man child

MAN CHILD
LANCE STEPHENSON
$2.99 / ISSUE NO. 8 SUMMER 2006
WWW.FROMTHEPLAYGROUND.COM
LINE UP
GAME PLAN:
Bounce has big dreams.
SHOOTAROUND:
12
HOW WE DO:
28
EBC 2005 recap; Silk reps B-More for And 1,
the playground and Princeton; Nike
Battleground Challenge; Rate the Rock;
movie/book/DVD reviews; Chain Link
Fundamentals; Knicks make moves; Alimoe
vs. Homicide; remembering Booger Smith.
Adrian “Hollywood” Walton and the
“in-and-out front cross.”
MIGHTY HEALTHY:
Swollen elbows and jammed fingers.
STREET DOGMA:
The NCAA and AAU trap the playground.
LET ‘EM MARINATE:
And1 Mystique; adidas Crazy8; Nike Air
Force 3; adidas 1; Converse Icon.
Plus: Ballin’ on a Budget.
AROUND THE WORLD:
Los Angeles; Argentina.
PLAYING UP:
Lance Stephenson gives grown men
the business.
THE HILL-TOP:
Philly’s best come through the
Sonny Hill League.
NYC SUMMER ‘06:
Tournament ratings.
FOCUS:
The OneLove tournament in Syracuse
WINNER TAKES ALL:
The Bounce magazine
“Truth, Dare, Consequences” tournament
BOUNCE 06
10
30
32
34
38
42
50
57
68
78
Booger Smith at West 4th St. Photo by Pete Kuhns.
Editor in Chief: Jesse Washington
“Moses Townsend” 6-5, 201
Editor at Large: Sean Couch
“Flowpane” 6-2, 195
Associate Editor: Liz Washington
“Quality Control” 5-6, less than last issue
Editor at Large: Bobbito Garcia
“Make It Happen” 5-11, 165
Design Director: Nicanor Cruz
“Mr. Lay You Out“ 5’-11, 160
Editor at Large: Charisse Lambert
“West Side Ridah” 5-8, 155
Marketing
Paul “P.R.” Rivera
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
PHOTOGRAPHERS
Chris Wilder, K. Jones, Nicky Woo, Stanley Lumax,
Joseph Vecsey, Chris John Walder, Pete Kuhns,
Chaney, Steve Maggi Alton Ritter, H. Rumph Jr.,
Chie Suzuki, Terry Baker,
Adam Pantozzi
Creative Direction
Nature Studio LLC
Founders
Sean Couch, Bobbito Garcia,
Justin Leonard, Jesse Washington
COVER PHOTO: Nicky Woo
Printed in Canada
THE PLAYGROUND IS NOT THE PROBLEM.
THE PLAYGROUND IS THE SOLUTION.
WWW.FROMTHEPLAYGROUND.COM
©Copyright BOUNCE MAGAZINE 2006. Reproduction without written
permission from the publisher is prohibited. Bounce magazine is
published independently by: From The Playground, LLC (866) NYC HOOP
www.fromtheplayground.com
GAME PLAN
“I think I could play in the NBA right
now.”
Lance Stephenson says it with a straight
face, without a trace of braggadocio. As
far as this 15-year-old Coney Island baller
is concerned, it’s a simple equation. In the
summer of ‘04, fresh out the 8th grade,
Lance played at the Kingdome tournament in Harlem. In the unlimited division.
Against grown men, street legends and
NBA players. And he held his own. (See
story on page 42.) So if Lance can play
with the best on the NYC blacktop, why
not on the NBA hardwood?
We know how you feel, Lance. Bounce
is also a youngster in this game. Just
three years ago we put out our first issue.
It was a Muggsy Bogues of a magazine,
with nary ads, and seemed held together
with a mixture of athletic tape and melted
cheese. Over the next seven issues
we’ve worked our hardest to bring you
that raw flavor from the playground,
where modern basketball was born and
then reinvented, where we can play forever for the simple love of the game.
At Bounce we measure success the
same way we do on the court: How do
we stack up against the competition? As
the veteran mags show more and more
love to the players and tourneys that we
first exposed, it makes us feel as if
Bounce can play at the highest level. So
we feel you, Lance. Let us run with the
big dogs. We’re ready.
Respect,
Jesse Washington
Editor in Chief
Bounce: From The Playground
BOUNCE 10
Photo by: Nicky Woo
Born Ready: Lance Stephenson in Coney Island, May 2006
©2006 MOUNTAIN DEW AND MOUNTAIN DEW CODE RED ARE REGISTERED TRADEMARKS OF PEPSICO, INC.
AND 1, MIXTAPE AND THE MIXTAPE LOGO ARE TRADEMARKS OF AND 1 AND ARE
ARE USED HERE BY PERMISSION.
SHOOTAROUND
FROM DA BLOCK
“The Streets” drops dimes on the Entertainers
Basketball Classic at Rucker Park.
“You can’t ban the Snowman.” Young Jeezy
Welcome you first-time
Bounce magazine readers.
Here’s the rundown on how
we kick it on my block. I am
“the Streets,” your neighborhood truth teller and sometime
playahater. I’m giving you EBC
basketball hood style, straight
from the block, raw and uncut!
If your game is tight the block
shows love. But if your game
is slipping, then slip on outta
here. On my block if you’re a
BOUNCE 12
bum we tell the WORLD
you’re a bum. Lil’ Cease doesn’t have anything on us—we
drop more names and expose
more frauds than the law
would allow.
With the recent surge of tournaments in New York City,
some people say it’s hard to
know which ones have the real
talent. The EBC has been a consistent showcase for more than
25 years. But I can’t front, last
Nile” Satterfield for the EBC
scoring title.
While guys like Fisher, Burtt
and Clark fought it out for the
title of NYC’s best guard, it
was clear who had the title for
big men: Joakim Noah, a.k.a.
“Sunrise,” the 2006 Final Four
MVP. Before he led his Florida
Gators to the NCAA title, the
Long Island big man became
an instant hit at the legendary
Harlem playground. Joakim
made his EBC debut in the
summer of 2005. After shaking off an obvious case of
“holy $#!+ this isn’t Long
Island,” Yannick’s boy collected back-to-back playoff doubledoubles, capped by a ridiculous 20 points, 13 rebounds
and 4 blocks in a classic double-OT championship game
loss to the Black Wall Street
team led by Junie “General
Electric” Sanders.
Now it’s time to check out
the top players at the 2005
Entertainers Basketball Classic
as voted on by da BLOCK.
Since I’m a newcomer to the
Bounce magazine family I took
it easy on you frauds. But
remember, just because you
averaged 5.3 points, 1.2
assists and 0.3 rebounds in
your grandma’s winter church
league, doesn’t mean you got
it for MY BLOCK! FOH!
ALL-EBC TEAM
Junie “General Electric”
Sanders—Black Wall Street
Veteran scorer made every big
shot to win the 2OT champi-
Rock Steady: Check the logo...
Spalding gave EBC their own ball.
Photos by: Adam Pantozzi
Bone Collector on the move.
Note that no one is brave
enough to get near him.
summer the EBC didn’t have
that classic 155th feel to it.
Many of the legends that were
the standard by which EBC was
measured were few and far
between. Instead it was as if
the legends got run out of
Rucker Park for the next generation of young playground stars.
For example, I would have
never thought the great
Alimoe would have gotten his
food eaten all over Harlem in
2005, while a phenomenal
young point guard from St.
Patrick’s High School in New
Jersey, Corey “The Young
Bandit” Fisher, was staking his
claim to be the best PG in
New York City (Knicks included). It was crazy last summer,
like a hood version of the
“changing of the guard”—literally. Ask the D-Band backcourt
(Antifreeze, Stinson) what it
was like trying to slow down
Fisher, a high school junior at
the time, as he exploded for
21 points and 3 assists in his
first ever EBC playoff game.
The Young Bandit wasn’t the
only point guard that sent EBC
crowds into a frenzy last summer. Also putting their work in:
two-time NCAA scoring champion Keydren Clark (St. Peters)
and Steve Burtt Jr. (Iona). Both
Burtt and Clark had the rare
distinction of leading their EBC
teams in scoring each game
they played in 2005, while
Keydren was narrowly edged
out by former Cincinnati
Bearcat Kenny “The West
SHOOTAROUND
That’s the look of a guy who lost
the chip in double OT. We hope to
see Joakim again at EBC.
Joakim Noah
everything in sight from nearly
everywhere on the court.
JAMES “POOKIE” WILSON
MVP AWARD:
Antwan Dobie—D-Band
MALIK SEALY “BEST PRO”
AWARD:
Gilbert Arenas—EBC Los
Angeles
JERRY STACKHOUSE
“WORST PRO” AWARD:
Baron Davis- EBC Los Angeles*
*That’s only because he never
actually suited up to play.
Gilbert Arenas was all LA
needed.
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR:
Corey “The Young Bandit”
Fisher—Pearl Harbor
COACH OF THE YEAR:
Coach D—Certified
Corey Fisher
Since this is my first issue with Bounce magazine, quick shoutouts block style: Flagrant Foul Sports, APN, Da Pham Big J, Brolic,
DS, CQJ, K-Black , GM & JW: thanks S,S & S (Yessirr) , 2004 (3rd pick) , #1PG MWilliams. Oh yeah, special shoutout to the Source
magazine for giving “From da Block” its start; Dave & Ray ‘I ain’t mad at ya’, my checks didn’t bounce; thanks to Jeremy M. that
is. And to anyone I forgot, “miss me with that rap shhh”!
BOUNCE 14
Photo Courtesy of: EBC/ Rodney Williams
onship game, finishing with 26
points, 5 rebounds and 3
assists.
Kenny “The West Nile”
Satterfield—Full Surface/Ruff
Ryders
Scoring champ’s play was
reminiscent of his days at Rice
High School and the U. of
Cincinnati.
Keydren “The Adventure
Begins” Clark—Team Walker
Back-to-back 31 and 38-point
outbursts weren’t enough to
capture his first scoring title.
Corey “The Young Bandit”
Fisher—Pearl Harbor
Best young guard in NYC! At
16 he dominated grown men
night in and night out.
Adrian “Hollywood-A”
Walton—D-band
Formerly A-Butta and Whole
Lotta Game, the new
Hollywood-A was spectacular
in his return to the EBC.
ALL-NCAA TEAM
Daryll “Showtime” Hill—
Rich Soil Monsters
Returned after a year off and
was up to his same old tricks.
Steve “All Day Jr.” Burtt—
Omavi
Reminds me a lot of lefty scorer Michael Redd. Will shoot it
up worse than a Busta
Rhymes video.
Joakim “Sunrise” Noah—DBand
With an average of 19 and 10
in only 4 games, was easily
the best big man in EBC.
Keydren “The Adventure
Begins” Clark—Team Walker
The best pure scorer on any
level of basketball (except for
KB8). Check the NCAA record
books!
Curtis “the Hardest Worker”
Stinson—D-Band
Hard-nosed scorer was the
guy they gave the ball to when
they NEEDED a bucket.
ALL-EBC AMERICA TEAM:
Kenny Brunner—EBC Los
Angeles
Smooth LA guard was unstoppable. The best player in EBC
America next to his teammate
GA as the West Side captured
their first EBC America
Championship.
Gilbert “The Gestapo”
Arenas—EBC Los Angeles
This one is easy. He is Gilbert
Arenas, the NBA’s fourth leading scorer. What do you think
he did?
Sean Banks—EBC New York
Amazing leaper. His baseline
dunk on three defenders will
be talked about for years. He
was the only reason EBC-NYC
didn’t get blown out of the
championship game.
