Everyone loves the game and wants to be part of it, Mensah said. [2] Since 1974, the park has been named after Holcombe Rucker, a local teacher and a playground director for the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. The 1960 ESPNHS Mr. Basketball USA would have been a cinch All-American at the University of Iowa, but a gambling scandal cost the Hawk eight years of his prime. Adding family members helps ACTIVE find events specific to your family's interests. He said his most memorable experience involved Durant. He was an overlooked contributor at powerhouse Rice, but earned NJCAA All-American honors at Penn Valley Community College in Missouri. BETHLEHEM, Pa. - The Ex-Pats, the first team to highlight Patriot League men's basketball talent in the long-running summer event, have been selected as the No. The game began shortly after 2 p.m. at Rucker Park and wrapped up indoors with the Big 5 team winning, 74-67, at Gauchos Gym in the Bronx, home of the New York-based AAU program. Construction will last about 10 weeks, starting Aug. 16 and running through October. 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. NYC Weekend Events: What's Going On March 4-5, NYC Rent Drops For 5th Straight Month, Study Finds, NYC Restaurants Ordered Closed Feb. 24 - March 3, 125th Street Could See Another Apartment Tower As Lot Goes Up For Sale. Even more than his handle, Williams' biggest asset is confidence. Not only do the players want to do well, you want to do your best job so you can grow from it, he said. This past Friday, ONE37pm spoke with ReeCee Hollans, Global Grassroots Basketball Sports Marketing Manager about this groundbreaking deal. But let's be real: it's known around the world for the basketball court in the corner of the three-acre lot right off Frederick Douglass Boulevard. Are you sure you want to delete this family member? The Rucker represented a platform for players not only from New York City, but all over the tri-state area and beyond, to flex their blacktop skills. The tournament eventually settled at P.S. We dont care what you do. Some occasional girls/juniors games start around 4pm. What you won't find are big-name ballers who came to Rucker once or twice, never to return. 156 to Holcombe Rucker Park in 1975. There he played on the same team as Lamar Odom, Jamal Crawford and Sebastian Telfair. Sometimes when youre outside theres an issue of security, Morrissey noted. While Gilbert said, Basketball is basketball and players play wherever, Morrissey and Mensah said there are some distinct variances when the game is played outside. Rucker Park via YouTube Located at 155th Street and Frederick Douglass Boulevard in Harlem, N.Y., Holcombe Rucker Park is famous for churning out some of the greatest basketball talents in. [7] In addition to the basketball court, the park has a baseball field, handball courts, children's playground, bathrooms, and a spray shower.[3]. Street ball, a basketball Sticker. Its just us today in the park. ABOUT - The Rucker The crowd was on him. But on the playgrounds, Archibald was known as "The Skate," the man who returned to Rucker every summer even after he made it to the big-time. He had all the right moves on the court, and even though he didn't make all the right ones off it, he played a season in the ABA. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. I stopped playing ball and I wanted to stay in shape but I didnt have the discipline to just go out and run by myself. Please try again. If youre a hooper, your dream was to play at that park, said Corey Williams, who goes by the nickname Homicide and turned impressive performances at the Rucker and other playgrounds into a lengthy international professional career. 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. Bartram (Philadelphia, Pa.) '62 [3] If you get the chance, check out some of the videos on the internet. A History of Rucker Park: The True Mecca of Basketball - Complex Richard "Pee Wee" Kirkland The more plays you see, the more you have in your memory bank, Mensah said. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar RUCKER PARK STREETBALL LEAGUE Schedule - Exposure Basketball Events Boys (Brooklyn, N.Y.) '60 players playing out there. Everything we send is officiating specific because that's all we do. Well start with Drew League. He once scored 100 points in a Police Athletic League game where his team scored 102. All rights reserved. subscribe to the email newsletter from Harlem Patch. Ben Franklin (Harlem, N.Y.) '64 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. [2] The land that the park is on was once the site of the 8th Avenue Railroad Company. But did you know Wilt also averaged 47.2 ppg his senior season at Overbrook? That mystique may be gone. An elite ball-handler at 6-foot-5, Worthen was a poor-man's Magic Johnson, but those types of players weren't hyped until after Magic made his mark with the Showtime Lakers. All rights reserved. Crews worked on the court starting in August, leveling the asphalt and installing black bleachers, a state-of-the-art scoreboard and N.B.A. Rucker Park has been featured in lots of movies and television over the years. 