You get to talk with the other officials, whether its halftime or after the game, Mensah said. The experience of officiating some of the NBA players increases the excitement level. career, matched against Adrian Walton, better known as Whole Lotta Game. But did you know Wilt also averaged 47.2 ppg his senior season at Overbrook? Morrissey said the way he improved from a skills aspect, and gained the respect from players and fans, was officiating games as often as possible. As his tournament gained in popularity and the Rucker League transformed into a summer pro-am, Rucker managed his connections to secure hundreds of college scholarships for the teenagers he viewed as students before athletes. Well give all the young men and women a weekend to remember, full of energy,competitionand fun. Holcombe Rucker, a Harlem school teacher, staged the first summer Rucker tournament in 1946. Look for this banner for recommended activities. Nation; . Success! You cant rely on a jumper when the wind is blowing 20 miles per hour, noted Morrissey. The city's most important sporting event of the summer was suddenly in the balance. Well, you have to know the dynamic of it, Gilbert said. By doing this we want to foster a harmonious atmosphere (at the games).. 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 disregard a sport designed for the winter. From June 30-July 2, Holcombe Rucker Park in Harlem, New York will play host to a 16-team, invitation-only 17U bracket. Note: This article is archival in nature. He's also been putting in work at the Rucker ever since, earning the moniker as the most dangerous player in the EBC. 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. As his tournament gained in popularity and the Rucker League transformed into a summer pro-am, Rucker managed his connections to secure hundreds of college scholarships for the teenagers he viewed as students before athletes. The goal of the players union is to restore the park as a community asset and attract N.B.A. . 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. 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. 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. 2005 EBC RUCKER PARK STREETBALL PLAYOFFS: Monday, August 15th 6:00 PM (1) Black Wall Street vs. (4) Certified 7:30 PM (1) Don Diva vs. (4) Full Surface/Ruff Ryders Tuesday, August 16th 4:30 PM BOYS Championship 6:00 PM (2) H3/DBand vs. (3) Pearl Harbor 7:30 PM (2) Terror Squad vs. (3) Rich Soil Monstars Wednesday, August 17th He once scored 100 points in a Police Athletic League game where his team scored 102. James "Fly" Williams Cookie Policy All told, the work will "reestablish the court as a state-of-the-art basketball venue," the city said in its presentation. All rights reserved. Underneath the 155th Street bridge is Rucker Park, quite possibly the most famous playground in basketball. Like Earl Manigault before him, Scott finished his high school days at Laurinburg Institute in North Carolina before Dean Smith recruited him as UNC's first African-American scholarship athlete. Everybody wanted it.. Probably the greatest high school player of all-time (sorry, LeBron), Abdul-Jabbar, then known as Lew Alcindor, led Power on a 71-game winning streak. | Rucker Community Web Site Recently, it's players like Corey "Homicide" Williams, who made a huge name for himself during the early 2000s and later went on to play professionally overseas. 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. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. What is The Basketball Tournament? Rucker Park served as the first NBA 2K19 Summer Circuit #8 - Kobe vs Cortez @ RUCKER PARK! These days, Rucker Park is best known as the site of the famous Entertainers Basketball Classic summer league, which features the top streetball talents in New York along with occasional celebrity cameos. Bryant, the former Los Angeles Lakers superstar who died last year, earned both cheers and jeers from a lively crowd during his 2002 appearance. As a child, Michele Roberts occasionally found herself at Holcombe Rucker Park when her older brothers, who were supposed to be babysitting her at home in the South Bronx, would take her to Harlem instead. You see a lot of plays, and if it happens again, you have an idea how to call it.. Rucker Park Gifts & Merchandise for Sale | Redbubble Jay-Z, Fat Joe, and the Greatest Game That Never Was Herman "Helicopter" Knowlings Rucker Park Rich in Basketball History | ACTIVE Since 1980, Rucker Park Streetball League has been the basketball Mecca of NYC's Harlem community. Holcombe Rucker expanded to after-school programs during the school year and formed the Pro Division in 1950. He even had a regular spot on the Globetrotters' 1970s cartoon show. This isnt something that we want to do only during the summer, we want the impact to be year-round. Beginning with this summer's slate of games, the Drew League will leave its longtime partner in Nike for a new multiyear partnership with Adidas. Established as a proving ground for amateurs and pros, as well as a portal to the neighborhood's own basketball dreamscape, Rucker Park Streetball League has endured and evolved with the game, showcasing basketball's best to step between the lines. By The Circuit, 12/06/21, 6:00AM EST. The Texas native didn't play high school ball growing up in SoCal, but he was always practicing his craft. While not everyone can referee Rucker Park League games, there are summer leagues across the country where officials can gain valuable knowledge and experience. It is geographically at the base of a large cliff named Coogan's Bluff. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. 16U, and 15U teams participate in The Circuit League this spring and summer? 28 pick of the 1993 NBA Draft. You have to be strong, you have to communicate and you have to be good. Youre dealing with people with multiple emotions, he said. That summer he also played in the Rucker League, played at the Rucker Park in New York City, and was the second leading scorer, averaging 23 points along with 12 rebounds per game; during the competition he faced professional players like Stephon Marbury, Ray Allen, Zach Randolph and Omar Cook. 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. legends like Wilt Chamberlain, Lew Alcindor (later known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) and Julius Erving, who went by the nickname the Claw at the park long before he was known as Dr. J. A McDonald's All-American at Brooklyn Tech, McCrae was the No. Rucker Park is something that just about everybody knows, and people understand the history and the heritage of playing basketball outside. 4 Returns on August 20 at Rucker Park The SLAM Summer Classic is BACK. Having grown up in the city, Mensah is familiar with NYC park ball, where the games can get physical and tempers often flare. 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. The history of some men isn't evident until . 