JR “Prodigy” Smith—EBC
Los Angeles
He did what he does best: dunk
SHOOTAROUND
RATE THE ROCK
TWO
WORLDS
COLLIDE
Verbals: Joseph Vecsey
Silk has been playing streetball
for many years in his hometown of Baltimore, with and
against the best: Nick Van
Excel, Sam Cassell, Gilbert
Arenas, Steve Francis (who got
40) and one of the top street
ball legends, Bone Collector.
Bone and Silk, who are good
friends, were going at it one
game in Baltimore. During one
play that I viewed on Silk’s camera guy’s video, it appeared that
he made Bone Collector drop to
the floor. If you take a look at
Bone’s camera guy’s angle,
then you see Bone trip over a
BOUNCE 16
guy’s foot when Silk does his
move, which causes Bone to
fall. You make the call when it
comes out officially on DVD.
Right after that play, Bone
brings the ball up the court, and
in my eyes, threw the ball like
he was pitching it—right off
Silk’s head. “I thought they
were going to fight,” one of
Silk’s teammates said. Silk and
Bone started going at it every
play to the point that both
teams sat down and let them
play 1-on-1 full court. They
played for about ten minutes,
and people say that Silk won. It
was quite the heated battle,
“but it wasn’t even that serious, me and Bone are friends.
We talked on the phone later
that night for three hours just
about other stuff,” Silk says.
Silk will be on tour for most of
the cities this summer, showing off his spectacular smooth
handle and passes. He will definitely be in New York when
And 1 supposedly crashes the
court at Dyckman this summer.
NIKE FORCE: This ball has a good, sticky grip and
a firm bounce. The grip maintains its feel even
when it’s dirty or cold outside. The seams are
wide, which makes it highly shootable. And the
design looks good, especially as it rotates through the air from
beyond the arc. Plays great on asphalt and OK on hardwood.
from several states away
have ventured into this ivy
covered campus for a fierce
competition that belies the
conservative disposition of
the posh New Jersey town of
Princeton. Students accustomed to morning golf have
found themselves immersed
in a world where characters
like Devin “Mr. Biz”
Thompson and Shanod “JFK”
Burton (slam dunk contest
finalists) reigned supreme.
NIKE 1000: The grip started off good but got
kind of papery after one summer. One of the
panels started peeling, too. It tended to lose air,
although the wide seams kept it very shootable.
Played better outside than in.
“This streetball tournament is
accelerating an eventuality
that is destined to be realized,” says Chaney, who will
be a senior in the fall. With
globalization bringing the
world’s nations closer and
closer, Chaney’s assertion is
common sense.
—David Smart
FLOSSARY
Words we plan to invent.
cross•cade (verb): A crossover that flows
and cascades the defender off balance.
“Do you remember when Iverson crosscaded Jordan?”
OHIO PLAYERS
LeBron hosts Nike Battleground in Akron.
Photo by: Gabe Schnake-Mahl
SILK: NEW FOR AND 1
When people imagine street
basketball, they usually think
of grimy NYC streets or
Chicago’s Franklin Park blacktop. And1’s overwhelming
success convinced ESPN to
pick up a “Streetball” series,
further integrating this subset
of hip-hop culture into
Americana. Suburban
America watched, and they
played the video games, but
the physical barrier separating
streetball and suburbia
remained.
But for the past three years,
Princeton University student
Chris Chaney and the
Princeton Black Men’s
Awareness Group have
staged a streetball tournament with full sponsorship
from the likes of Coca-Cola,
adidas, the New York Knicks
and PowerBar. Streetballers
Tired of dribbling that rubber balloon with the
walnut-sized bubble on one side? We put these
balls to the test:
MTV’s Nike Battleground
Challenge took the best 19
and under players from New
York and Chicago last summer
and matched them up on a
neutral playground in Akron,
Ohio, hosted by LeBron
James. Bounce cover man
Kiwan Smith (Issue No. 4)
was one of the featured New
York players. To prepare, the
Nike NYC team scrimmaged
Team Bounce and the
Dyckman Senior Team before
heading out to compete
against Chi-town. Five hundred kids tried out and all the
footage was snatched and
pressed into a reality TV
show. New York native Ben
Gordon and Chicago’s own
Andre Iguodala organized and
coached squads to provide
NBA seasoning. Check out
the results on the MTV2 rerun flow right after your
weekly viewing of Bobbito
Garcia’s It’s the Shoes.
SPALDING NEVERFLAT: The grip on this ball
feels superb, like a thin coating of dried rubber
cement. It felt better than the standard NBA
indoor/outdoor ball, which can get kind of slippery. It played nice on hardwood and great on asphalt, with
excellent control and spring. The only bad thing is that whatever technology Spalding uses to keep it inflated results in a
strange sound when it bounces off the pavement—like bong
instead of that classic pap pap pap. But the oohs when you
freak a defender off the dribble will drown all that out anyway.
WILSON ATTACK II: This women’s ball is
slightly hard and more than a little slippery, as if
they mixed the skin with too much plastic and
not enough rubber. When it picked up a little
dirt it felt even more slick. Seams felt a little narrow. Better
not try any tricks with this one.
MIKASA COMPETITION 110: You can tell by the
picture this is one durable piece of equipment. It
held air in like a submarine, resulting in great
bounce from summer through the winter with no
inflation needed. The skin wore kind of smooth after a few
months, making it a little hard to handle. This is a shooter’s ball.
SHOOTAROUND
WATCH THIS
The Heart of the Game.
Review: Sean Couch
What do you get when you
combine a metaphor-dropping
college professor, a predominately white high school, a
pregnant African-American star
player, and Ludacris as a narrator? A movie about teamwork,
family, and the winning mentality, fittingly named Heart of
the Game.
Tax law professor Bill Resler
decides to apply for a girls
basketball position at Seattle’s
Roosevelt High School. He’s
lacking experience but has a
quirky, playground philosophy:
lots of running, no diagrammed plays and constant
pressing. With tough practices
that feature wind sprints and
boxing people out from inside
the foul lane all the way to the
baseline wall, the coach turns
his girls into “animals.” At one
point of the film Resler tells
them they are a “pack of
wolves,” saying “a wolf is the
only animal that actually
returns a stare by humans.”
The girls buy it and have a
wildly successful first season.
In walks Darnellia Russell,
bused from the other side of
town, like a gift from heaven
for Coach Resler. Now the
theme of the new season is
“tropical storm.” Talented
BOUNCE 18
freshman Darnellia shows
flashes of Gary “The Glove”
Payton, but has trouble adjusting socially and academically.
These problems bubble over
to the team and the coach
solves them with his “inner
circle,” which allows the girls
to work out all their problems
as a team behind closed
doors. Personality clashes,
missed practices and hustle
issues are addressed. Are the
inmates running the asylum?
No, the team is solving problems by committee and learning to cope with young adult
issues as a group.
Their biggest challenge comes
when Darnellia gets pregnant
at the end of her junior season. She drops out of school
to raise her daughter. The following year she returns but is
declared ineligible. The team
has to decide whether to support her, which puts their
entire season in jeopardy.
Heart of the Game shows how
life can take you on a rough
ride, but with the true support
of family, friends, teammates,
and a coach who shows trust
in character and dogged determination, young girls can rise
to any challenge.
WE PLAY BALL
Bounce Magazine:
From The Playground
SHOOTAROUND
Reviews: Liz Washington
BOUNCE 20
is beside the point. This book
is a page-turner.
DEEBEEDEES
Review: SEAN COUCH
The Sixth Man: A Season
Inside the NBA Playground
(ESPN Books)
By Chris Palmer
Chris Palmer’s hopes of playing in the NBA were crushed
when he couldn’t win a spot
on his college team at
Howard U. So when ESPN
the Magazine signed him to
cover NBA games, it was
like a dream come true.
Well, kind of. Reading this
book, you get the feeling
he’d rather be living the NBA
lifestyle than skulking around
locker rooms with a tape
recorder or posting up in the
parking lot with a pad and
pen. The Sixth Man is full of
details about gear, girls, and
game. Hanging with Tracy
McGrady, Rip Hamilton,
Damon Jones, Luol Deng
and Elton Brand should yield
enough material for a great
book, but Palmer seems preoccupied with trying to holler
at Paris Hilton, Vivica Fox or
anyone else whose thong is
showing. Every time his honesty and humor peeks
through, his ambition for AllStar status interferes with
his ability to deliver the
goods. We end up getting
TMI about Palmer and not
enough about everyone else.
On the plus side, if you
enjoy watching MTV’s Cribs,
this book is for you.
White Shadow Four-Disc Set
While out on the road
with your AAU team you
should definitely pick
this joint up.
This TV series was like
That 70s Show meets Fat
Albert. You get vintage
old-school lessons still relevant to today’s amateurs.
Coach Reeves (Ken
Howard) does real things
to help kids, and himself
in the process. In one
episode he sees a guard
hustling on the playground
and challenges him to a
game. Reeves says the
kid’s game is “run and
gun, jiving and jamming.”
The kid says, “It works …
I’ll be starting in the NBA
at 18.” That sounded
crazy in 1978. But those
words turned into prophecy: See Bounce Issue No.
5: Sebastian Telfair.
© 2006 NATURE STUDIO LLC, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
RAINOUT
READING
Runnin’ Rebel: Shark Tales
of ‘Extra Benefits,’ Frank
Sinatra, and Winning It All
(Sports Publishing LLC)
By Jerry Tarkanian and Dan
Wetzel
Bold, bald and biting a towel,
Jerry ‘Tark the Shark’
Tarkanian won nearly 1,000
games as a college basketball
coach, gave scholarships to
NYC playground legends like
Lloyd “Sweet Pea” Daniels
and Rafer “Skip To My Lou”
Alston, won a national ‘chip
with UNLV, and was accused
of corruption pretty much
throughout his career. Now
retired, Tark has no reason to
hold his tongue, offering a
plethora of entertaining anecdotes, quotes, and one-liners.
Number one on his verbal hit
list is his arch-nemesis, the
NCAA. After a 26-year battle,
the NCAA agreed to pay Tark
$2.5 million to settle charges
of harassment and fraud, a
victory the Armenian coach
savors down to the last drop.
As amusing as he is controversial, Tark revels in his
rough upbringing and enjoys
giving inner-city kids a shot at
success. Reality and perception become hard to distinguish when Tark gets talking
about the corruption charges,
but whether or not you buy
his story about why three of
his players ended up drinking
beer in a hot tub with
Lucchese crime family affiliate Richie “The Fixer” Perry
The innovators company
Nature is a refreshing independent studio that provides
marketing, creative, and branding services.
www.naturestudio.us
Take Its Course
Whenever there’s a “problem” with basketball, be it
America losing the Olympics
or young brothers with bad
attitudes and worse fundamentals, people are quick to
blame “the playground.” But
we know the playground isn’t
the problem—it’s the solution.
In order to give our youth the
foundation for success in basketball and in life, Bounce is
currently providing quality
instruction in kids’ natural
habitat: the playground.
Our first Chain Link
Fundamentals programs were
held across the river from
SUDDEN
IMPACT
NY Knicks make
playground moves
Dan Gladstone, Community
and Field Director of the
New York Knicks, has quietly
taken the playground by
storm. With Sprite and
Footlocker on board he’s
flexing with the Jr. Knick
League. Taking the best elements from two of New
York’s oldest tourneys—City
BOUNCE 22
Recreation Department, St.
Anthony’s High School, The
Jersey City Boys and Girls
Club, Hoboken Domino’s Pizza,
the New York Knicks, Rucker
Properties, Columbia
University, Gabriel Urist, Tony
McIntosh, Alex Bynum, Butch
Gay, Paula Raflo-Birch, Damel
Wide AAU’s borough champ
format and Holcombe
Rucker Memorial’s rivalry
with Philadelphia’s Sonny Hill
tournament—11,000 kids
(yes, we said 11,000!) get
pure playground in the spring
and summer months.
