rucker park summer league

Commerce (New York, N.Y.) '55 Well be telling the history.. Actually, thats the exact path many officials in the greater New York City area have followed in their quest for development and advancement. He's also been putting in work at the Rucker ever since, earning the moniker as the most dangerous player in the EBC. I was nervous. All rights reserved. He is looking forward to sharpening his game on a functional court. As a freshman, Fly pumped in 29.4 ppg his first season and 27.5 in his second season before turning pro. If you grew up in New York probably ever, but certainly in the 60s and 70s when I grew up, you could not help but understand what the Rucker meant to New York basketball, said Roberts, 63, now the executive director of the N.B.A. I career didn't go exactly as planned, Homicide still drew the interest of NBA scouts. For the first time, the SLAM Summer Classic Vol. Players who never made it to the NBA. But Rucker Park has always been home to true ballers who forge their identities, as Williams said. It was automatic.. So fans can expect a great environment for sure. Another benefit of working the park leagues is the camaraderie of the officials from all levels. And we have to be grateful to those (NBA) guys for coming here.. No matter, Monroe developed into one of the game's greatest guards under the tutelage of Clarence "Big House" Gaines at Winston-Salem State and at Philly's famed Baker League. By Jay Pixel. Rules, interpretations, mechanics, philosophies and other information may or may not be correct for the current year. Reggie White Tournament Registration 2023 Theme by SiteOrigin Theme by SiteOrigin At 6-foot-5, he could sky, and legend has it he once swatted the shots on three pros on a single possession. The 2022 grassroots basketball season is inching closer - and the upcoming circuit should finally see some return to normalcy - as all three shoe brands (Nike, adidas, Under Armour) expect to field full schedules during the live-recruiting periods. Kareem "Best Kept Secret" Reid We also want to offer the fans an insight into basketball officiating. The article is made available for educational use by individuals. Wells is hopeful that the renewed interest in Rucker Park will restore the courts allure. or The city's most important sporting event of the summer was suddenly in the balance. All these guys came down there because it was basically mano a mano, he said, with you against somebody, not being told how to run a set, but your best skill against my best skill, and your knowledge against my knowledge, on this even playing field where the crowd can become an opponent too., He added, You was pushed into a different level of playing because you didnt want to fail in front of all of these people, and you want them to see you perform, because it gave you so much more energy and more life, and then your legend grew., Wells recalled the time Carter, who recently retired after a 22-year N.B.A. Previous SLAM Summer Classic participants include NBA stars Jalen Green, James Wiseman, JonathanKuminga, Chet Holmgren, RJ Hampton, Josh Christopher, JalenSuggsand Cassius Stanley, as well as rising NCAA starsFlaujaeJohnson, Diamond Johnson, Kiki Rice and Angel Reese. In 2022, Rucker Park became the first outdoor venue for The Basketball Tournament, a single-elimination winner-take-all tournament with a $1 million prize, acting as one of eight regional venues of the competition.[8]. 16U, and 15U teams participate in The Circuit League this spring and summer? Separate from the renovations, the players' association will also fund a new three-year staff position based jointly at the Rucker and at Jackie Robinson Recreation Center, charged with running youth programs. These days, Rucker Park is best known as the site of the famous Entertainers Basketball Classic summer league, which features the top streetball talents in New York along with occasional celebrity cameos. Find out about free street basketball in NYC, including locations and schedules for streetball at West 4th, Rucker Park, Dyckman Park, and Orchard Beach. Glen Springs Academy (Lakemont, N.Y.) '72 This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Gilbert was playing in one of the New York area pro-am leagues when official Tom Washington, who has worked in the NBA for more than 27 years, said something to him following a game that stuck. Williams, now a commentator for the Australian National Basketball League, served as the M.C. But only true basketball heads know he ran with