We dont come there giving you roses, one player said. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. He was an overlooked contributor at powerhouse Rice, but earned NJCAA All-American honors at Penn Valley Community College in Missouri. Another benefit of working the park leagues is the camaraderie of the officials from all levels. Rucker Park Legends, NBA Greats And Baller Icons Pay Homage To The For those who saw him play with the St. Louis Spirits, it was a memorable experience -- just like those that saw him at Rucker, the Hole in Brownsville or any other street court. Archibald almost never made it to the big-time, as academic troubles nearly derailed his prep career. In order to limit the Rucker ruckus, we left the players unranked. The Bronx native is a one-on-one specialist and can defend players of all sizes. Sports achievements are always in need of reflection. The renovation has meaning for him beyond just the return of celebrities and N.B.A. Hollans: This partnership is all about people who love basketball, have played basketball, and are in love with the game. Williams, now a commentator for the Australian National Basketball League, served as the M.C. Kevin Durant Rucker Park mixtape: Best parts 8 years later (video Worthen even played two years in the NBA, but his real calling was on the playgrounds. Manigault had offers from all over the country, but it never worked out for him. Know someone who'd like Harlem news in their inbox? career, matched against Adrian Walton, better known as Whole Lotta Game. All of which causes Morrissey to say, If you can survive the summer pro-am circuit in New York City, you can survive any league in the world.. Julius Erving brought the greatest crowd in the history of Rucker Park We dont care who you are, he said. He had to tie his sneakers a little tighter.. After high school, Streety went upstate to play at Broome Community College and was selected to the NJCAA Hall of Fame in 1992. 156, and it further gathered steam when a similar pro league was started for professional players to compete in the offseason. Everyone loves the game and wants to be part of it, Mensah said. 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. Ex-Pats Selected to Rucker Park Region for the 2022 TBT Actually, thats the exact path many officials in the greater New York City area have followed in their quest for development and advancement. 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. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. In fact, Earl Manigault followed in his footsteps as a forward that could sky near the top of the backboard. When it comes to fans, the crowds at Rucker Park are notorious for their zest for basketball and the players. Its not just the renovation, Wells said. Playground Legends: 10 Best NBA Players at Rucker Park Rucker does a good job with security, but theres always that element when youre officiating a game.. But it's at Rucker where Erving turned 155th into his own personal playground. You just never know what can happen. I career didn't go exactly as planned, Homicide still drew the interest of NBA scouts. All it took was a good game, or one nice move, against "The Claw," and anybody was instantly somebody at the Rucker. 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. It's a run-down subway station, never too crowded, and a set of stairs will take you back above ground. He turned down a $50,000 offer from the Lakers and a three-year deal with the ABA. or just love the game who may live in the vicinity of the park and may not fully appreciate its history, and if thats the case, then we hope that this project will revive the history, she said. All rights reserved. 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. And the biggest thing is its for free. Those guys started the same way I did, Morrissey said. Trust me. Cordell is the nephew of the late Greg Marius, who ran Rucker . How This Man Became the Voice of Rucker Park I remember the first game I ever did with Zach Zarba. Is refereeing a game outdoors different than one thats played in a gym or stadium? At a shade under 6-foot-5, Jackson was one of the game's first great leapers. Well start with Drew League. From $19.84. "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 . Find out about free street basketball in NYC, including locations and schedules for streetball at West 4th, Rucker Park, Dyckman Park, and Orchard Beach. Elite 24: Rucker Park legends - ESPN Eastern District (Brooklyn, N.Y.) '65 Secondly, its one of the only outdoor venues where a league has three officials, shot clocks and NBA rules. Remembering Holcombe Rucker, the black humanitarian honored - TheGrio 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. 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. Kevin came to the park and brought along Jason Williams (former NBA first-round draft pick of the Chicago Bulls and current ESPN analyst) and some other pros to play against the Sean Bell All-Stars, the best team in the city, he said. 3 seed in the Rucker Park Region for the 2022 The Basketball Tournament (TBT). [2] The land that the park is on was once the site of the 8th Avenue Railroad Company. Another play about New York Yankees, Bronx Bombers, started on Broadway on February 6, 2018 at the Circle in the. He even had a regular spot on the Globetrotters' 1970s cartoon show. All-Star Baron Davis made sure to get some shots up on the court the evening before he played at Rucker Park, Gittens said. VENUE MARIUS COURT AT HOLCOMBE RUCKER PARK W. 155 St., 8 Ave. To Harlem River Drive, Neighborhood Plgd NHL trade deadline: Winners and losers, including the Bruins, Devils and Bruce Boudreau? Even more than his handle, Williams' biggest asset is confidence. That mystique may be gone. Its a landmark in New York City. You cant get that for free basically nowhere else like that.. Franklin K. Lane (Brooklyn, N.Y.) '76 Rucker Park has been featured in lots of movies and television over the years. 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. Copyright Policy Because the fans are right on top of the action, officials have to be careful, especially when running along the sideline. The article is made available for educational use by individuals. His goal was to provide leadership and a leg up for thousands of boys and girls. 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. Theyre older, theyre faster, theyre bigger and theyre stronger, said Will Mensah, another Rucker League referee who now officiates in the G League as well as small-college basketball. The park was established in 1956 next to PS 156; the school closed in 1981. He died of cancer in 1965 before he turned 40. LeBron played for Jay-Z's team S. Carter in 2003 at Rucker Park. trademarks of Slam Media Inc. All rights reserved. He also killed cats at the Rucker when he wasn't at UCLA winning three NCAA titles. Rucker Pro League, the Each One Teach One summer league and the famed . When the pros are involved, the park draws huge crowds and wild responses. Back home, however, the lefty point is better known for leading rapper Fat Joe's Terror Squad to three consecutive EBC titles in 2002-04, including the final one in which he led his team past a group featuring Cali standouts Baron Davis and Gilbert Arenas. In the past, it's been stars like Joe Hammond, who scored 74 points in a game at Rucker in the 1970s. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. and/or its affiliates and licensors. subscribe to the email newsletter from Harlem Patch. Rucker Park - Wikipedia Rucker Park Gifts & Merchandise for Sale | Redbubble 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. Known as the elite high school basketball players favorite all-star game, the SLAM Summer Classic will again bring together the top boys and girls from across the country to take part in a weekend filled with community,cultureand competition. Rucker Park, 280 West 155th Street, NYC. He's so revered the playground at 99th and Amsterdam in New York is named Goat Park. Although he didn't play high school basketball, Williams did earn his keep at Medgar Evans College in Brooklyn. Rucker Park will also have second round games on Sunday and a Round of 16 matchup on Wednesday that will be televised in primetime on ESPN at 8 p.m. 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. We can't wait to bring TBT-style basketball to this historic location and hallowed basketball ground. Julius Erving and the rappers Fat Joe and ASAP Ferg spoke at the parks reopening after renovations. 4 will take place at the famed Holcombe Rucker Park in Harlem, NY.