On Saturday, July 15 there
will be league play at Rucker
and Spanish Harlem’s Crack
is Wack Park. City Wide will
also host youth teams from
Connecticut, New Jersey
and Long Island in special
inter-city competition.
During the day, City Wide
Ling, Cyndra Couch, Daniel
Birch, Jeffery Davis, Bilal
Dixon, Najee Durant, Alberto
Estwick, Marcel Felder, Joshua
Gillyard and Owen Sandy.
Winners of the Truth Dare
Consequence 2-on-2 Youth
Challenge: Najee Durant and
Bilal Dixon.
will recognize and honor the
“40 Greatest City Wide
Athletic Association players
of all time.” It should be
noted that since 1967, every
player from New York City
who has played in the
NBA/ABA participated in City
Wide programs.
Later in the summer, the Jr.
Knick All-Stars will travel
down to Philly. Last summer
the Sonny Hill All-Stars got
sliced and diced at Rucker
Park. The Knicks are definitely giving complete game for
the youngsters of NYC.
Models (L-R): Blade and The Icon
CHAIN LINK
FUNDAMENTALS
Manhattan, on April 17 at
Hoboken’s Church Square
Park and April 19 at Jersey
City’s Hamilton Park. Several
dozen youngsters ages 10-18,
filled the days with good
sportsmanship, basketball fundamentals and clean, competitive fun.
The Chain Link Fundamentals
program specifically targets
AAU, Boys & Girls clubs and
community help programs. It
provides instruction in basic
basketball augmented with
music, playground style and
practical leadership skills, all
within the context of basketball drills.
Bounce would like to thank the
following for their support:
Hoboken’s Recreation and
Health and Human Services
Department, The Jersey City
Chain Link Fundamental photos by: Sean Couch and Liz Washington; Sudden Impact photo by: Adam Pantozzi
SHOOTAROUND
NOW AVAILABLE!
WWW.FROMTHEPLAYGROUND.COM
BOUNCE APPAREL, SUBSCRIPTIONS,
BACK ISSUES AND THEN SOME!
BOUNCE 31
SHOOTAROUND
CSI: PLAYGROUND
Homicide’s cover story in Issue No. 7
inspires a response from Alimoe.
Visuals: Bobbito Garcia
The day Bounce was going to press, Editor at Large Bobbito got a message on his
answering machine. Harlem legend Alimoe wanted to respond to Homicide’s cover story,
in which the Bronx bomber said he “Ja Ruled” Alimoe’s career at the Rucker last summer.
Alimoe kept it respectful but was very clear: The full story has not been told.
He said I’m no good in
Harlem. I’m good in his town,
in the Bronx. I’m on Davidson
Avenue, paying for my water,
the guy tells me, “Put your
money away.” Bus drivers
honking their horns at me,
people coming from Australia
all the way to Harlem to meet
me. I leave out the house in
Harlem with no money and I
don’t have to pay for nothing.
A couple things in that article
he fabricated totally. He didn’t
tell you about Kingdome …
the game was in Gauchos
gym. You can ask John
Strickland, he was there.
Homicide said, “It’s over with,
I’m not guarding you. I did
what I want to do (at the
Rucker).” You can’t beat the
champ and run. I told him,
“I’ma guard you, I don’t
BOUNCE 24
wanna see you score in transition, I don’t wanna see you
score on the break, or when
I’m getting subbed out.” He
was 1 for 11 against me in
Kingdome. Later on that
month I won MVP in
Kingdome. Please print this: I
had pros on my team.
Sebastian Telfair, J.R. Smith,
Ron Artest, and I was the
MVP. Please print this: The
championship game in
Kingdome, with seven seconds left we in the huddle, I
told Sebastian to go with the
pick and roll. He said, “No,
we going to you.” A pro told
me that. I took MVP, I got a
ring and everything to prove
it. So I don’t see how he says
he took everything away from
me. He posing with a Raptors
jersey on the cover like he
made the team. He has no
left hand and his wrist is
soggy. He’s posing with a
team that cut him. You not
going there to get a jersey
and steal some shorts. You
trying to make it.
Please print the fact that I
told him, I don’t wanna see
you score off fast breaks or
free throws. I put him on his
left hand side. During the
game he was telling me,
“Good shot.” All that after
you was yelling while I was
on the bench at Rucker. And
he missed four free throws in
a row with three seconds left
and they lost the game. I told
him he’s fools gold. After
Kingdome they started calling
me Al Giuliani. Because I
stopped Homicide. I do
wanna compliment him, that
game at Rucker, he laid me
down. He attacked me like
Dwayne Wade. There was a
little doubt about me after the
Homicide thing. When you
been doing something for so
long, its like people are getting tired of me. I been throwing it through dudes legs and
making them spin around
since I was 14 years old. If I
do that now, people say “We
saw that 15 years ago.”
But he didn’t know that I
taped our game on NBA TV,
and 19 times he drove to the
right. I just do the math and
put him on his left hand side.
That’s what a legend does.
When you get knocked down,
you don’t run into hiding. You
go to the next hottest tournament. Alimoe is here for ever.
—As told to Jesse Washington
SHOOTAROUND
INSTANT REPLAY
GEROY GRANT remembers a most mysterious pass.
Visuals: Pete Kuhns
Boogs at Rucker Park, about to collect another victim
July 1997, Lincoln Park, South
Jamaica section of Queens,
Two the Hole Inc. vs. the
Lincoln Park Tournament AllStars. Two the Hole was so
stacked that Chink, Day and
Alize (commissioners) decided
it would be exciting to have an
all-star team play the
only undefeated team in the
tourney. Two the Hole had
Junie Sanders, Mike Campbell,
Bam Moore, Booger Smith,
Khali and Jesus (Malik)
Copeland, Terrance (Black)
Smith, Jason Hoover, Anthony
Heyward (a.k.a. Biz a.k.a. Half
Man, etc.), John Thomas (a.k.a.
Mookie), Terrel Coombs, Stixxx
Williams … you get the idea.
This was around the time the
documentary “Soul in the
Hole” had dropped, starring
none other than Boogs himself. Before the tip off Boogs
was signing autographs, and it
was obvious the other team
wasn’t feeling that too tough.
That made the tension a tad
bit thicker than normal. Game
tips off, it’s competitive. At
halftime Two the Hole is down
by 3-4 points (thanks to some
good ol’ home cookin’ by the
refs). Second half tips off and
the Lincoln Park crew goes to
a 2-1-2 press. Two the Hole
inbounds the ball to Boogs on
the right sideline. The press
rolls towards him, but instead
of him passing it up, he tells
everybody on Two the Hole to
“go away, I got’ em!”
Two defenders try to trap him.
Boogs shakes one with an inand-out dribble with the left
hand (duke damn near fell to
the ground), then wraps the
ball around his back and blows
by the other defender. Boogs
gets near half court, where
another defender is charging
at him hard. Boogs stops in
front of him, just before the
half court line, and starts to
dribble the ball between his
legs really low to the ground.
Foolish mortal reaches down
to get the ball and Boogs taps
it between the defender’s
legs. Crowd goes crazy, so
what does the defender do?
He pushes Boogs with an
open palm to the chest, shoving Boogs backwards a few
feet. Boogs looks like he’s
about to fall out of bounds on
the sideline and lose the ball,
but somehow cuffs the ball
with his left hand and throws a
bowling ball pass directly
down the center of the court.
The ball continues to roll until
it reaches the foul line at the
other end of the court (Two
the Hole’s basket), where
coincidentally Jesus is cutting
to the basket, totally blind to
what’s happening. The other
team is watching the ball
thinking that it must be going
out of bounds while Jesus
jogs underneath the basket
and looks like he wants to set
a screen or something. The
ball continues to roll and out
of the blue pops up in the air,
right into the hands of Jesus
underneath the basket!
Jesus is so surprised that he
yells out “Oh shhh!” and
turns to lay the ball up. The
crowd is quiet, no one is saying anything.
A few minutes later refs call
an official timeout. Me and
Toof (the other head coach of
Two the Hole) and the commissioners walk over to the
spot on the court where the
ball just bounced up, looking
for any bumps, depressions,
hills, maybe a rock or something—anything that would
explain why that ball popped
up right into that man’s hands
that way. But there wasn’t
anything there.
I tell people that story and
they think I’m smokin’. If I
hadn’t seen it myself, I wouldn’t believe it either.
Do you remember a classic playground moment? E-mail the editor at [email protected].
BOUNCE 26
BOUNCE 13
HOW WE DO
1
4
BOUNCE 28
2
5
3
6
THE
“IN-AND-OUT
FRONT CROSS”
Visuals: John Walder
Adrian “Hollywood-A” Walton
is our next playground rep
making moves. The three-time
EBC champ with “AllPlayground” credentials is also
making mack moves off the
court. His team-up with
Chicago Bull Ben “Ultra”
Gordon (a Sean Couch nickname) is making headlines
with the announcement of the
healthy energy drink “BG7”
(hiphopsodashop.com). But
Adrian saves his real moves
for the court. When executing
the in-and-out front cross,
Adrian says, “You must execute the move before you get
to the defender on the run”:
1. Run at your defender in the
open court.
2. Make the defender think
you’re going left, so look left
and step short and hard with
your left foot.
3. Dribble palm sideways so it
faces the way you’re going.
4. Opposite (left) foot is stepping and planting, and you’re
on your toes.
5. Upper body is flowing left
and then suddenly, right leg
steps to the right with righthand dribble following the
motion of your leg.
6. I’m out RIGHT … catch up!
MIGHTY HEALTHY
DR. TIMOTHY S. JOHNSON
GETS YOUR BODY RIGHT
Verbals: Liz Washington, Illustration: Sean Kernick
Question: One of my elbows is very tender. It bruises easily and gets swollen. What’s the deal?
Answer: That’s a bit unusual.
Probably the most common
cause of this would be bursitis
in the elbow. A bursitis is an
inflammation of the bursa.
There are bursa all over your
body—it’s a little sac. The sac
decreases friction between
two surfaces that move in different directions. They are usually present right where a tendon attaches to bone. (A tendon is a structure that attaches
a muscle to the bone.) In your
elbow, right where your tricep
muscle attaches to your bone,
there’s a bursa that sits over
there and it’s a very common
site of inflammation. Usually it
doesn’t require surgery. Typical
treatment for it is an antiinflammatory medication like
Motrin. If it’s painful, icing it
can help. A lot times it will be
swollen and not necessarily
painful, so those people don’t
have to do a whole lot. If it
becomes problematic in that
the anti-inflammatory medicine
and ice doesn’t help, then
splinting it can be helpful. You
also might have to stop playing
for little while. It’s an unusual
complaint from basketball players. If it become a big problem,
then the bursa can be excised
surgically, but that’s very rare.
Here’s something more common: What should I do when
I jam my finger?
First make sure it’s not dislocated. If there’s a deformity—
your finger is crooked—you
need to straighten it out right
away. Pull on it and straighten
it out. Getting it straight as
quickly as possible will do two
things: It will help a lot with
your pain, and it’s going to
help the finger heal faster
because the sooner you get it
reduced, the less stretch you
have on the damaged tissue,
which will accelerate your
body’s ability to heal the injury.
If you allow it to remain
deformed for say, a day or
two, the chances of it going
back in place and staying
there are a little bit less. The
quicker you get it back in
place the better.
How much swelling is
normal?
You can expect swelling in that
finger for months. There will
be swelling and it will be sore,
but it shouldn’t be extremely
painful.
Can you play with a jammed
finger?
Yes. Most people do. When I
see a jammed finger, there are
a few things I look for. I want
to make sure it’s not fractured.
If it’s persistently swollen for
more than a few days, I may
recommend an X-ray and
make sure it’s not a fracture,
which is a broken bone. I
would say 9 out of 10 jammed
fingers are not broken. But if it
is broken, the treatment is
much different.