the J.W. Its just us today in the park. James "Fly" Williams It is geographically at the base of a large cliff named Coogan's Bluff. Nate "The Skate . Established as a proving ground for amateurs and pros, as well as a portal to the neighborhood's own basketball dreamscape, Rucker Park Streetball League has endured and evolved with the game, showcasing basketball's best to step between the lines. Known as the elite high school basketball players' favorite all-star game, the SLAM Summer. Over generations, the asphalt court honed its reputation as a siren calling and name-making mecca for soon-to-be N.B.A. DeWitt Clinton (Bronx, N.Y.) '66 Ramsey even spent some time in the League with the hometown Knicks and the Syracuse Nationals, but he's perhaps best remembered for legendary schoolyard battles against Connie Hawkins. Its commonly referred to as Rucker Park or just the Rucker. Overbrook (Philadelphia, Pa.) '55 Conrad "McNasty" McCrae 28 pick of the 1993 NBA Draft. In 2000 he came back to the NBA to play with the Orlando Magic but died after collapsing during the first day of practice with the Magic. Holcombe Rucker, a playground director, established a youth basketball league and summer tournament nearly 70 years ago to keep children away from temptation even as others warned him to. Some of the greatest talents in pro basketball--Chamberlain, Abdul-Jabbar and Erving were the biggest names--would play alongside incredible streetball talents out of Harlem. Success! The Texas native didn't play high school ball growing up in SoCal, but he was always practicing his craft. Beginning in 1947, Rucker organized a tournament around Harlem for area players as a way to bond the community and give local kids an extracurricular activity. A lot of these (fans) dont have the chance or the means to go to the (Madison Square) Garden (to see top-flight basketball)., The crowd is interesting because you often have fans there who are not biased to one team, like when you do a college game, Mensah said. We dont care where you from. Do Not Sell My Personal Information 'Slutty Vegan' Will Open Much Anticipated Harlem Joint Next Week, Espaillat Announces Community Project Funding, Urges Orgs to Apply, Program For Harlem Entrepreneurs Could End With $16K Prize: See How, Unlock Your True Potential- From Feeling Cursed to Confident In 6 Weeks, NYC AI Summer Camp for Middle School Students. Rucker Pro League, the Each One Teach One summer league and the famed . Hip-hop luminaries like Fat Joe and Diddy backed teams. Rucker Park typographic word cloud basketball shape design Sticker. Some of the guys who come through here to play are amazing Kevin Durant, James Harden, Vince Carter, Kobe (Bryant), said Gilbert, who witnessed Durant in one game hit seven straight 3-pointers, some from just a step inside the half-court line. Holcombe Rucker, a Harlem school teacher, staged the first summer Rucker tournament in 1946. And, more specifically, for the great players who have competed on that court. . Rucker started a basketball tournament in 1950 in order to help less . Players from Philadelphia, like a young,. It was the NBA's loss, however, as the Hawk soared with the Globetrotters, the ABL, the ABA and, of course, on the playground. Those guys started the same way I did, Morrissey said. Rucker does a good job with security, but theres always that element when youre officiating a game.. For more information about the SLAM Summer Classic and real-time coverage of the event later this month, follow@SLAM,@SLAM_HSand@WSLAMon all social media platforms. Rucker is more than a hoops heaven--it's also a city-maintained park that has a children's playground, a baseball field, handball courts and other perks. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. For over 50 years the Each One Teach One summer league, also founded by McCullough and Crawford, has called Rucker Park home. In order to limit the Rucker ruckus, we left the players unranked. $ The Basketball Tournament played on the Marius Court at Rucker Park will be open to the public on a first-come, first-served basis! You can feel the energy in the crowd, said Mensah, who has refereed in games that included NBA pros Kemba Walker, Metta World Peace (Ron Artest), Lance Stevenson, Nick Young and Durant. A 5-foot-7 showman with a wicked handle, Robertson helped Loyola of Chicago win the 1963 NCAA title. Fridays: The Rucker Park (not EBC) has afternoon and evening games. Erving played in the Rucker Park League back in the 1970s before the days of the nickname "Dr. J" and set the bar for many of the young, up-and-coming players. Its odd how I got started, said the 40-year-old Mensah. In the late 1960s and early '70s, his playground rivalry with "Tiny" Archibald was legendary. