A basketball team of 13- to 15-year-olds representing Suffolk and Michael Britt’s non-profit organization traveled to Washington, D.C., last weekend for two days of challenge and surprise.

“It was quite an experience for the kids,” Britt said.

He said he arranges these trips not for himself, but for the youths, to give them an opportunity to compete and improve, while also being able to see former NBA players in the flesh. He was able to deliver on both counts this year in a way even he did not expect.

The Britt-Quinn Enterprise Inc. team played Friday night after an unfortunately lengthy time in transit to the Emery Recreation Center.

“They did well considering us traveling and taking us six hours to get there due to the traffic,” Britt said. “They just didn’t have any legs at the end because of the travel.”

The team, which featured three players from Suffolk, lost by five points to the Emery Rec All-Stars.

“It was a good game all the way to the last two minutes,” Britt said.

That night, the team went to its hotel, and Britt learned that 7-foot-6-inch former NBA player Shawn Bradley happened to be there and was downstairs at the time.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen Shawn,” Britt said.

He wanted his young players to have the opportunity to meet him, and proceeded to call them down from their rooms, without letting them know about Bradley.

“I didn’t want to let them know, trying to surprise them,” he said. “When they broke around the corner, they were like, ‘Wow.’”

Britt is undoubtedly used to being the tallest man in the room in many instances, but he comes up about a foot short next to Bradley.

“He’s really tall,” 15-year-old Suffolk player Rontre Pope said of Bradley.

Of his team, Britt said, “They were mesmerized.”

Though the Emery Recreation event that the Britt-Quinn Enterprise Inc. team was participating in also included games featuring former NBA players, Bradley was only in town for his daughter’s wedding.

The squad played its second game on Saturday against a D.C. opponent, the McKinley Technology High School varsity team.

“We were much younger,” Britt said. “We were supposed to play the (junior varsity) team,” but it was not able to participate.

Britt asked his team if they would be willing to play the varsity squad, and they said, “Yeah, why not?”

He said his team held its own for the first 25 minutes but eventually fell behind and lost by about 20 points.

“We’ll be better prepared for next year,” Britt said, while also noting that his players were complimented by others for being well-disciplined and keeping their composure during the loss.

Pope, a King’s Fork High School rising freshman vying for varsity playing time this season, summed up his favorite thing about the trip in one word: “Competition.”

He also voiced his appreciation for getting to go on the trip, compete and meet new people.