What can you do for the
pain?
You can take an anti-inflamma-
tory, like Motrin or Aleve or
even Tylenol, and you should
ice it. Most injuries should be
rested and iced. If it starts to
feel better and you can move
the finger but it’s still a bit
stiff, you should protect it from
re-injury because this can
worsen the condition and even
make it a more chronic problem. Splint the injured finger
with one of the good fingers
by buddy-taping. Let’s say it’s
the middle finger that’s
jammed (which is the most
common), you’d splint it by
taping your ring finger to your
middle finger. All you need to
do is take a quarter-inch piece
of tape and make two bands
and tape the two fingers
together. You want to splint it
where you can still bend it a
little bit, but it won’t bend as
well, but that’s okay. The
important thing is that you
keep the finger straight so it
can heal properly, and try to
protect it from re-injury.
Dr. Johnson is an orthopedic surgeon and assistant professor at Johns Hopkins University who has operated on numerous pro and
recreational athletes. If you don’t want to be his next patient, heed his advice.
BOUNCE 30
Living La Vida Logo: NCAA prez Myles Brand squeezes the playground.
A-COMBO: THE
TRAP BY THE
NCAA & AAU
BASKETBALL
Verbals: Sean Couch
The “A-Combo” is a
serious thing. It’s a
plan, a living, breathing entity that makes
double moves to trap
an opponent. In this
case, the opponent
is the playground.
I coined the name A-Combo
to express how the NCAA and
the AAU are doubling up on
the playground, trapping it, tak-
BOUNCE 32
ing the rock for the easy bucket. Over the years, the NCAA
and AAU ball has engaged in
this practice by taking away
youth tournament basketball
from the playground for various reasons. New York and
other major cities have been
hit hard by this shift. As I think
about the goals of AAU and
the NCAA I say to myself:
Where does the playground
come in? How does it fit into
official basketball policy? Is
playground creativity considered important to the develop-
ment of the young player? Big
A-Combo says: No, straight
up. Look at the evidence.
Summertime brings the open
period, when college coaches
have 20 days to view talent.
Now the A-Combo comes
with the next move (like “run
and jump”) called The
Sanction. Tournaments, camps
or all-star games are granted
official approval or permission
by the NCAA. The “sanction”
is given out like a generous
dinner with a dessert sliced in
called “the certification.” Now
a coach has to be “qualified”
to participate or attend these
“sanctioned events.” All this
sounds real official, but there
is a major upset stomach to
this. Time turns the summer
into a constricted free-for-all
and players and coaches get
“the runs.”
Call it the AAU coach scramble
to get certified, get the best
players, and keep major sponsorship at all cost. Hit the best
teen players with all the perks.
Emphasize the advantages of
being seen and having the right
pedigree. The teen sees the
gear, the sneakers, the trips and
says: This is right. The lesser
AAU teams fight for space in
tournaments and hold onto top
players for dear life. If Vegas
isn’t in your AAU travel plans,
you’re minor. Major teaching
camps like Eastern and Five
Star vie for the talent, calling
coaches and stating their advantages. The hard sell is on.
Photo by: AP/ Gerry Broome
STREET DOGMA
Missing from the equation is
the playground. During this period, community based tournaments experience forfeits
which cause sponsors to say:
What’s happening? It makes
the community coach who
loves the playground bitter
because he feels what he does
is important and should be
treated with loyalty and respect.
The squeeze continues. Once
a young man or woman goes to
college, the NCAA puts the
one-ball and chain tournament
summer restriction on you: You
can only play in one sanctioned
league. Now a player goes from
lots of choices to chomping at
the bit. Many players from various cities say: “Nah, I’m playing
because it ain’t right, I want to
play in front of my family and
my people. I was raised on the
playground.” So they find a way
to skirt the rules. Why not?
They watch NCAA Midnight to
March Madness and see the
(concession-tickets-TV-ads-arena
signage-golf alumni outingfundraiser money-train). They
feel the numbers are not adding
up. When that thought occurs,
along comes the Agent$.
“Come sign with me and even
up the score.” The young mind
can get confused and kids can
get caught in the wake.
Coaches get flustered also.
One major college assistant
says, “A close friend of mine
came over with his family. His
son is a recruitable player so I
had to file paperwork with the
NCAA because I sat down and
broke bread with him.” Coaches
have to constantly be cognizant
of the rules. “Is that a violation?
Is that tournament sanctioned?
What period are we in? The
dead period, the open, the
closed, the evaluation, what are
we doing? Oh man, our star
player took money? There goes
my season.”
You see, A-Combo is a time
bandit, making their constituents bow to their time limits and paper chase game.
Legal terms and filing paperwork rule the summer months
with the kids and coaches getting constrained, confused and
the unspoken game is played
as Agent$ lurk in the cut waiting to make up for the shortfall.
A-Combo says: “We are the
perfect double-edged sword to
clean up the corruption that the
playground breeds.”
Cecil Watkins, now Governor
of AAU basketball in the
Northeast Region, founder of
the Elmcor Youth and Adult
Activities in Queens NY and
the New York Pro-Am
Summer League, argues that
the AAU is a watchdog. Mr.
Watkins acknowledges that
AAU is an offshoot of the
playground in New York City
and that certification is for
coaches to know exactly what
to do with their players in
summer situations. “I was
educated on the playground,
I’m a disciple of it,” Watkins
told me. His goal is to protect
the player from corruption.
They point to Myron Piggie,
Anthony “Ziggy” Sicignano,
Eddie Martin, Ernie Lorch. So
A-Combo ends with, “We’re
doing the kids a favor,” and it
pounds the gavel, attempting
to drive a stake into the heart
of the playground.
The real deal is the “ACombo” is good cop, bad cop
in action, with AAU protecting
and giving more tournament
and camp choices, but the
NCAA limiting and constricting
player and coaching movements. So the two entities
keep control like a vise, and
the playground is caught in the
middle. Now the overall mentality of kids is no longer playground. They’re being told by
adults who grew up on playground ball that it’s not enough
exposure, it’s not like playing
inside, it’s not where the real
games are played. So now
when an outdoor situation
comes up, the line from our
younger player is: “Can’t hurt
my knees, the surface is too
hard, I don’t play well outside,
I don’t want to embarrass
myself, I have to play to be
seen and get the most-favored
high-school, college, and NBA
look to better my life…”
But through it all, the playground is still there for all. Our
magazine has covered the hits
it’s taken, and we say it’s an
even better and safer place to
be. I’m predicting a big camp
and clinic return, because ACombo is getting tired of coming in fifth at youth international
events. The playground is a natural, creative resource. There is
something spiritual about playing outside, when an upstanding, skilled player or coach from
the community can delver practical, hard lessons and even lifesaving advice. There’s no whistle, all you have is your mental
toughness to get you through a
game to stay on the court.
Fresh air and heat builds character. A player can construct his
game in that environment and
make it right. Let’s remember
how many of our great players
did the backyard to blacktop
work to hone their games.
Sometimes a simple playground is where all the work
can begin and end, where no
player is left out or left behind
because of a lack of exposure. I
rep the playground, it’s the
place to be and will always get
light from the true-hearted
coaches, players, and organizations who know its importance.
The playground is not the problem—it’s the solution!
For a roundtable discussion on NCAA involvement and the thoughts of the NYC Playground, please visit
www.nycnjhoops.com/tg020717.htm
LET’ EM MARINATE
And1 Mystique
THE
RECENT
BUTTERS
Verbals and Visuals:
Bobbito a.k.a. Kool Bob Love
Nike Shox Lethal
Between shooting
my ESPN2 series It’s
The Shoes and
putting out my book
Where’d You Get
Those? (Testify 2003),
I get a ton of e-mails
daily. Here’s one from
a teenage ballplayer/
sneaker connoisseur
who I have much
respect for:
Bob,
Are you wearing anything
new? I’ve been balling in the
same old, same old. Going to
pick up new pairs soon.
Peace,
Jeremy Ripley, Waunakee, WI
[email protected]
JeremyI’ve been hit off with a lot
lately.
First up, the And1 Mystique
—like them. Too hi-tech to
wear with jeans, but great to
ball in. Bought the adidas
Crazy 8s in white/red, and
they are my favorite pair of the
spring! I saw this kid on the
train with them and they
caught my eye crazy. I gave
BOUNCE 34
him props, and when he
realized who I was his face lit
up! I had to bite. Ran in them
and for a re-issue they’re
really comfortable.
I also copped the beautiful
Nike Air Force 3s. When
they came out in ‘89, I had a
pair in white/gold that I wore
to the ground. They have been
my favorite sporting pair of
late, even went out and
bought a pair of classic khakis
to cool-out with them on.
The most comfortable sneakers I’ve played in recently were
the adidas 1 with the computer chip. I don’t know how it all
works cuz it’s supposed to
adjust the cushioning as you
play, and I didn’t feel anything!
But they’re stupid cushioned
well. If they come out in the
team butters I’ll wear them a
lot. For now I have a pair in
black/white/gold, but I’m not a
fan of dark shoes.
The sneaker I’ve gotten the
most response to has surprisingly been the Converse Icon
pro leather. The first day I wore
them, people showed me love
three different times. One was
a college ballplayer who
thought they looked hot. Then I
was in Harlem and this oldtimer bugged out on my whole
outfit cuz I had on the Icons
with a matching sweatshirt and
safari hat! He was like, “Oooh!
You got it, money! You know
what time it is.”
My sneaker on stash you’re
wondering? The Nike Shox
Lethal in white/green …
Letting them marinate!
They’ve been my choice
sneaker to play ball in all year.
I’ve seen other good ballplayers wearing them in the tournaments I ran in this winter,
too, so they aren’t a total
secret, but I know they’re not
gonna have them on ice five
years from now like I will. Nike
will probably plan to re-issue
them in 2016 cuz of what I’m
writing now!
Funky feet,
Kool Bob Love
LET’ EM MARINATE
adidas Crazy 8
NIke Air Force 3
BALLIN’ ON A BUDGET
$neaker Advice
adidas 1
BOUNCE 36
Converse Icon Pro
You might think shoe companies are sending Bounce kicks
by the truckload. (Hint: I wear
13s.) But unlike my man
Bobbito, I’m stuck at the store
with the regular folks. That
means I’m looking for value,
functionality and style.
My favorite brand ever is
Nike. If you play ball, I know
you feel me. But do I have
$130 to cop the newest
joints? Not until you tell a million of your friends to buy this
magazine. So one of my tricks
is to scoop top-shelf Nikes
one season—even two—after
they first come out. As long
as I’m making it happen on
the court, I’m not worried
about being super-fresh.
That’s why I copped some
black Air Zoom Huarache
2K4s last summer. They were
great—until July, when I started sliding around my favorite
piece of blacktop. I turned
them over and was shocked
to see a hole peeking at me.
The sole had worn out after
only two months! I chalked it
up to extensive outdoor wear
and copped another pair of
2K4s, red and blue on white.
Then, for no apparent reason,
a rip appeared on the ankle.
What part of the game is that?
I’m still seeing these joints in
stores and on the Net. My
advice to you: Leave ‘em
there. Try the 2K5s instead.
—Jesse Washington
AROUND THE WORLD
Marcus Williams goes inside the LA way
LOS
ANGELES:
INSIDE
OUT
Verbals: K. Jones
What’s the top LA outdoor
tournament? Do they have
an equivalent of Rucker Park?
MW: It’s no tourney that I
know of. It’s either you’re
playing in a pickup game or
it’s a league in the summer.
The Drew League and the
Real Run are for the pros and
the Say No classic is for the
college players.
What other parks are there
with good comp? What are
the games like there?
No one really plays at parks,
as good as the weather is in
the summer. Everything is in
the gym.
