The first tournament took place on June 21, 2000 with mixed success. Only five teams squared off during the event, which followed a single-elimination, 2-on-2 format. Andy Trezbiatowski and Luke Foss defeated Jeff Cooke and Tom Schulz in the final, but the poor turnout caused Slater to abandon the event after one year. 

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After his first year of college, Slater became antsy and wanted to give the tournament another shot. The format mirrored the 2000 event, but Slater moved it to the Greendale Parks and Recreation courts off of 76th Street in Greendale. Because he couldn't officially secure the courts from the village, Slater set the tournament's start time to 8:30 a.m., ensuring no one would be at the courts that early on a Saturday morning on July 6. Among the participants that day was Christine Rathke. 

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The following year, Slater had his sights set on expanding the tournament to include teams of three in a double-elimination format. One of the first players he secured for this event was Rathke when he went to visit her over winter break. A month later, Rathke died in a car crash on the way home from UW-Parkside to visit her family. Slater heard the news later in the day and decided to dedicate all future DJ's Court Tourney events in her honor. He proposed changing the tournament's name to the Christine Rathke Memorial Tournament, but her mother, Barb Rathke, insisted the event name remain unchanged.

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Sixteen, 3-on-3 teams participated in the high school gym at Franklin High School, a location chosen for sentimental reasons - Rathke played all of her home games in this gym. Teams played up to 13 points straight up (by 1s and 2s). Gang Greene (Gary Greene, Nate Greene and Mike Middlestadt) defeated Pine Riders (Andy Debbink, Jim Wallace, Steve Huenink and Dave Considine) for the tourney crown. The event raised $550, which served as the first donation to the Christine Rathke Memorial Scholarship Fund.

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Those donations, as well as the tourney itself, have grown since the dedication year. Since 2003, the tourney has raised $23,883 for the scholarship fund, which awards college funds to a member of the Franklin High School girls basketball team on a nearly annual basis. Tom and Barb Rathke, Christine's parents, select the winner based on criteria that mirrors the attributes of their daughter - great play, great teammate and great character. 

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Each year, a new tourney brings with it a new set of stories, which Slater has chronicled here:

 

2004 - The tourney featured a half-hour intermission to allow participants to attend a park dedication ceremony for Christine. Franklin officials renamed Quarry View Park, off of 68th and Drexel Avenue, Christine Rathke Park. 

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2005 - On the planning side, this tourney endured a nightmare scenario. Two weeks before the event, we lost the rights to host the tourney at Franklin High School. To counter this setback, we turned to St. Martin of Tours Church, a location that featured two indoor hoops and two outdoor courts. It is also Christine’s burial site, which made it a special location for us. The event had a throwback feel, with some early round games played outdoors. Also, thanks to Ron Kluth, we were able to give away a free T-shirt to all participants.

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2006 - This served as the first tourney to feature a professionally sourced logo and break the $1,000 donation barrier. The event also returned to Franklin High School. 

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2007 - This tourney featured the event's first and only three-peat champion. Prior to this, the only repeat winner was Andy Trzebiatowski (2000, 2002). 

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2008 - The tourney almost expanded beyond Franklin this year. Slater attempted to host a second DJ's Court Tourney in Wausau, Wisconsin. He set the groundwork in motion, but received some pushback from Gus Macker officials. Slater abandoned the idea and focused on the original back home. The three-time defending champions, however, fail to make it four straight, falling to the team they bested a year prior - The Knights. 

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2009 - Franklin High School was not available this year (floor resurfacing in the gym), so the tournament moved to Southwood Glen. Slater's former team the past two years, The Wrecking Crew, go on to win the title. The event also honored Nicole Reeck, who died that summer. She was Slater's friend, one of Christine's teammates and a past DJ's Court Tourney participant. 

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2010 - The 10-year anniversary tournament featured 18 teams and came within $100 of hitting the $2,000 donation mark. The Knights win a second title, beating the Nittany Sabers.

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2011 - While the team that won this tourney went by the name Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, most of their opponents and spectators referred to them as the Monstars, a reference to the antagonists in the movie Space Jam. All three players on that team were over 6 feet tall.

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2012 - A team of newcomers under the moniker Spartans win the title, beating Dale Gilewski & The Funky Bunch.

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2013 - This turned out to be a very emotional tournament. Slater lost his grandma (Barb Muchka) earlier in the week. He honored prior to the event and also wore a makeshift "paw" patch on his jersey in honor of his family cat Winston, who also died that year. Aside from the heartache, the tourney took some major steps this year. It had the support of three sponsors (the Milwaukee Bucks, McDonalds and Toppers) and had an official website. This tourney also returned to Southwood Glen; Franklin High School's parking lot was under construction for repairs. 

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2014 - This tourney set two records - most participants and highest donation amount. The event brought in 20 teams and $2,000 for the scholarship fund. It also took place at Franklin High School.

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2015 - After some disagreements with Franklin High School, the tourney moved to Indian Community School in Franklin. This tourney almost didn't come together as it only had two teams registered in late June with a July event date. But it all miraculously came together, even topping the record donation amount set a year prior.

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2016 - This tourney played tribute to Jessica Seal, a former participant and friend/super fan of Christine. She died on March 26. The tourney also introduced its participants to one of 2016's scholarship recipients - Carly Graverson - during the event's opening remarks. 

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2017 - A former NBA player plays in this tourney, which raises $2,200, the event's highest amount yet. The former NBA player, Rodney Buford, also wins the tournament with a cast of familiar faces - Spartans. Slater's sister, Lindsey Slater, also aids the fundraising cause by hosting a Paint Nite. 

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2018 - This tourney served as the fourth one to cross the $2,000 fundraising threshold. This event also features four powerhouse teams, with the Plaid Bandannas taking the crown.