Lucky for them, rucker park offers the creamofthecrop. Rucker park 50th anniversary new york amsterdam news. Many who played at the park in the rucker tournament achieved a level of fame for their abilities, and several have gone on to play in the national. Rucker park legends, nba greats and baller icons pay.
Where basketball legends play harlem streetball michele norris recounts the history of the rucker basketball tournament with author vincent mallozzi, whos new. Rucker park setup, its about basketball, betrayal, and murder. Official facebook site for the ebc entertainers basketball classic street basketball league held at rucker park since 1980. A great book for any basketball fan to relive old memories and learn new details. Rucker park has been the breeding ground for some of the biggest legends in basketball history. Now, legends transmitted by word of mouth find a home and the achievements of basketballs. At 155th street and frederick douglass boulevard legends like dr. On september 23, 1998, harlemlive interviewed phil rucker the son of the the creator of rucker park holcomb rucker. Rucker started a basketball tournament in 1950 in order to help lessfortunate kids stay off the streets and aim for college careers. Pretty standard pickup basketball stuff goes on there, but the regulars wont pass you the ball if you dont play defense, call out screens, or make dumb plays. He got caught in a gambling scandal which cost him much of his career but played with the globetrotters and in the aba, and eventually in the nba but some of. Lakers glory captures the enormity of minneapolislos angeles lakers basketball. Since the fifties rucker park in harlem and hosted summer tournaments that bought names as biggest world chamberlain and connie hawkins to the black top to play a version of the game where style was essential to the substance, the first game you got in on this court here in played like a. The real basketball dealthe inside story of harlems legendary tournament and the pros and playground legends who have made it world famous.
He got caught in a gambling scandal which cost him much of his career but played with the globetrotters and in the aba, and eventually in the nba but some of his greatest games were at rucker park. To reserve space, please see our athletic permits and applications page. Holcombe ruckers lessons were given through basketball. An interesting book describing the phenomenal basketball. Rucker park in harlem rich in basketball history and black history rucker park is known around the world as the basketball court right off frederick douglass boulevard in harlem. Some occasional girlsjuniors games start around 4pm. An oral history of the rucker tournament as want to read. Donhauser in the foreword to a book of photographs whose publication accompanies next weeks opening of citygame.
While mackey didnt wield the knife, he feels responsible. The influence that the rucker park games has had on basketball, and the overall culture nationwide, one cannot understate. The clothing brand rucker park was created with the vision of representing the history of these courts and their impact on the both the community and ballers. The rucker park not ebc has afternoon and evening games. Enshrined in hiphop lyrics and new york city lore, the drug kingpin and rucker park street ball legend pee wee kirkland created a revolution all his own in the 1960s and 70s. Theyve known each other forever and spend most of that time involved with basketball. An oral history of the rucker tournament and millions of other books are. Find out why the new york playground is a basketball treasure. 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. From the playgrounds to the nba, new york has invented a way of playing basketball, and. An interesting book describing the phenomenal basketball that has been played in rucker park.
But only true basketball heads know he ran with the j. Entertainers basketball classic is a basketball tournament held at rucker park in new york city. Basketball in new york, at the museum of the city of new york. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, basketball courts are. Entertainers basketball classic is a basketball tournament held at rucker park in new york. 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. Basketball usa in 1960, a award given to the greatest high school basketball player in the country. Rucker park harlem royalty starting with a few tshirts printed with their oversized logo, the brand soon expanded to include all basketball apparel. First established in the 1950s by holcombe rucker, a new york city parks. Since then, the park is a haven for streetballers to show out and build their name.
A brief history of basketball and race, from james naismith to lebron james. This book is a first hand account of a magical time in new york city basketball history. Growing up, i always wanted to come up here and make a name for myself, and i. Begun in the 1950s by young, harlemborn holcombe rucker, the tournaments included some of basketballs great games throughout the decades. On saturday, june 22, 2019, harlem will be celebrating basketball returning to rucker park of course in harlem, ny.