BOUNCE 38
Is it possible to make a name
for yourself in LA strictly on
the playground?
Not really, because most
of the best players play
organized basketball such as
college or NBA or overseas
somewhere.
Who are some of the legends
you heard about coming up?
I didn’t really hear of playground players. I heard of all of
the best high school players
like Baron Davis, Kenny
Brunner, Kevin “Bean”
Bradley, Tayshaun Prince and
players around that class.
Are there hood basketball
rivalries? Does Watts ever
play Compton?
Hahahahaha. Not even. I don’t
think the gangs would let that
happen. That’s funny though.
How does the gang culture
impact basketball?
Well, every now and then you
would get a player that’s from
a gang that would be good in
basketball but most of the
dudes that play basketball
from a gang don’t really take
basketball serious.
Is there a court you grew up
playing on? What were the
games like there? Who was
top dog there? How long
did it take for you to get to
his level?
There was a gym I played at
growing up called Rancho Park.
We played from about age 8 to
13 and then high school came.
But I was one of the best in
my age bracket at about 9 or
10 years old, so it was over
after that. Strictly indoors.
What are your best moments
from playing outside?
I played outside a couple times
and everything was straight to
the basket for me, no jump
shots. It was kinda windy. The
dudes out there were calling
me No-J Simpson.
Photo by: AP/ Bob Child
When I heard I’d be interviewing a college ballplayer named Marcus Williams, my response
was, “I know that kid, he’s crazy with it … he’s like Jason Kidd with a jump shot!” The Los
Angeles native and former UConn star has a good chance to be the first point guard selected
in this year’s NBA draft. You’d think all that California sunshine would make LA a playground
paradise, but the 6-3 lefty broke down why in LA the park is not the place to play.
AROUND THE WORLD
ARGENTINA:
CLUB
BANGERS
Verbals and Visuals: Steve Maggi
Argen-what? Not many people know much about Argentina. They think people speak
Portuguese (that’s Brazil), that they tango in the streets and play futbol (soccer) all day. In
fact, there has always been a legion of hoops followers in this predominantly futbol-crazy
country. But this legion has expanded one-hundredfold in the last 10 years.
A lot of people credit that to
one man, Emanuel Ginobili,
star wingman for the San
Antonio Spurs. But in reality,
Ginobili is the product of what
has also made Argentina the
defending Olympic basketball
champion and a world hoops
power: the club system. There
is no better way to learn this
than to experience it firsthand,
as I have done, a former high
school star turned street and
BOUNCE 40
rec baller who found a way to
grow as a player once I got to
Argentine shores.
I had to start to see the world
to realize something that, for a
NYC native, seems simply
incomprehensible: Playground
ball does not exist in most of
the world. Watching the NBA
now and even college ball, you
see how basketball has become
a world sport. However, the
process of skill development
and growth on the court has
taken a very different and much
more organized route abroad.
Many argue this has created a
more fundamental and potable
version of basketball abroad,
where most anyone can realize
their potential as a player. And
nowhere is that more evident
than in Argentina.
In the States a player is made
on the blacktop. In Argentina
everything happens at the
neighborhood club. This
means from the first time a 6
year old dribbles a ball to the
last time a professional player
hears the final buzzer.
A solid U.S. high school player
falls into a dead zone afterwards if he’s not good enough
to play big-time college ball.
Then he gets marginalized to
the point of intramural baskets,
3-on-3 tournaments and rec
leagues. In Argentina, 18 does-
n’t mark any kind of cutoff
because there really isn’t one,
which allows players more time
to grow. This is due to the club
system. When they join a club
after trying out, players automatically become property of
that club. Each club is sustained
by members, almost always
people who grew up and have
lived forever in that neighborhood. And basketball divisions
are based on age groups, from
pre-mini all the way to the top
level, known as Primera. The
one catch is that once you’re
14, if you are a prodigal phenom
you can play simultaneously on
the sub-16 team as well as the
Primera, exposing you to the
highest level of competition at a
much younger age then the
U.S. system would allow you
to experience.
So why, despite the lack of
playgrounds, can Argentines
hoop? They don’t experience
the joy of improvisational
American streetball, but they
do experience the joy of learning how to play within a team
concept from Day One. The
club system often involves
only two coaches coaching all
age levels within a club. This
means that you learn a system
and practice fundamentals
from an early age, and it gets
reinforced year after year. The
idea is always to mold players
from a young age and follow
through until they reach
Primera—and it works. Check
out the rosters of the strongest
European leagues, especially
Spain and Italy, and you will
see a ton of Argentine players
on the roster. And now, each
year, you see at least one more
in the NBA.
I play in the Buenos Aires
Federated League, which functions as the 4th national tier.
This means if you win the
championship you move up to
the B pro league, the 3rd
national level. Within my
league, there are three levels
as well. At the same time, the
bottom teams move down a
level. This keeps a competitive
balance, but more importantly
it allows a player who would
be marginalized in the US if he
couldn’t hack it past age 18 or
age 22 to keep playing, to
grow, and maybe to keep moving up levels over the years.
The creation of the NBDL is
proof that the US has acknowledged what happens when so
many players fade out due to
the lack of an in-between
place for ballers. It’s a page
right out the Argentine basketball book.
PLAY
ING
UP
LANCE STEPHENSON WAS GIVING GROWN
MEN THE BUSINESS AS AN EIGHTH
GRADER. NOW HE’S READY FOR SOME
REAL PRESSURE.
Verbals: Jesse Washington. Visuals: Nicky Woo.
BOUNCE 42
The kid missed the layup and the ball came off the front of the rim. Lance was running behind
the pack. He rose, grabbed the rebound with one hand, and pounded it through the hoop.
It was Lance Stephenson’s
first dunk. He was 12 years old.
“I just did it,” Lance says,
three years and countless
dunks later, when asked what
it felt like. “I don’t know. I felt
like I jumped high. I just got
the ball and dunked it. That
year I was playing up against
7th graders but I was in 6th
grade. I was always playing
up, with older kids.”
That’s what makes him special. He’s not a freak of nature
or anything—at age 15, Lance
is about 6-5 and a shade over
200 pounds. He does
pushups, but his father doesn’t
want him to lift weights, so his
arms are solid while his chest
remains adolescent. He has a
strong post game, accurate J,
solid handle, excellent
BOUNCE 44
defense, great athleticism and
competitiveness. The only hair
on his face is the tiniest wisp
on his chin.
So Lance really has no business playing against grown
men—let alone dominating
them, as he often did last summer at the Kingdome unlimited
tournament up in Harlem.
“The first game I came in, it
was like, they didn’t know
what grade I’m in, I’m just
playing. The guy on the other
team asked what grade I’m in.
I told him and he’s like, ‘An
eighth grader?!’ I got the ball I
did a one-hand dunk like
LeBron and everybody’s going
crazy. I had at least a good 28
that first game. After that
everybody wanted to see me
play, every game I played it
was really crowded.”
Then came the Kingdome
game against Joe Forte, the
former North Carolina Tar Heel
and 2001 first-round Boston
Celtics draft pick.
Unfortunately for Forte, Lance
had his J working that day.
“He took Joe Forte to the
club,” says Alimoe, one of
Lance’s teammates that summer. “It’s funny, because he
was just hitting his shots, he
wasn’t mix-taping, shaking him
up. It was just basket, basket.”
“He didn’t know me,” Lance
remembers. “I was hesitating,
shooting and it kept going in.
He got frustrated, started
pushing me…I scored at least
six times, head faking and I
kept shooting and it kept going
in. He was getting mad, he
kept pushing me. It was a
good battle. He wanted to play
me 1-on-1 after, he sent someone up to my father, wanted to
play me 1-on on camera. The
guy on the mic was souping it
up, like, ‘The 8th grader…’”
The 8th grader ran all summer, far from his native Coney
Island, on a squad that included
not only the Harlem legend
Alimoe but Ron Artest, Gary
Erving, Shawnelle Scott and
Sebastian Telfair. The Kingdome
fans ended up voting Lance
onto the All-Star team.
“You don’t know how much
he inspired me,” Alimoe says.
“He scared me. To see him at
14 (last summer) like that, how
good will he be when he’s my
age? He has a pullup J, through
the legs, he’s unselfish and can
“I THINK
I COULD
PLAY IN
THE NBA
RIGHT
BOUNCE 46
Father and Son as One.
BOUNCE 48
pass the ball. He doesn’t need
to get 30. And he was 14!”
“When you see Lance, he’s
playing to win and is not
afraid of anybody you put in
front of him,” says his father,
known as Big Lance, who
played ball at Brooklyn’s
Lafayette High School, Santa
Barbara JC and John Jay
College. “He wants to show
that he’s the No. 1 player
coming up and that he loves
the game. And at the same
time, he’s a kid growing up.
He makes mistakes on the
court, he’s learning. It’s a long
struggle, a long process.
There’s no day off for him.
Once he’s on the court everyone’s out to get him, he can’t
cruise through a game.”
The long struggle that Big
Lance refers to leads only to
one destination: the NBA.
Ever since Stephon Marbury
came out of Coney Island, the
standard was set. Then Telfair
showed it could be done right
out of high school. Now
everyone expects Lance to be
the next one, while at the
same time pretending they
don’t care.
“The difference between
New York and other places is
that New York don’t wanna
hear nothing,” says Big Lance.
“They been there before, they
seen it all. New York has no
tolerance, they don’t even
wanna see the next guy.
There’s just so many people
who can do it. It’s almost like
love/hate, they build you up
and try to tear you down in the
same sentence. That’s the
challenge I present to Lance.”
“Pressure?” Little Lance
repeats, when asked if he feels
it. “Nah, everything that I did
to get here, I’ma keep doing
what I’m doing and the results
will come out. I can imagine
myself in the jersey just dunking on somebody. I think I
could play in the NBA right
now. If I could do good against
rebounds and 4 assists). Tiny
won a chip at Lincoln in ‘88
and made All-City. As a coach,
he’s won three chips in a row
and four of the last five.
“We used to have a tournament named after Frank
Thompson, he was killed by a
cop,” Tiny recalls. “That’s
where Coney Island got their
name from, from there a lot of
guys went to Lincoln together,
like the Marburys . . . The
Frank Thompson tournament
“HE’S NOT AFRAID
OF ANYBODY YOU
PUT IN FRONT
OF HIM.”
–Lance Stephenson Sr.
an NBA player in the summer,
if I get on a team I could do
good. I’m not gonna disappoint
nobody. I’m going to do good,
and hopefully everybody will
be happy for me.”
They will be on Coney Island.
“Coney Island is a smaller
community, it has a family
atmosphere,” says Tiny
Morton, who coaches Lance
for his AAU team and at
Lincoln High School (where
Lance led the team to the city
championship as a freshman,
averaging 20 points, 10
was like the Rucker without
the publicity. We had guys
coming from all over playing. It
was nice ‘cause you got the
beach there. Pearl
Washington, Mark Jackson,
the style was rough. You really
had to be good and strong to
hang in there.
“In the rest of the city you
got to go out of your hood to
get competition. In Coney
Island it’s a circle, you can
compete all day and all night
right there. There’s courts
behind everybody’s building.”
One of those courts was
made famous in the Spike Lee
movie He Got Game, where
Denzel Washington played a
father so tough on his ballplayer son (played by Ray Allen)
that the boy ended up hating
him. Big Lance is hard on his
son, too. But not that hard.
“They both love that movie.
Two years ago they used to go
at it right here,” says Lance’s
mother, sitting on a park bench
watching a gaggle of youngsters scramble around the
court. “When Little Lance was
six he started playing with bigger kids, Big Lance let him
play with 10 year olds. His
drive, his hard work, he just
loves the game. On his off
time he’s on one of the six
courts on Coney Island.”