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. While big contracts have made players less willing to risk injury in the offseason, the mystique of Rucker is even recognized among basketball's current stars, guys who have played for NBA titles, in Olympic gold-medal games and any other big-time atmosphere you can imagine. Nation; . The goal of the players union is to restore the park as a community asset and attract N.B.A. Kareen Abdul-Jabbar -Power Memorial (New York, NY) Class of 1965, Rafer Skip To My Lou Alston -Cardozo (Queens, NY), Class of 1994, Nate The Skate Archibald -Dewitt Clinton (Bronx, NY) Class of 1966, Wilt Chamberlin -Overbrook (Philadelphia, Pa) Class of 1955, Julius The Claw Erving commonly known as "Dr. J" -Roosevelt (Roosevelt, NY) Class of 1968, Joe The Destroyer Hammond -Taft (Bronx, NY), Connie The Hawk Hawkins -Boys (Brooklyn, NY) Class of 1960, Jumpin Jackie Jackson -Boys (Brooklyn, NY) Class of 1958, Richard Pee Wee Kirkland -Charles Evan Hughes (New York, NY) Class of 1964, Herman Helicopter Knowlings -Ben Franklin (Harlem, NY), Earl (The Goat) Manigault -Ben Franklin (Harlem, NY) Class of 1964, Conrad Mcnasty Mcrae -Brooklyn Tech (Brooklyn, NY) Class of 1989, Earl The Pearl Monroe -Bartram (Philadelphia, Pa) Class of 1962, Corey Homicide Williams -Rice (New York, NY) Class of 1995, Kareem Best Kept Secret Reid -St. Raymonds (Bronx, NY) Class of 1994, Charlie Scott -Laurinburg Institute (Laurinberg, NC) Class of 1966, James Fly Williams -Glen Springs Academy (Lakemont, NY) Class of 1972, James Speedy Williams -Morris (Bronx, NY) Class of 1987, Larry Bone Collector Williams -Pasadena (Pasadena, Calif). Rucker sits in the shadows of the Polo Grounds Towers, a collection of 30-story apartment buildings on the former site of an old baseball stadium. You would think this was video for a movie, because every time he came down, they made sure he got the ball, and he was just firing it from way beyond the 3-point line, Wells said. by AmNews Staff Reports March 2, 2017. Credit: Bill Moore. players union, checked in on the progress. All-Star Baron Davis made sure to get some shots up on the court the evening before he played at Rucker Park, Gittens said. Copyright 2023 SLAM Media Inc. SLAM, SLAMTV, SLAM MEDIA and the SLAM logo are registered The climb began on the lower levels before eventually culminating with 10 years in NCAA Division I basketball in several different conferences as well as Spain. Ben Franklin (Harlem, N.Y.) Julius "The Claw" Erving Most know him as Dr. J, ABA and NBA ambassador of the 1970s and '80s. These days, Rucker Park is best known as the site of the famous Entertainers Basketball Classic summer league, which features the top streetball talents in New York along with occasional celebrity cameos. North (Riverside, Calif.) summer league team in 1993 before returning to New York and creating history at the Rucker. He told me, Since you like to talk, why not become an official? Gilbert joked. Along with being home of a more flashy game of streetball, Rucker Park is also charmed by fast-talking MCs who call the action, make fun of bad play, and come up with nicknames for great players that often stick around forever. 4 Returns on August 20 at Rucker Park The SLAM Summer Classic is BACK. The court itself will also be adorned with a painting done by a local artist, according to Parks Department officials. They often do so by playing in as many games that they can, be it pick-up, AAU or park league. . By The Circuit, 12/06/21, 6:00AM EST. Nominate your program for the 2022 season. Academic problems almost ended Archibald's career before it even started but he got it together and in 1996 was named to the NBA's top 50 players list. We are blessed to have had the opportunity to lock in these partnerships. A star at Boys when a frail 10th-grader named Connie Hawkins toiled on the bench, Jackson went on to success at Virginia Union and with the Harlem Globetrotters. Corey "Homicide" Williams Veterans: Wilt Chamberlain, Julius "The Doctor" Erving, Connie Hawkins, Joe "Destroyer" Hammond, Tiny Archibald . Not long ago, players like Kobe Bryant, Allen Iverson and Vince Carter made the pilgrimage to West 155th Street and Frederick Douglass Boulevard to a court that is tiny in area, but large in cultural and historical significance.