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. Far Rockaway (Queens, N.Y.) The renovations at the Rucker are personal for many NBA players, who have personal histories at the court, as well as for Roberts herself, who said her brothers took her to the park to shoot hoops while she was growing up in the South Bronx. The park was established in 1956 next to PS 156; the school closed in 1981. Downtown, the United Nations headquarters had gone dark. 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. North (Riverside, Calif.) summer league team in 1993 before returning to New York and creating history at the Rucker. And thats similar to how Mensah and Morrissey got their starts. XFL Week 3 preview: Can AJ McCarron, Battlehawks continue their fourth-quarter heroics? If somebody asked me to go, I went, he said. Subscribe to get the Referee.com Review every week plus periodic free training and special offers on the sports you officiate. So when I think about Drew, I think about family and empowerment on and off the court. Kevin Durant Is Victorious In Rucker Park Return - VIBE.com Not long ago, players like Kobe Bryant, Allen Iverson and Vince Carter made the pilgrimage to West 155th Street and Frederick Douglass Boulevard to a court that is tiny in area, but large in cultural and historical significance. We dont come there giving you roses, one player said. Charlie Scott But she soaked in the excitement and energy from the crowd, the laughter from the bellies, the yelling from the lungs, in what amounted to one large block party at West 155th Street and what was then known just as Eighth Avenue, with basketball as the eternal soundtrack. Holcombe Rucker Park Highlights : NYC Parks 22.6k Followers, 805 Following, 473 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from EBC at Rucker Park (@ebcruckerpark) He had to tie his sneakers a little tighter.. His goal was to provide leadership and a leg up for thousands of boys and girls. 156, and it further gathered steam when a similar pro league was started for professional players to compete in the offseason. With Rucker Park, I think about History. Rucker opened the court in order to start up a legendary basketball tournament amongst Harlem's greatest street ballers, nicknamed the "Rucker League", with a generous mission of providing. Well be telling the history.. Power Memorial (New York, N.Y.) '65 Boys (Brooklyn, N.Y.) '58 All of his experience brought Gilbert, now 50, back to where he first learned the game, the parks of New York City. You could step on someones foot and break your leg if youre not careful, Mensah noted. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of all the cookies. Youll see N.B.A. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. I career didn't go exactly as planned, Homicide still drew the interest of NBA scouts. Holcombe Rucker expanded to after-school programs during the school year and formed the Pro Division in 1950. 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. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". Harlem's Rucker Park To Host Big, Televised Basketball Tournament Know someone who'd like Harlem news in their inbox? Thegirlsgame will tip off at 5 p.m. and the boys game will tip off at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 20, 2022. This place is very legendary in the urban community. Earl "The Goat" Manigault Veterans: Wilt Chamberlain, Julius "The Doctor" Erving, Connie Hawkins, Joe "Destroyer" Hammond, Tiny Archibald . At a shade under 6-foot-5, Jackson was one of the game's first great leapers. Reggie White Tournament Registration 2023 Theme by SiteOrigin Theme by SiteOrigin St. Raymond's (Bronx, N.Y.) '94 Even more than his handle, Williams' biggest asset is confidence. Sports achievements are always in need of reflection. We dont care about your accolades and credibility in the N.B.A. We won't send you spam. His lasting legacy is actually coaching kids throughout New York through his work with the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. He was an overlooked contributor at powerhouse Rice, but earned NJCAA All-American honors at Penn Valley Community College in Missouri. 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. Scott is one of the most accomplished players ever to roll through the Rucker. It does not store any personal data. The Rucker Park weekend schedule is: Anyone around, show up and play. Rafer "Skip To My Lou" Alston 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. The future of the NFL combine: Is there really a chance it could end forever? Yall ready for this? The level of competition and intensity is amazing. Another benefit of working the park leagues is the camaraderie of the officials from all levels. SLAM Summer Classic Vol. The work will a new court surface, high-quality backboards and hoops, new bleachers, benches and park gates, and a new scoreboard that will be easier for community members to program. players had mostly stopped playing at Rucker Park out of fear of risking their increasingly lucrative contracts. Trust me. The SLAM Summer Classic is unlike any other high school basketball game! 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. 1,489 were here. He made his name and became famous, however, at the Rucker. 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. It would be hard to shoot if you would go to the corner.. ", "His Eyes Have Seen the Glory of Rucker Park", "Playground Legends: 10 Best NBA Players at Rucker Park", "As Kevin Durant's Legendary Night at Rucker Park Turns 10, Brooklyn Nets Could Use 66 Points in Game 5", "Kevin Durant's 66 Point-Performance at Rucker Park is Still Legendary", "When The Destroyer Joe Hammond ruled street basketball", Court profile of Rucker Park basketball court, Photo gallery: Hopefuls Tryout for Rucker Park Basketball Tournament, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rucker_Park&oldid=1141442658, This page was last edited on 25 February 2023, at 02:43. 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. It encouraged me to work even harder.. In August, the players union announced it had joined with the citys Department of Parks and Recreation, among others, to give the court a substantial face-lift that would cost $520,000 and to create a recreation position for Rucker Park and the nearby Jackie Robinson Recreation Center. 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. You get the idea what kind of mood the player is in. The National Basketball Players Association is donating $360,000 to revitalize Harlem's historic Rucker Park. Those local players never received mainstream recognition as NBA talents, but they are still talked about in New York today. 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). What can they expect when they go to a game this summer? 4 areGatorade, Spalding, Def Jam, CLOT, the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA), Champs Sports,SHOWTIMEandNike. [2] The land that the park is on was once the site of the 8th Avenue Railroad Company. Dr. J producing TV series based on Rucker Park book 'Asphalt Gods'