This summer, Lance will still
be working hard, playing up.
Playing under pressure.
“We all like pressure. That’s
the game of basketball,” Tiny
says. “If you’re not under
pressure, you’re not at the
highest level.”
“There seems to be a myth
going around, like one game
can end your career,” says Big
Lance. “Like if you play bad in
the spotlight it’s over for you.
Nah, this is basketball. Bird
had bad games, Jordan had
bad games. You just regroup,
come back ready to play again.
It’s more like a saga than one
quick story.
“I’m sure Joe Forte this year
is gonna be ready.”
THE HILL-TOP
For the past 40 years, Philly’s best have come through the Sonny Hill League.
Verbals: Chris Wilder. Visuals: H. Rumph Jr.
He is a little guy. Always sharply dressed, always speaking slowly and clearly, ever the
father figure, Sonny Hill commands respect as he walks through the visitor’s locker room
at Philadelphia 76ers’ Wachovia Center. He holds court with opposing players nightly and
the Sixers daily. He reminds players of where they came from while continuing to educate
them about basketball and life even at this stage of their careers.
The players always listen
intently. Sure, Mr. Hill is a
Sixers executive advisor and a
radio host on Philly’s premier
sportstalk station. But that’s
not what gets him the attention from players, executives
and fans alike. The respect is
earned because, as he says
bluntly, “I invented summer
professional basketball.”
He’s referring to the Baker
League he started in Philly
back in 1960, allowing pros to
play against pros in the offseason. Other leagues started
after that, including the LA
Summer League, “which saw
what we were doing and took
that format out to the West
Coast,” and Rucker, “which
went to a pro format later,”
says Mr. Hill.
Back then, the Baker League
BOUNCE 50
was home for players like
Mike Bantom. He starred at
Philly’s Roman Catholic High
School and St. Joseph’s
University. He also played on
the 1972 U.S. Olympic
team—yes, the one that got
jerked out of the Gold—and
played nine years in the NBA.
Right now, he is the senior
vice president of the NBA’s
player development program.
Others from that era included
Andre McCarter, who led
UCLA to John Wooden’s last
title, and even Bill Bradley,
who after two years off from
basketball wanted to get his
skills up. Stu Jackson, the current NBA Senior Vice
President of Basketball
Operations, took the one-hour
drive down from Reading,
Pennsylvania daily to play.
In 1969, with momentum
from the success of the Baker
League, Mr. Hill started the
Sonny Hill League for kids. At
first it was merely a way to
keep gang members off the
streets. “It gave those youngsters an opportunity to cross
the turf,” says Mr. Hill. “If
someone asked, ‘Where you
going,’ and they said ‘the
Sonny Hill League,’ that gave
them an open pass because
the gang people respected
who I was and what I did.”
Now in its 37th year, the
Sonny Hill League is a rec
league… no, THE rec league
for anyone who’s serious about
ball in the Illadelph. Started
with five teams, local support
and corporate sponsors have
helped the Sonny Hill League
grow into the largest, most
well-known, most respected
summer league in the area,
with 84 teams with more than
1,200 players.
“You are talking to someone
who is in one of the Meccas
of basketball,” proclaims Mr.
Hill. “When Philadelphia
steps to the forefront we
don’t back up off of anybody
in the country.”
Mr. Hill never played one
minute of NBA basketball, but
he’s still linked to the players
in the League unlike any fan
would be. He grew up with
Wilt Chamberlain as a childhood friend. When they
reached high school, Wilt went
to Overbrook High (Malik
Rose, Will “Fresh Prince”
Smith) while Mr. Hill went
across the city to Northeast.
As a point guard, young Sonny
Sonny back in the day.
led his Northeast squad into
some epic battles against
Overbrook and his neighborhood friend. Their relationship
lasted throughout the years
right up until and even past
Wilt’s last days. Upon his
death, Wilt left money to help
the Sonny Hill League, and Mr.
Hill in turn named one of his
divisions after him.
“My league is the marquee
league of all leagues and all
amateur basketball in this
country. There is nobody that
stands up to me. The best
players in Philadelphia play in
the Sonny Hill League. I have
16 players in the NBA right
now. If you don’t come
through the Sonny Hill League,
in most cases, you don’t go
BOUNCE 52
where the good basketball
is and most of the time
you’re not gonna ascend to
where you want to go as a
basketball player.”
These are bold statements—and more than
likely true.
The league breaks down
into divisions based on the
player’s school year. The
Hank Gathers Memorial
College League is strictly
for college players. Mr. Hill
thinks playing against collegians, instead of Pro-Am,
is best for them, so they
can see the comp at their
own level.
The Wilt Chamberlain
Memorial High School
Division is for 11th and
12th graders. Eddie Griffin
and Flip Murray came out
of this division. The Bill
Cosby Future Division is for
9th and 10th. Alumni
include Malik Rose, Malik
Allen, Eddie Jones and
John Salmons. The
Developmental League is
for 6th, 7th and 8th grades.
Rasheed Wallace, Kobe
Bryant, Aaron McKie, Alvin
Williams and Marc Jackson
all started here.
You’d think that Nike, adidas and And 1 would be all
over the Sonny Hill League.
But the reality is that after
all these years of producing
NBA-level players in one of
the country’s largest cities,
they have no shoe deal.
Sonny with his childhood friend Wilt Chamberlain (L) and Ray “Chink” Scott (R). Is Scott
grinning for the picture or because of the new Nikes he just copped?
“PHILADELPHIA DON’T BACK UP
OFF ANYBODY IN THE COUNTRY.”
BOUNCE 54
According to Mr. Hill, it’s
because he doesn’t play ball,
so to speak. “I’m clean,” he
states. “I’m not pushing players where other people want
them to go.”
The league’s divisions are not
based on age because Mr.
Hill’s mission remains to create a positive influence on children. He wants to emphasize
education. If you watch any
Sonny Hill game here’s what
you won’t see: shorts so big
the player has to keep pulling
them up, profanity-laced
tirades, general disrespect for
referees and/or coaches.
Mr. Hill says he warns people
one time. After that, they can
take their ball and go. It seems
like an almost too-simple plan
for dealing with today’s kids,
but he says it works. “Look at
any of my players,” boasts Mr.
Hill. “It shows that with young
people, when you set a structure, give them discipline, give
them adults in their lives, give
them some direction and then
mix that with some love and
you got the right formula.
That’s why it works.”
This year, Mr. Hill has added
what he calls his “Political”
division for 4th and 5th graders.
“We need to get to our youngsters at a younger age. Not for
basketball, but to be involved
with their lives to help to shape
them as human beings,” he
explains. “It’s about life after
basketball. That’s what my
league is about.”
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BOUNCE 46BOUNCE 56
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Mail to: Bounce magazine,
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Top 5 Playground Pro:
1. Entertainers Basketball
Classic (EBC)
Rucker Park, 155th St/Fredrick
Douglas Blvd, Harlem
You’re fanatical about what?
Got high-speed internet?
[ Yes / No ]
You enter the playground and it’s free, but every piece of ground has PASS words, a CATCH phrase. AND
there’s more: As a crowd participant you can SHOOT the wackest player you see with your mouth and kill
him with a boo. You can watch the RUN and THE COURT with a critical eye and shake your head, soul clap,
or GIVE the fist when your team scores AND shout, ‘Let’s GO!’ Every playground has a soul. You feel it every
time you enter, then you leave with a bit of it. We felt it when EBC finalist Joakim Noah told Harlem to
“stand up” after winning the NCAA Championship. We felt Sebastian Telfair when he got big, Coney Island
guard style, at the Kingdome while backpacking his crew to the chip. Now we get All-Borough with our team
of Playground experts: Joe “H.I.T.S” Cruz Jr., Rick “Fireball” Rivers, Adrian “Hollywood A” Walton and Sean
“Flowpane” Couch.
SEAN COUCH
Nickname of the Year: Will
“Silence of the Lambs” Cadiz
Youngster of the Year: Joakim
“The Noble One” Noah
Uniforms of the Year: Rucker
Pro-Am
What music are you into?
Annual car accessory
expense?
[$301-600] [$601-900]
[$901-1200] [$1200+]
Verbals: Sean “Flowpane” Couch
Criteria includes comp, court, All-City rep, atmosphere, announcer, uniforms, organization, and history:
Annual shoe expense?
[$101-300] [$301-600]
[$601-900] [$901-1200]
Own a gaming console?
[ Yes / No ] Which?
NYC SUMMER 2006
June-August (Mon-Thursday
5-10 pm
26th Year
Train: D to 155th St
Bus: M10
Car: Deegan/FDR 155th st
Web: ebcsports.com
Phone: 212.862.2323
Commissioner: Greg Marius
Special Events: Madison
Square Garden All-Star Event
July 23 and EBC America: Los
Angles, Seattle, Washington,
Boston, Miami, Atlanta
August 21-24
Top 3 players: Adrian
“Hollywood A” Walton, Junie
“GE” Sanders, Rasaun
“Crabby” Young.
Playground Pass: Has the
tenure, the announcers, and
the st still watching.
Full Court Press: Kingdome
looking to score by giving
“pure st” look but
EBC goes smooth wood,
bright lights, and brings the
asphalt inside.
2. Kingdome
Martin Luther King Projects,
114th St between Lenox and
Fifth, Harlem
June-August (Fri-Sun 6:00 pm9:30 pm)
21st Year
Train: 2, 3, to 116th St
Bus: M102, M7, M116
Car: FDR to 116 St
BOUNCE 47
BOUNCE 46BOUNCE 58
4. Nike Pro-City
Hunter College Gym, 68th St,
Lexington Ave
June-August (Tuesday thru
Thursday) 6:30 to 10:30
12th Year
Train: 6 to 68th St
Bus: M101, M102, M103
Car: FDR to 63rd
Phone: 718.969.6240
Web: www.nike.com/nikebasketball/nyc/index.jhtml
Commissioner: Ray Diaz
Special Events: Preseason Pro
City Tip-off.
Top 3 players: Tyrone
“Dolomite” Grant, Darren
“Primal Fear” Philips,
Reggie “Hi-Five” Freeman
Playground Pass: We give it
shine even though it’s indoors
because playoffs get real
NBA-pro like.
Full Court Press: Bottom
teams need to get stronger.
5. Joe “Pops” Cruz Hoops in
the Sun
Orchard Beach, Bronx, NY
June – August (Weekends)
7th Year
Train: 6 to Pelham/bus transfer
Bus: BX5, BX 12
Car: Cross Bronx or
Hutchinson to Orchard Beach
Phone: 917.501.2049
Web: hoopsinthesun.net
Commissioner: Joe Cruz Jr.
Special Events: All-Star Game
vs Chicago
Top 3 players: Will “Silence
of the Lambs” Cadiz, John
“Strick the Ruler”
Strickland, Darren “Primal
Fear” Phillips.
Playground Pass: All the best
teams and strong players play.
Full Court Press: Lights would
make it a quick move up.
JOE CRUZ JR. & FAMILY
1. EBC
EBC is #1 is because of the
league’s history, their legendary venue, ability to draw
NBA players and recording
artists out to the park. Also
their television coverage (NBA
TV) and their long line of sponsors. They have the creative
ability to combine entertainment with basketball.
2. Hoops In The Sun, Inc
My league is the only beachside basketball venue on the
East Coast. Continuous
improvements and renovations
to the park and to the league.
One of the most professionally
organized leagues in the city,
constant interaction with the
crowd, strong pull of committed sponsors and the only
league that televises Youth
League games on cable television. Ability to attract teams
from outside of the Tri-State
Area, which gives the league
new flavor of talent.
3. Dyckman
Heavy cultural fan base, which
is an experience within itself.
With the amount of teams in
the league, they run one of
the largest leagues in the city.