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. Worthen even played two years in the NBA, but his real calling was on the playgrounds. 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. For Jones, a 16-year-old resident of Harlem, its still just his home park, the one he has played at ever since he can remember. Teams 12U (8 teams) 14U (7 teams) HIGH SCHOOL (13 teams) MENS UNLIMITED (12 teams) The Drew League leaves Nike for partnership with Adidas Official Facebook Site for the EBC (Entertainers Basketball Classic) street basketball league held at. Entertainers Basketball Classic Rucker Park, Harlem This is the granddaddy of them all, with a lineage that dates back to 1950. . Wells recalled that in 2011, Kevin Durant made an appearance at Rucker Park during the N.B.A.s lockout and amassed 66 points in a memorable performance. '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. Anyone can read what you share. Manigault had offers from all over the country, but it never worked out for him. So the rumors of his Rucker Park debut echoed throughout the city's entire summer basketball community. You get to talk with the other officials, whether its halftime or after the game, Mensah said. Board members reacted warmly to the project during the May 12 presentation, though some worried that attention to the court would fade after the three-year staff position ends. NEW YORK -- The B train takes you to the 155th street stop on the north edge of Harlem. She wondered if her memories had deceived her into a sunny nostalgia. Hip-hop luminaries like Fat Joe and Diddy backed teams. He made an impact at Chaffey Junior College in the late 1990s and spent some time at Globe Institute of Technology in Manhattan, another JUCO. Photo by Caleb Ferguson for the . When it comes to fans, the crowds at Rucker Park are notorious for their zest for basketball and the players. Its gotten people out of trouble. Privacy Policy Its all part of the officiating learning curve. His wife Chaniel is the commissioner. Julius "The Claw" Erving Connie "The Hawk" Hawkins In 1946 -- several months before the National Basketball Association played its first game -- Rucker started his first summer youth league through Saint Phillips, with games played at the park on 138th Street between Fifth and Lenox Avenues. Rucker Park to host The Circuit's inaugural Blacktop Series event His lasting legacy is actually coaching kids throughout New York through his work with the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation. You have to be strong, you have to communicate and you have to be good. Some legends have a big reputation, but there is no doubt Hammond's game was legit. And we have to be grateful to those (NBA) guys for coming here.. Rucker Park 50th anniversary - New York Amsterdam News Many of the game's future pros tried to emulate the moves of "Black Jesus" -- the hesitation fakes and the famous 360-degree finger-rolls -- but few, if any, performed like him. Fridays: The Rucker Park (not EBC) has afternoon and evening games. Gilbert said that several current major college and NBA officials come back to Rucker Park in the summer to referee a few league games in order to work on their craft. This isnt something that we want to do only during the summer, we want the impact to be year-round. Do Not Sell My Personal Information The article is made available for educational use by individuals. The EBC has a men's division which headlines the league, but it also has a high school league, and U15, U12 and U10 divisions. Look for this banner for recommended activities. Following his death, two protgs - Bob McCullough and Fred Crawford (both drafted by NBA teams) - created the Rucker Pro League, a competition among professionals held in the park each summer. Gilbert admits that refereeing at Rucker when the pros show up is slightly different, so officials may let some of the stars get away with a violation or two. The history of Rucker began in 1950 when a New York City Department of Parks and Recreation worker named Holcombe Rucker took it upon himself to create a tournament to help kids realize their. He made his name and became famous, however, at the Rucker. James "Pookie" Wilson Harlem's Famed Rucker Court To Be Revamped Thanks To NBA