September 2004 Streetball News

27/09 - Asphalt Gods : History of the Rucker Tournament
Earl "The Goat" Manigault. Herman "Helicopter" Knowings. Joe "The Destroyer" Hammond. Richard "Pee Wee" Kirkland. These and dozens of other colorfully nicknamed men are the "Asphalt Gods", whose astounding exploits in the Rucker Tournament, often against multimillionaire NBA superstars, have made them playground divinity.

26/09 - Smush Parker :: Fear the Reaper
With a smile that blings as brightly as the rocks in his lobes, Fordham University's one-year wonder (and guaranteed soon-to-be NBA Draftee) Smush Parker considers the question: What does it feel like to know you've almost made it, for real? Standing outside the courts that gave him fame on the local level-downtown Manhattan's famed West Fourth Street Courts, aka "The Cage" - Parker explains where his head is at.

23/09 - At Least Someone Wants to Play Here
It's not all bitterness and resentment in Raptorland these days. While Vince Carter has demanded to be traded, Rafer Alston was expressing his joy yesterday at being back in Toronto. Alston said during a charity golf event at Angus Glen that he can hardly wait for training camp to begin in about two weeks and looks forward to working with general manager Rob Babcock and new coach Sam Mitchell.

22/09 - Spider wins 2004 And1 Contract
He came strong in 2003, but didn't get all the votes he needed to join the And1 Mix Tape squad. When the 2004 Tour rolled around, Spyda saw himself as the man to beat. He had been through it before, knew the struggles players go through while out on the road and was determined to prove himself worthy of a permanent spot on Tour.

18/09 - "And1" ball players set for Tiger Gym
Basketball lovers will get their wish when a popular ESPN-original programming event will make its way to Hopkinsville High School this weekend. The "And1" basketball players, often featured on the sports channel, will be participating in the Streetball Sensation, according to Hopkinsville varsity boys' basketball coach Terry Hayes.

17/09 - All about And1
WHAT: Basketball footwear and apparel manufacturer. FOUNDED: 1993. OWNER AND FOUNDER: Seth Berger. HOMETOWN: Paoli, Pa. ANNUAL REVENUE: $175 million in 2003 (latest year available). TEAM PLAYERS: Current And1 NBA endorsers include New York Knick Stephon Marbury, Detroit Piston Ben Wallace, Memphis Grizzly Jason Williams, and Rafer Alston.

16/09 - And1 turns playground hotshots into stars
Quartet-court alley-oops. No-look half-court passes. Split-second crossovers that leave defenders' egos bruised and fans cheering. It isn't the NBA. It's streetball at its highest level, showcased on "And1 Mix Tape Volume 7." The new DVD, produced by Greenpoint Pictures, features renowned street basketball stars such as Rafer "Skip To My Lou" Alston, Grayson "The Professor" Boucher and John "Helicopter" Humphrey displaying their uncanny skills.

15/09 - Marketing Streetball
In inner cities across the country, street basketball is more than just shooting hoops. In streetball, playing with style and humiliating your opponent is just as important as scoring points. NPR's Ralph Cooper reports on a company called And1, that's marketing streetball to a mass audience with a tournament and DVDs.

14/09 - Larry Williams aka "The Bone Collector"
One of the best, if not the best point guard in the sport. Larry has the ability to break defenses down and get to the paint at any time. Larry has excellent vision which allows him to find the open man on his penetrations. Larry aka "Bone Collector" has gained notoriety and respect in the U.S. for being able to dominate top NBA guards (Jamal Tinsley, Larry Hughes, Baron Davis, Stephon Marbury, and Moochie Norris) during summer "streetball" games.

13/09 - Butler turns heads on streetball tour
He says some kids from Oakland gave him the nickname when he was growing up - "Ballaholic" they called him - but former Utah State basketball player Cardell Butler is still looking to get the ball in his hands a bit more often. "I got the name when I was probably 15 years old," Butler said. "I guess I shot a lot. The name just defines how I play - straight buckets."

12/09 - Sheik Pearson :: Super Freak
Sheik Pearson has kept track. "I done killed Baron Davis to Steph to AI," claims the 25-year-old DC-bred pg. Way back in '96, rocking the nickname Iron Sheik from his football days, the 6-3 guard astounded a DC crowd by guarding Georgia Tech's Stephon Marbury fullcourt - the whole game.

05/09 - Nike Battlegrounds :: Battle Royale
It came down to something not even the greatest Hollywood screenwriter could have dreamed up. Drama? TNT couldn't piss this if it drank it. This was street basketball - theatrical, yet unstaged. This - from June thru August, from L.A. to N.Y. - was the Heaven Is A Playground remix. "This is street basketball! Don't look at the ref - they won't save you." John Salley's voice can be heard throughout Venice Beach.

05/09 - Buddies make run at basketball glory
Friends Ralph Mata and Adrian Thomas made sure they arrived on time for the Open Run of the And1 Mixtape Basketball Tour at the AmericanAirlines Arena in Miami. Last year, they were 10 minutes late and didn't get in, recalled Thomas, 17, a senior at Charles W. Flanagan High School in Pembroke Pines. 'This time, Ralph called me and said, `Let's go. We've got to go there early.'

02/9 - MGHOOPS STREET BALL CLASSIC"
TEAM MADGAME(SoCAl) v.s YPA(NorCal) ,
Date & Time: Sat Sept 4th, 6:00pm, doors open at 4:00pm
Price: FREE
Where: Oakwood Recreation Center
Address: 767 California Ave, Venice, CA 90291,
Phone# 310 399-9621
The Lowdown: The First annual MGHOOPS STREETBALL CLASSIC, Team MadGame v.s. YPA, Labor Day weekend basketball festival. Bring the kids, bring the parents, and bring the honeys. SoCal v.s NorCal, Footage for upcoming DVD's, YPA The War and MadGameHoops : West Coast Basketball. This signifies the partnership between the top up and coming Basketball companies in the west. Come and witness basketball like no other. The line up for Team MadGame goes as fallows:
1. NoheDidn't 2. Aplus/Change 3. Jay Boogie 4. KnowYouKnow 5. K-Ups 6. Nana 7. Leon, "The Truth" 8. Air Up There and a few other surprises.

01/09 - Main Event Interview
Waliyy Dixon, better known as Main Event, has been famous in the streetball world for a long time. InsideHoops.com editor Jeff Lenchiner met with him during the And1 mixtape streetball tour and discussed life in basketball. InsideHoops.com: Talk about your life in basketball back in your high school and college days.

01/09 - Pee Wee Kirkland :: By All Means Necessary
Pee Wee Kirkland stands on the court at Holcombe Rucker Park in Harlem, gently flipping a ball from hand to hand. It's hard to believe he hasn't played a real game of ball in decades, considering how comfortable he looks with the rock in his hands, often flipping it up, extending his arms and legs to illustrate moves from his legendary past. Plus, he looks so good - at least 15 years younger than his 58 years - that it's impossible to accept how long it's been since he ruled this very court.

01/09 - Hugh "Baby Shaq" Jones (aka, The Rawkus)
The most physically gifted body ever displayed on a 6'3 guard. Add a 50-inch vertical with his strength, ball-handling, explosiveness, and shooting and you have "Baby Shaq." Hugh Jones who is also known as the Rawkus, the Incredible Hulk, and the Punisher has dominated any and all of his opponents for years.

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