For a league that runs seven
days a week, they continue to
have one of the livest crowds.
Continues to bring in teams
out of state for special events
games. Consistent upgrades
within their program.
4. Nike Pro City
They rank high because of the
continuous appearances of
NBA players. The only Pro
Summer Basketball League in
the city. Only league to have
gymnasium conditions such
as air conditioning and built-in
bleachers. A professional, well
organized league and the textbook example of how a professional league should be
conducted. But at the same
time, complacency in categories such as new teams
and entertainment devalues
the league minutely.
5. Kingdome
A pure example of street
basketball. A constant change
of competition every year,
which enables it to attract college and even current and former NBA talent from all over.
Their “dome” like setting is
what captivates their heavy
fan base and creates one of
the toughest in-house crowds
to play in front of.
RICK RIVERS
1. Pro City
The best league in NYC, period.
2. EBC
Tradition and environment
Photo by: Chie Suzuki
3. Dyckman
204 St between 10th and
Nagle Ave, Inwood
June-August (Everyday)
16th Year
Train: 1, A to Dyckman
Bus: M100, BX 7
Car: FDR or West Side
Highway to Dyckman
Phone: 917.681-1480
Web: dyckmanpark.com &
www.nike.com/nikebasketball/nyc/index.jhtml
Commissioners: Kenny
Stevens & Ralph Pena,
Special Events: Pre-Season
Tip-Off, All-Star Game, AllStars against Japan, 105.9
Friday Nights
Top players: Eric “Da
President” Opio, Corey
“Homicide” Williams,
Rasuan “Crabby” Young,
Adris DeLeon.
Playground Pass: Uptown litmus test was acid hot come
playoffs and nights when
Dominican Power played.
Full Court Press: Fans and
announcers give your game
the razor “shape up.”
Photo by: Randy Cruz
Phone: 646.319.9021
Web: kingdomeclassiz.com
Commissioner: Terry
“Honcho” Cooper
Special Events: July 21-23 AllStar Weekend, Boston, Japan,
North Carolina
Top 3 players: Keydren “Kiki”
Clark, Junie “GE” Sanders,
Kendell “World Premier”
Provett
Playground Pass: So hot last
summer “the street” was
leaving EBC to see games.
Full Court Press: Crowd is
“pressing” the court and each
other during big games,
so tourney spreads out to
Kingdome North Carolina and
Kingdome Boston.
BOUNCE 47
Photo
Photo
by:by:
Rodney
Jared Johnson
Williams, Courtesy of: Greg Marius
46BOUNCE 60
BOUNCE 50
keeps them at this spot.
From what I hear, they are
borderline of dropping if they
do not make any changes
this year. I have only attended one game in my lifetime
at EBC.
3. Summer Kingdome
The atmosphere at Kingdome
is the highest of any summer
league, with the best comp. I
think the league just needs to
fine-tune a few small things
and they will be #2.
4. Dyckman
Great setup at Dyckman, and
Nike’s presence gives it
added luster. They are the
most organized of any outdoor event I’ve seen. I just
think the college/pro rules
hurt the game
5. Fireball
To some this may seem
biased (it’s my tournament)
but many would agree now
with this position. I feel after
this season, the league has
covered just about everything
except attendance. Once we
create more foot traffic, it’s an
easy Top 3.
ADRIAN WALTON
Kingdome – The people are
right on you, and you feel
their energy.
Entertainers Basketball
Classic – NBA T.V. means
exposure.
Dyckman – Spanish Harlem.
Nike Pro-City – Professional
microscope.
Hoops in the Sun – Real ball
in the heat.
DON’T FORGET THESE
UNLIMITED TOURNEYS:
Bronx:
Gun Hill @ Baker and
Megenta Ave
Eastchester Unlimited @ Adee
& Tenbroeck Ave.
Forest Houses Unlimited @
Tinton Ave. between 165th
&166th St.
Brooklyn:
Jumpball @ Brownsville
Recreation Center/ 1555
Linden Blvd & Sunset Park
Kingston Pro-Am @ Atlantic &
Kingston Ave.
Eight Ball @ Halsey St
& Troop Ave.
Rodney Park @ Rodney St
between 4th & South 5th St.
Iron Man @ Riis Beach
Dunkers Delight @ Brooklyn
Ave. & Fenimore St.
Black Hole @ Layfayette St. &
Classin Ave.
Manhattan:
West 4th St @ 6th Ave
between 3rd and 4th St.
Rucker Pro-Am @ Rucker
Park, 155th & Fredrick
Douglas Blvd
Bigg Doggs of Harlem, @
Lenox and Fifth Ave
5th Ave Basketball Classic @
135th St & Fifth Ave
Steven Mulderry Classic @
Hamilton Fish Playground,
Pitt St
The Goat @ 102nd @ 102st
Amsterdam Ave
Holcombe Rucker Unlimited
Queens:
Almighty Force @ 139th St &
116th Ave
Lincoln Park @ 111th Ave &
134th St
Africa Park @ Bedell St. &
133rd Ave
Morris Brown Classic @ 150
St & 133 Ave
Utopia Park @ 73rd & Jewel St
Top 5 NYC Youth
Leagues (Playground)
1.UDC – Bronx Youth
Uptown Development
Coalition
216 St & Barnes @ Agnes
Haywood Playground
June-August (June-August
Weekends 10-7)
18th year
Train: 2 to 218th St
Bus: BX 41
Car: Bronx River Parkway to
Gun Hill Road
Web: www.byudc.org,
www.nycnjhoops.com, and
nyhoops.com
Phone: 718.231.4201
Commissioner: Mike King &
Adrian Armstrong
Youth Spectrum: Boys 8-19
Top 3 players: Armand
Thomas, Manny Brown, Dre
Calloway
Playground Pass: Best teams,
courts and competition.
Simon “Street” Says:
“Smooth Operation.”
2. Young World
127th St and St. Nicholas
Terrace
June – August (Weekends)
13th year
Train: 1, A,B,C,D to 125th St
Bus: M4, M11, M100
Car: West Side Highway to
125th St
Web: www.nycnjhoops.com
and nyhoops.com
Commissioner: Mo Hicks
Youth Spectrum: Boys 8-17
Top 3 Players: Curtis Kelly,
Lamont Jones, Steve
Whittingham
Playground Pass: 13 years in
the books with top biddies to
seniors competition
Simon “Street” Says: “All the
uptown talent plays here.”
3. Stephon Marbury/Jason
Sowell Classic
June – August (Weekends)
33rd St between
Surf/Mermaid Ave @ O’Dwyer
Gardens Court
9th year
Train: F, D, W to Stillwell Ave
Bus: B36, B64, B74
Car: Belt Parkway to Exit 6
Web: www.nycnjhoops.com
and nyhoops.com
Commissioner:
John Quintana Sr.
Youth Spectrum: Boys 8-19
Top 3 Players: Antonio Pena,
Lance Stephenson, Javier
Novell
Playground Pass: Brooklyn’s
finest play here
Couch Says: Never seen it
personally but Simon “Street”
says: “No doubt!”
4. Conrad McRae
June – August (Weekends)
Bergen St between 6th Ave &
Carton St
4th Year
Train: 3 to Bergen
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4A. Ron Artest/George
Jefferson Memorial
July-August (Weekdays and
Weekends)
41st Ave and 12th St
5th year
Train: F to 21st and
Queensbridge to 7, R, N, E
Queensboro Plaza
Bus: Q60, Q102
Car: 59th Bridge Exit 21st Exit
Web: www.nycnjhoops.com
and nyhoops.com
Phone: 917.416.3221
Commissioner: Jose Morales
Youth Spectrum: 8-19
Top 3 Players; Lance
Stephenson, Steve
Whittingham, Davontay Grace
Playground Pass: Top young
comp in Queens; best 13year-old announcer in
Demetrius; 74 teams in
tourney
Simon “Street” Says: Sponsor
this and bleacher that. Done:
Maloofs from Sac
Kings say: Fiberglass backboards for Ron Ron
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5. Holcombe Rucker
Memorial
June-August (Weekdays)
56th year
Train: 2, 3 train to 116 & 3 to
145th St and Lenox
Bus: M 102, 102, BX 19 to
145 St
Car: Northbound FDR to 125th
St & 135th St
Southbound FDR to 116th St
& 142nd St
Web: www.nycnjhoops.com,
nyhoops.com
Phone: 718.428.1016
Commissioner: Donald Adams
Youth Spectrum: 10-19
Top 3 Players: Mike Coburn,
Ricky Soliver, Kenneth Gaynon
Playground Pass: Low entry
fees with Harlem exposure
Simon “Street” Says: “Tshirts are still tight and get
some bigger trophies.”
Developmental League @
23rd Street/West Side
Highway
Brooklyn:
Sebastian Telfair Summer
League @ O’Dwyer Park
FYA/Slam Invitational
Tournament @ Flatlands and
81st Avenue
Shoot Hoops Not Guns @
Brower Park
James Fly Williams
Tournament @ 1555 Linden
Boulevard
Queens:
Almighty Force
Elmcor Summer Invitational
Doc Nicelli’s Student Athlete
Basketball League – Hoyt
Avenue Park
P.S. 158 Beacon Classic
Morris Brown Basketball
Classic
Best of the Youth All-City:
Citywide Tournaments:
Spite Junior Knick League
Manhattan:
Dyckman Basketball
Tournament
West 4th Street High School
EBC Youth
Goat Playground @ 100th
Street & Amsterdam
Central Park Conservatory @
100 Street Courts
Think Big Basketball
Showcase/Four Season
Basketball @ Bowery &
Houston Abyssinian Back to
School Classic @ 145th &
Lenox
Basketball City Youth
Bronx:
Gun Hill tournament
Hoops in the Sun
Pro-Style 2006
See: for more tournament
information: http://www.powerplaynyc.org/sportsdirectoryB
asketball.html#D
Top 5 – AAU Format
1. Nike Swoosh
Schedule: June-August
(Weekends)
Citywide, & Westchester* and
then Tournament of
Champions @ Riverbank
late August
9th Year
Train: 1 to 145th St
Bus: BX 19
Car: Westside Highway to
125th St
Web: www.nike.com/nikebasketball/nyc/index.jhtml
Phone: 718.969.6240
Commissioner: Ray Diaz
Youth Spectrum: 8-17
Top 3 Players:
Playground Pass: Hit Website
for League Locations
Simon “Street” Says:
“Perfect Blend of playground
and AAU.”
2. IS 8 Summer Classic
108-35 167th St Merrick Blvd
Schedule: Summer: TuesdayFri 6-10, Weekends 10-5
22nd Year
Train: E to Jamaica Station
bus transfer to
Bus: Q5, Q84, Q85
Car: Van Wyck Expressway to
Merrick Blvd.
Web: www.nike.com/nikebasketball/nyc/index.jhtml
Phone: 917.692.9835
Commissioner: Pete Edwards
Top 3 Players: Brian
McKenzie, Michael Troy,
Antonio Cannon Jr.
Youth Spectrum: 17 and under
Playground Pass: Bring Game.
Year round operation that brings
all the top teams to Queens.
Simon “Street” Says: “You
leave your name “outdoors”
and come in the door and
work!”
3. Metropolitan AAU
Regionals @ Island Garden
45 Cherry Valley Ave. West
Photo by: Chie Suzuki
Bus: B 65, B 67
Web: www.nike.com/nikebasketball/nyc/index.jhtml
E-mail: [email protected]
Commissioner: Cleon Hyde
Youth Spectrum: Boys 12-14
years of age
Top 3 Players: Keith Spellman,
Darwin Ellis, Corey Edwards
Playground Pass: Best Middle
School Summer League in
Brooklyn
Couch Says: “Haven’t seen
this one either” but Simon
“Street” Says: “Little EBC.”