Players 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. In the Rucker Park League there are no set plays. Dyckman League Celebrates 30 Years of NYC Streetball - Red Bull We give you the best playground basketball courts in America. At any point any coach, player or fan can lose their mind. Rucker Park - New York, New York - Atlas Obscura Overbrook (Philadelphia, Pa.) '55 [3] Rucker started a basketball tournament in 1950 in order to help less-fortunate kids stay off the streets and aim for college careers. Ben Franklin (Harlem, N.Y.) InsideHoops.com - Rucker Park Schedule You may not be able to say one thing to one person that you could to another., Gilbert developed a slogan that he uses to promote the Pro-Am program. Players from Philadelphia, like a young,. The Rucker summer league staged throughout Harlem was a proving ground for top college and pro stars by the 1960s, and eventually came to call the courts at 155th Street and Frederick Douglass Boulevard home. NBA 2K19 Summer Circuit #8 - Kobe vs Cortez @ RUCKER PARK! Chris Rucker, Holcombe Ruckers grandson, said that the park is a symbol and reference point to what my grandfather did and what he accomplished over the years, so without a basketball court in good working order, the legacy wouldnt be complete., He added, Rucker Park is as much a part of the Harlem community as the Apollo Theater.. We dont care where you from. EBC Sports - Read the Latest Sports News & Articles 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. As Kevin Durant's Legendary Night At Rucker Park Turns 10 - Forbes 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. ONE37pm: Okay ReeCee we have a task for you. More than a few previously under-the-radar players have made their mark at the Classic and saw their college and pro stocks rise after the weekend. The city's most important sporting event of the summer was suddenly in the balance. I would not have progressed as quickly in my career if I didnt work at Rucker and some of the other leagues around the city, Morrissey said. Can you break down what this adidas partnership means to each individual league? In celebration of the official partnerships, adidas Basketball athletes James Harden, Anthony Edwards and Donovan Mitchell will debut each leagues partnership jersey ahead of this years summer league season. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. The level of competition and intensity is amazing. As an official, if theres a lot of jump shots, it makes life easier, he joked. A fierce rebounder, Ramsey has impeccable credentials as a Rucker legend -- he is the only player to ever win Rucker MVP honors at the high school, college and pro level. Rucker Park was featured in the TNT television film On Hallowed Ground: Streetball Champions of Rucker Park, which aired in 2000 and won a Sports Emmy Award. players union, checked in on the progress. Could you just speak a little more about this partnership? Fly was so good offensively it was frightening -- both literally and figuratively. and/or its affiliates and licensors. From $2.24. Boys (Brooklyn, N.Y.) '58 Thats why that park is special. Most know him as Dr. J, ABA and NBA ambassador of the 1970s and '80s. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. 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. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". Roosevelt (Roosevelt, N.Y.) '68 This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Morant to miss two games after video with gun, Las Vegas prepared to give A's 'better opportunity', Richardson sets QB mark for vertical, broad jump, Curry, Iguodala probable to return vs. Lakers, Sources: Suns hiring Pistons' Bartelstein as CEO, Mbappe breaks PSG's all-time scoring record, Bruins stroll past Kane, Rangers, win 10th in row, Horns' Robinson: Versatility worthy of early pick, UFC 285 live results and analysis: Jon Jones vs. Ciryl Gane. Williams, now a commentator for the Australian National Basketball League, served as the M.C. ACTIVE is the leader in online event registrations from 5k running races and marathons to softball leagues and local events. He would sometimes roll through Rucker to rep the City of Brotherly Love, often with spectacular results. He's also the NBA's all-time leading scorer. A McDonald's All-American out of St. Ray's, Reid might be best remembered for the ridiculously extra-long shorts he wore at the University of Arkansas. And Rucker started with boys like Bob McCullough. Bryant, the former Los Angeles Lakers superstar who died last year, earned both cheers and jeers from a lively crowd during his 2002 appearance. It wasnt like he was off. Cookie Settings. Michele Roberts, below, the executive director of the N.B.A.