Harlems rucker park amateur basketball tournaments combine street players and wannabes in a showcase of slamdunk explosive talent. A well written gem that any fan of the game will enjoy. Rucker park basketball is very entertaining, and its lovely for the kids to watch. Find books like rucker park setup from the worlds largest community of readers. The real basketball dealthe inside story of harlems legendary tournament and the pros and. Not all of them have made the most of their talent and taken their game to the nba, but a lot of the finest products to come from the famed rucker park have also gone on to become nba legends. Asphalt gods is a streetwise, supremely entertaining oral history of a tournament that has influenced everything from nba playing style to hiphop culture. Greg marius, founder of the entertainers basketball classic, attended the introduction of a new basketball shoe in august at holcombe rucker park in harlem, the site of the classic. It is geographically at the base of a large cliff named coogans bluff. The following is an excerpt from the ebook the crossover. The rucker basketball tournaments were started in 1950.
However you dont get to see a whole lot of basketball footage. Rucker park prep announces collaboration with def jam. First established in the 1950s by holcombe rucker, a new york city parks department. Participants of the tournament include nba professionals and ncaa elite players including allen iverson, stephon marbury, wilt chamberlain, kobe bryant, julius erving, kyrie irving, from schools like syracuse. Rucker park is known as the most famous streetball court in the world. Entertainers basketball classic ebc with game 1 at 6pm and game 2 at 8pm. To the new yorker untrained in the basketball lexicon, the court at the corner of 155 th street and frederick douglass boulevard at the outer border of harlem looks like another basketball court and park in a city filled with them. The greg marius basketball court first gained notoriety when holcombe rucker, a teacher and playground director for the new york city department of parks and recreation, started a basketball tournament for neighborhood kids in 1950.
The author skillfully covers the play of both nba legends and incredibly talented locals. J, the iceman and wilt chamberlain played and honed their basketball skills. Highlighting a littleknown piece of new york history, mallozzi, a sports editor at the new york times, documents the harlem basketball institution called the rucker tournament. The rucker tournament drew players from the professional leagues as well as street legends. Rucker park in harlem, new york, is the mekka for all streetball players. The park has long been the scene of pickup games and tournaments between actual proplayers and the best street players ever.
Basketball as we know it began in springfield, massachusetts, in 1891, but its real history is a new york story, writes whitney w. Goodreads members who liked rucker park setup also liked. Organized leagues or special events need a permit to use an athletic field or court. Nice work from a guy who lived this life with these guys. Today, the harlem playground that bears his name, rucker park, is revered. Rucker invented summer basketball because he didnt want it to only be a winter sport. These and dozens of other colorfully nicknamed men are the asphalt gods, whose astounding exploits in the rucker. But nearly every basketball legend in new york would agree that the citys real basketball mecca is rucker park. Players who want to express their connection with this basketball court so rich in tradition, wear the brand rucker park.
Continuing in the tradition of holcomb rucker who founded the legendary rucker park basketball association in 1947 and the late greg marius pictured, who in 1982 extended the brand with the creation of the entertainers basketball classic ebc, harlem welcomes the newly formed. The real rucker park legends is an interesting look into the history of the rucker park. Raptors top warriors for 1st title in team history. In 1986, the original rucker park tournament became the entertainers basketball classic. This is really more for those who want to learn more about this legendary court and its players in the past. It began with a few tshirts on which the big logo was. Come for the 55minute ride as we gather the floating mysteries and legends of rucker park in a time long gone from basketball celebration and juxtapose its. York, holcombe rucker established the citys first summer basketball league and tournament. Fat joe and god shammgod discuss the history of rucker park and the figures who added to its legend, like kevin durant, allen iverson, jayz, dr. Rucker parka place where basketballs greatest pro players go up against street legends. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read rucker park setup. According to bleacher report, there is one basketball court, and one alone, that is without a doubt the most famous basketball court on the planet. Mary ruckerthomas is the keeper of the family flame, fueled by the memory of her husband, holcombe rucker, who engaged disadvantaged. Jason terry thinks knicks could win title this year at rucker park september 11, 20 10.
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