what the event was about. By the end, members from different locals, separated by a thousand miles and different job classifications, bonded with one another. They became friends. It was a great way to foster solidarity.

“This is what the IBEW is all about: competition on the court with a brotherhood that lasts far beyond the final buzzer,” Antonellis said.