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Photo
Photoby:
by:Rodney
Randy Cruz
Williams, Courtesy of: Greg Marius
Hempstead
Car: Cross Island Exit 26 B
Web: metropolitanaau.com
E-mail: [email protected]
Commissioner: Cecil Watkins
Youth Spectrum: 10 to 17 and
under
Top 3 Players: Corey Fisher,
Curtis Kelly, Edgar Sosa
Playground Pass: Oldest
organization of amateur youth
basketball.
Simon “Street” Says: “Don’t
the Gauchos always win the
regionals?”
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4. Rumble in the Bronx
June 9-11, 2006
Fordham University – Rose
Hill Campus
6th Year
Train: D to Fordham
Bus: BX 9, BX 12, BX 22, BX 41
Car: Bronx River to Pelham
Parkway
Web: www.cityrocks.org/rumble.htm
E-mail: [email protected]
Commissioner: Jim Hart
Youth Spectrum: 15 under, 16
under and 17/PG and under
Top 3 Players: Lazar Haywood,
Antonio Pena, Jimmer
Fredette & Mike Goodman
Playground Pass: America
comes to the city for a bite of
the apple.
Simon “Street” Says: “That
kid from Miami is nice!”
5. Funsport Junior Pros
Spring: Madison Square Boys
& Girls Club - Navy Yard
240 Nassau St - Brooklyn, NY
& Christopher St.
1st Year
Train: F train to York A to
High St
Bus: BK 57, 61
Car: Tillary to BQE
Web: www.funsportinc.com
Phone: 646.302.9510
Commissioner: Rick Rivers
and Tippy McTernan
Youth Spectrum: 12-14 years
Top 3 Players: Devontay Grace,
Devin McMillan, Erick Turpin
Playground Pass: Brooklyn
Navy Yard beginning with
Baruch College finish.
Simon “Street” Says: “My kid
has to maintain a 70 average
to play.”
Youth (Co-ed) AAU
Tournament Host
Organizations:
Year Round Tournament
Hosts
Gaucho Roundball –
www.newyorkgauchos.com
Playaz Basketball Club http://playazbasketball.org
(boys only)
Long Island Lightning www.islandgarden.com
New Heights Warriors –
www.newheightsnyc.org/basketballcity.com
Metro Hawk Classic
–www.metrohawksnyc.com/
basketballcity.com
Westchester Hawks –
www.westchesterhawks.com
Kips Bay Boys and Girls –
www.eteamz.com/kipsbaybball
Big Apple Basketball –
www.bigapplebasketball.com
(high school programming)
SUMMER WOMEN’S
PROGRAMMING 2006
Marvin “Hammer” Stevens,
Donald Jenkins, Chez Williams
and Harold McCleadon and the
Douglas Panthers women’s
program, along with Robert
“Apache” Pascal’s Exodus
Basketball program, dominate
girls playground ball in New
York City. Players like AllAmericans Epiphany Prince
(who scored 113 points in a
high school game) and Kia
Vaughn have played in the
Nike Swoosh (premier youth
league in NY) with these programs. On the Pro-Am side,
Janice Carter of W 4th St is
still strong. Now celebrating its
25th anniversary, it is the place
to be seen for women on the
high school and college levels.
And more opportunities for
women are expanding throughout the New York City area,
such as Marian Moore’s
Uptown Challenge, Women’s
EBC and AAU tourneys at
Island Garden and Fordham
University.
All-Playground:
West 4th St – Manhattan
25th Year
June-August (Mon-Sunday)
6th Ave between 3rd &
4th St
Train: A,B,C,D,E,F, V
Bus: M5, M6
Car: FDR or Westside to
Houston
Web: www.nike.com/nikebasketball/nyc/index.jhtml
Phone: 718.369.1223
Commissioner: Janice M. Carter
Special Events: East West AllStar Game 4rd Weekend in July
Youth Spectrum: Women’s
Pro and HS
Top 3 players: Pietra Gay,
Dana Wynne, and Tora Suber
Playground Pass:
Deep WNBA and college
representation
Simon “Street” Says:
“Execution of fundamental
basketball.”
All-City
Nike Swoosh
Spite Junior Knick League
New York Housing Authority
Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA Gatorade
Championship of New
York/New Jersey
Manhattan:
Uptown Challenge
EBC Women
Clyde Frazier Jr’s Slam Jam
Douglas Panthers Say No to
Drugs
Guy Hughes Memorial
Tournament
Children’s Aid Society
Dunleavy Milbank
Central Park Conservatory
League
Bronx
Tournament of Champions at
Fordham AAU – Bronx
Brooklyn
Stephon Marbury
Conrad McCrae
Queens
Elmcor Summer Invitational
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After the winter basketball
campaigns end, it’s time for
the second season: Amateur
Athletic Union basketball.
Throughout the spring and
summer, the top high school
juniors (rising seniors) and
sophomores (rising juniors)
will unite with their respective AAU teammates against
significantly better competition than they faced during
their high school seasons.
Of the hundreds of teams
that will participate in the
high-profile tournaments, 25
squads stand out. This list
will surely change as players
promiscuously move from
team to team. Also, because
these kids are so young and
their bodies are in a constant
state of development, new
players will emerge as
elite talents.
1. D-1 Greyhounds, Ohio
The Greyhounds were the
second best team in the
nation last year, and with
Greg Oden, Daequan Cook,
and Mike Conley graduating
from the Spiece Indy Heat
and matriculating at Ohio
State, these fellas are now
the best. O.J. Mayo replaces
Oden as the best player in
the country, and will likely be
the top pick in the NBA Draft
two years from now. The top
wing player in the junior class
and Mayo’s high school teammate, Bill Walker, is the most
jaw-dropping high school
leaper since LeBron. The
Greyhounds also benefit from
the services of Top-75 junior
power forward Alex Tyus,
Top-100 junior power forward
Keenan Ellis, and Top-30
sophomore William Buford.
Keep an eye out for a D-1
Greyhounds vs. D.C. Assault
matchup later this summer.
2. D.C. Assault, Wash., DC
These guys are loaded. All
we need to do is say the
names, all of them juniors:
-PF Michael Beasley (Top-5,
Charlotte commitment)
-SG Nolan Smith (Top-25,
Duke commitment)
-SG Austin Freeman (Top-30,
Georgetown commitment)
-PF Julian Vaughn (Top-40)
-SF Adrian Bowie (Top-75)
3. Southern California AllStars, Los Angeles
Although the All-Stars will
lose the Co-MVP of the
McDonald’s All-American
Game, Chase Budinger, to
Arizona, they still have one of
the most talented trios in the
country. Junior power forward Kevin Love isthe jewel,
who has narrowed his college
choices to North Carolina,
Duke, and UCLA.
Sharpshooting junior Taylor
King, who de-committed
from UCLA in favor of Duke,
and sophomore point guard
Brandon Jennings, the best
at his position in the class,
round out the trio.
4. Metro Hawks, NYC
They sport three superior talents: Top-25 junior shooting
guard Corey Stokes; solid
junior point guard Mike
Coburn; and possibly the top
center in the Class of 2008,
Samardo Samuels.
5. Houston Hoops
Another deep team, but
slightly more balanced than
the Georgia Stars. Their premier player is junior power
forward Gary Johnson, with
plenty of support in junior
point guard Jai Lucas (son of
former NBA All-Star John
Lucas, Sr.), junior 6’10”
power forward Isaiah Rusher,
and emerging soph comboguard J’Covan Brown.
6. Georgia Stars, Atlanta
Now we start to get into the
deeper teams in AAU ball.
The Stars boast four Top-150
players in the Class of 2007,
including Georgia Tech-bound
inside/outside threat Gani
Lawal, Georgia Tech-bound
shooter Lance Storrs,
Georgia-bound center Jeremy
Price, and undecided 3-point
marksman Jamar Moore.
7. Michigan Hurricanes
The Detroit crew has Top-10
junior shooting guard Alex
Legion and Top-20 junior
small forward Darquavis
Tucker. Legion is a cerebral
and athletic player who originally committed to Michigan,
but re-opened his recruitment
earlier this week following his
decision to transfer to Virginia
powerhouse Oak Hill
Academy. Tucker can flat-out
sky on both ends of the floor.
8. The Family, Detroit
Another team spearheaded
by two future high-major college players, Michigan Statebound junior Durrell
Summers and undecided junior Corperryale “Manny”
Harris. Summers is a big time
scorer and natural athlete,
while Harris sacrifices flamboyance for efficiency.
9. Atlanta Celtics
Led by junior shooting guard
and Alabama commit Senario
Hillman and sophomore
power forward Howard
Thompkins, the Celtics are
poised to make some noise
on the AAU circuit. While this
talented duo is no Dwight
Howard and Josh Smith (current NBA stars and former
Atlanta Celtics), it is talented
enough to carry on its team’s
good name. Hillman can run
and jump with the best of
them, and Thompkins is a
prolific scorer who put up 51
in a game this year.
10. Team Melo, Maryland
Team Melo highlights two
terrific players in Donte
Greene and Malcolm
Delaney. Greene, a power
forward and one of the 25
best players in the Class of
2007, can score in the post
or outside. He has committed
to Syracuse.
Photo by: Chie Suzuki
AAU Preseason Rankings
By Chris Ramirez of
www.basketballbeat.com
Sean Couch sends special thanks to Bobbito Garcia, Darren “d.dot.com” Neal, and all the city tournament directors
BOUNCE 46BOUNCE 66
BOUNCE 47
FOCUS
OneLove
Visuals: Terry Baker
Wilson Park in Syracuse, New York is home to the annual
OneLove tournament, founded by Raheem Mack.
BOUNCE 68
FOCUS
BOUNCE 70
ESH
FRESH
D
E
P
P
I
D
PED
Jordan Melo 5.5 Low
Air Jordan XXI
Graphic Wood Tee by Undercrown
BOUNCE 72
Melo Tee by Jordan
Dri-fit Show Stopper Shorts and
Show Stopper SS Jacket by Jordan
Jordan Texture Tee by Undercrown
FRESH
DIPPED
Mesh Show Stopper Shorts by Jordan
BOUNCE 74
Dri-fit Show Stopper Shorts by Jordan
100% Big Punisher Tee by Graph.X.Addictz
Mesh AJ21 Bucket Tank Top by Jordan
FRESH
DIPPED
Cotton AJ21 Bucket Sleeveless Tee by Jordan
BOUNCE 76
LA Tee by Undercrown
Player Names Tee by Undercrown
WINNER TAKES ALL
Junie “GE” Sanders
(below) and Darren
“DP” Phillips established themselves in the
first round as the crew
to beat.
It was a hard-fought summer day of 2-on-2
comp in the inaugural Bounce TDC ‘05 held
at Kingdome. Shout out to Shirts & Skins
for the hot unis!
TRUTH
DARE
CONSEQUENCE
Verbals: Bobbito Garcia
Visuals: John Walder
BOUNCE 78
Players were awarded two points for ripping
the dribbler, cracking the defender ‘til he
dropped, and for catching a woof on someone’s head. Thus, Junie Sanders caught a
four point play with his aerial assult here.
WINNER TAKES ALL
‘Round the way duo of “Boomer” (far left) and
Adrian “Red” Autry shocked everyone by putting the clamps on Mike “The Icon” Campbell
and Raphael “Blade” Edwards . . .
Our man AG called the chip like he saw it,
while “All Borough” Bob Mahoney tried in
vain to keep his squad alive.
. . . then relentlessly taking it to the baja like
it was nobody’s bizness.
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BOUNCE 32
WINNER TAKES ALL
Junie Sanders and Darren Phillips brought
home the turkey bacon (plus Nando Di Biase
jerseys and $2,000 cash). If they show up at
your park trying to call next for a 2-on-2, just
turn them down and play 21 instead.
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