You have to let them know why you made a certain call. When Roberts asked members of the players' unions executive committee if they had interest in renovating the Greg Marius Court at Rucker Park, the players asked how soon they could begin. A prolific scorer, Kirkland had a legit high school and college rep, teaming with future NBA all-star Bob Dandridge at Norfolk State before being drafted by the Bulls in 1969. Worthen earned preseason All-American acclaim from Street & Smith's at Lane, was named a JUCO All-American in Texas and earned All-American acclaim at Marquette. 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. You cant get that for free basically nowhere else like that.. Worthen even played two years in the NBA, but his real calling was on the playgrounds. This is where Bryant and Anthony played, while recent appearances have included NFL stars Chad Ochocinco and Terrell Owens. 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. and/or its affiliates and licensors. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. Eastern District (Brooklyn, N.Y.) '65 The rail-thin, 5-foot-10 point guard had a 63-point outburst in 1986, a mark that was finally surpassed by Steve "The Saga Continues" Burtt Jr. in 2007 with a 68-point performance. If somebody asked me to go, I went, he said. Players from Philadelphia, like a young,. MackenzieMgbako, Gill St. Bernard School (Gladstone, NJ), Robert Dillingham,DondaAcademy (Simi Valley, CA), SimeonWilcher, Roselle Catholic HS (Roselle, NJ), Jared McCain, Centennial HS (Corona, CA), Judea Watkins, Sierra Canyon HS (Los Angeles, CA), Jadyn Donovan, Sidwell Friends School (Washington DC), Hannah Hidalgo, Paul VI HS (Haddonfield, NJ). 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. The park was renamed after him as the Holcombe Rucker Playground in 1974. And we have to be grateful to those (NBA) guys for coming here.. subscribe to the email newsletter from Harlem Patch. All rights reserved. for the reopening, which was attended by Erving, Kirkland, Nate Archibald and a number of others who had forged their reputations on the court. As you mentioned to me earlier, AEBL games have an HBCU vibe to them, and its an experience. 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. The same applies to officiating, Gilbert said. The team was one of the best to ever play at . We are going to be doing tons of giveaways, and were going to be in the community. All-Star Baron Davis made sure to get some shots up on the court the evening before he played at Rucker Park, Gittens said. Everybody wanted it.. Another benefit of working the park leagues is the camaraderie of the officials from all levels. James "Pookie" Wilson It is geographically at the base of a large cliff named Coogan's Bluff. Partnering with SLAM to put on the SLAM Summer Classic Vol. Holcombe Rucker expanded to after-school programs during the school year and formed the Pro Division in 1950. Streety also played for Murray State and is regarded as one of the most underappreciated streetball talents ever. As someone who played college ball myself, its been incredible to work with experts in this space. Zarba, Kane Fitzgerald and Marat Kogut are three recent products of thePro-Am Referee Training and Development Programthat have made it all the way to the NBA. Archibald returned to Rucker Park every summer, even after he had made it to stardom. Decades ago those names included the likes of basketball Hall of Famers Julius (Dr. J) Erving, Lew Alcindor (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar), Earl Monroe and Wilt Chamberlain. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". However, that summer eventually became the. In order to limit the Rucker ruckus, we left the players unranked. Thats why that park is special. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Thanks to NBA's original documentary 'The Doctor', aired in 2013, we were able to get a glimpse of Julius Erving playing at the famed Rucker Park.. Julius put on a show for the crowd. At one time, only Earl Manigault was a bigger name. RUCKER PARK STREETBALL LEAGUE Schedule June 14 - August 29, 2021 NEW YORK, New York Info Schedule Teams Venues Documents Travel/Lodging Download the Tri-State Classic / Jordan Brand App Click on a division below or search for a team to view the schedule. Greg Marius Court at Holcombe Rucker Park is a basketball court in Harlem, Manhattan, New York City, at 155th Street and Frederick Douglass Boulevard, just east of the former Polo Grounds site. 22.6k Followers, 805 Following, 473 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from EBC at Rucker Park (@ebcruckerpark) He would pull up to the Rucker and double-park his Rolls Royce then go put in work. LeBron played for Jay-Z's team S. Carter in 2003 at Rucker Park. So when I think about Drew, I think about family and empowerment on and off the court. We dont come there giving you roses, one player said. For one, the park features a wooden court as opposed to concrete or asphalt. The article is made available for educational use by individuals. 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. Hammond, the Harlem legend, was known as "The Destroyer" for his game-changing scoring outbursts. It has also played host to legendary face-offs between amateurs from the neighborhood and stars like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain and Julius Irving. 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. Rucker started a basketball tournament in 1950 in order to help less . players union. 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. 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. 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. Such as:He got game, Above The Rim,Hallowed Ground. It needs the relationships and the connections with other brands and the support. I career didn't go exactly as planned, Homicide still drew the interest of NBA scouts. Here I am now refereeing with an NBA official, Morrissey said. His goal was to provide leadership and a leg up for thousands of boys and girls. While there are plenty of other parks and leagues around New York City, as well as across the country, the Rucker Park Summer League, which is held from mid-June until about mid-August, is unique in many aspects. At NYU, Ramsey earned All-American honors and teamed up with future Boston Celtics legend Thomas "Satch" Sanders to form one of the greatest playground frontcourts in history. 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. North (Riverside, Calif.) summer league team in 1993 before returning to New York and creating history at the Rucker. He didn't play in the League, but earned his nickname at the Entertainer's Basketball Classic up at Rucker. The leagues in New York have been a hotbed for players and officials for years, Gilbert noted. You get to talk with the other officials, whether its halftime or after the game, Mensah said. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. 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. We won't send you spam. 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. Bryant, the former Los Angeles Lakers superstar who died last year, earned both cheers and jeers from a lively crowd during his 2002 appearance. They just want to see a good basketball game., The people in New York City know all the facets of good basketball, added Morrissey. Stacey Marius, Gregs sister, said that her brother had this vision of bringing his love for hip-hop and basketball and getting them together and having tournaments, but in a place where it was a high-profile tournament that everybody could enjoy.. 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. "Jumpin" Jackie Jackson Underneath the 155th Street bridge is Rucker Park, quite possibly the most famous playground in basketball. trademarks of Slam Media Inc. All rights reserved. Sometimes when youre outside theres an issue of security, Morrissey noted. He was shocked that a little 18-year-old kid was giving it to him like that, Wells said. At a shade under 6-foot-5, Jackson was one of the game's first great leapers. For more Harlem news, subscribe to the email newsletter from Harlem Patch. We give you the best playground basketball courts in America. Commerce (New York, N.Y.) '55 "Rucker Park, to me, is pretty much like Madison Square Garden to NBA players," Williams said. For us, Drew League, Rucker Park, and AEBL were no-brainers because they are legendary summer basketball leagues. ONE37pm: What else do you want people to know about this partnership? Boys (Brooklyn, N.Y.) '60 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. We can't wait to bring TBT-style basketball to this historic location and hallowed basketball ground. Roberts said that the renovation would also extend the legacies of those who brought fame to the park and court. The park was renamed after him as the Holcombe Rucker Playground in 1974. He also killed cats at the Rucker when he wasn't at UCLA winning three NCAA titles. Rucker Park was called the P.S. Few streetball players have the style and substance of Kirkland. But the court, widely known as "the Rucker," has seen better days: its pavement is cracking, its gates are missing and broken, and its bleachers were damaged by a recent winter storm, Parks Department officials told a Harlem community board this month. It needs to have the support that we used to have..