James Williams | |
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Born | |
Occupation | American streetball basketball |
James "Speedy" Williams is a streetball basketball player from the Bronx, NY who has been called a "Rucker Park legend". [1] [2] He attended Morris High School in the Bronx. [3] He played at Medgar Evers College where he averaged 26 points per game, [4] later going on to play with the Harlem Globetrotters and the Continental Basketball Association. [5] He played 10 seasons with the United States Basketball League and the Harlem Wizards. [4]
He served as an advisor and played a role in the film Above The Rim . [6] It was alleged that he along with Kerry Thompson made a big living playing in drug money sponsored basketball games. [7]
Williams was the winner in the March to the Garden Tournament [8] and the 1 on 1 tournament winner at Madison Square Garden. [3]
Julius Winfield Erving II, commonly known by the nickname Dr. J, is an American former professional basketball player. Erving helped legitimize the American Basketball Association (ABA), and he was the best-known player in that league when it merged into the National Basketball Association (NBA) after the 1975–1976 season.
Anthony Jerome "Spud" Webb is an American former professional basketball player. Webb, who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA), is known for winning a Slam Dunk Contest despite being one of the shortest players in NBA history, being listed at 5 ft 6 in (168 cm) tall. He is currently the president of basketball operations for the Texas Legends, the NBA G League team for the Dallas Mavericks in Frisco, Texas.
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. It is geographically at the base of a large cliff named Coogan's Bluff. Many who have played at the park in the Entertainer's Basketball Classic achieved a level of fame for their abilities, and several have gone on to play in the National Basketball Association (NBA).
Earl Manigault was an American street basketball player who was nicknamed "The Goat" or "The Lip". He is widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players to never play in the National Basketball Association (NBA).
Samuel Lee Worthen is an American former NBA player who currently is touring as the coach of the Washington Generals, the team that perennially loses to the Harlem Globetrotters. He was well known for his play at the Rucker Park Tournament.
The Harlem Wizards is a professional basketball team created in 1962 by sports promoter Howie Davis. Unlike most basketball teams, the Harlem Wizards are not primarily focused on winning games. Instead, their aim is to entertain the crowd using a variety of basketball tricks and alley oops. They perform fundraisers at local schools for the students and the rest of the community, displaying their fancy trickery through dribbling, passing, shooting, and dunking. Through these fundraisers, they have raised millions of dollars for "charitable organizations, schools, and foundations around the world." The audience is not only there to watch the Wizards, but also to participate in the show. The Wizards get the crowd involved, often bringing children out onto the floor to be part of a basketball trick or a comedy act.
Paul "Pablo" Robertson (1944–1990) was an American professional basketball player and member of the Harlem Globetrotters. At college, Robertson played on the 1962–63 Loyola University Chicago squad that won the NCAA tournament, although Robertson was dropped in the middle of the season due to grades.
Kareem Reid is a former point guard in the National Basketball Development League. He played college basketball for the University of Arkansas Razorbacks, and went on to play professionally in several leagues in the United States and Europe. Reid is also a well known street-ball player in the Bronx, playing in the Rucker Park league, where he won three consecutive championships at the Entertainers Ballers Classic from 2002 to 2004.
Holcombe Rucker was a playground director in Harlem for the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation from 1948 to 1964. He founded the New York City pro-am basketball tournament, that still bears his name and is the namesake of a world-famous basketball court in Harlem.
James "Fly" Williams is an American former professional basketball player. He played in the American Basketball Association (ABA) for the Spirits of St. Louis and with multiple teams in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA). A street basketball player from New York, he once scored 100 points in an IS8 League game in 1978.
"Jumpin" Jackie Jackson was an American professional basketball player. Jackson was one of the first streetball legends in the Rucker Playground Basketball Tournaments in New York City in the early 1960s. He went on to a 20-year career with the Harlem Globetrotters, earning his nickname by allegedly snatching a quarter from the top of a basketball backboard on a bet.
Linked to the popularity of basketball in Puerto Rico, the recurrence of streetball has become intertwined with the practice of the sport in all of its levels. Taking influence from the grassroots connection of Nuyorican streetballers to the Baloncesto Superior Nacional, the practice is widespread in Puerto Rico, with impromptu games being a highly common occurrence for decades. Organized streetball gained momentum in the early 2000s and soon became involved with the local urban culture, especially the hip hop and reggaeton industries, giving origin to teams like Puerto Rico Streetball and the Puerto Rico Streetballers. Organizations based in Puerto Rico have played against foreign competition, with the results including the first win of an international team over the prominent AND1 Live Tour Team. Teams native to the archipelago are affiliated to the Street Basketball Association and FIBA's 3x3 basketball program.
Richie Adams is an American former basketball player known for his college basketball career at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) as well as for his manslaughter conviction of a 15-year-old girl later in his life.
Joe Hammond, nicknamed "The Destroyer", is an American former streetball basketball player based in Harlem, New York. He attended Taft High School in the Bronx, but he dropped out of school in the 9th grade and thus never played college basketball. He played professionally in the Eastern Basketball Association (EBA) with the Allentown Jets and Garden State Colonials.
Larry "Bone Collector" Williams is an American streetball basketball player who earned the name the Bone Collector for his ability to "break players' ankles".
James "Pookie" Wilson was a streetballer from Far Rockaway, Queens in New York City.
Malloy Nesmith Sr. is a former streetball player from New York City. He is originally from The Bronx, NY. In high school, he played at James Monroe High School, finishing in 1988. He played college ball at Utah State He left because of academics and dislike of the schools slow basketball style of play. He is considered to be a legendary streetball player and point guard who played at Rucker Park. He played as part of the Bad Boy Entertainment Squad. At the Rucker, he played against a number of NBA stars. He was the subject of a book, Swee'pea: The Story of Lloyd Daniels and Other Playground Basketball Legends. He was a regular at the Entertainers Ball Classic. He was featured in the NBA dribbling commercial. He played professionally at the Dominican Republic with the Gregorio Urbano Gilbert
Entertainer's Basketball Classic is a basketball tournament held at Rucker Park in New York City. It was founded by Greg Marius in 1982. In 1986, the original Rucker Park Tournament became the Entertainers Basketball Classic. Participants of the tournament include NBA professionals such as Allen Iverson, Stephon Marbury, Wilt Chamberlain, Kobe Bryant, Julius Erving, Kyrie Irving, as well NCAA elite players from schools like Syracuse University.
Kenny Hutchinson is an American former basketball player. He emerged as a top college prospect while playing basketball in New York City at Benjamin Franklin High School and Martin Luther King Jr. High School. While playing at Franklin, Hutchinson was part of a star line-up alongside Richie Adams, Gary Springer and Walter Berry. He won a state championship in 1982 before the school closed down that same year. Hutchinson transferred to King for his final year, where he was named a second-team Parade All-American in 1983. During his high school years, he was an avid streetball basketball player at Rucker Park participating in the Entertainer's Basketball Classic.
Artie Green is a former basketball player in the United States. Artie Green is from the Soundview area of Bronx, NY. He played at Taft High School (Bronx), and had the nickname "Jumping" Artie Green. He was also known as high jumping Artie Green. His last nickname was Artie Grasshopper Green. He was well known for his dunking ability. Artie also was famous for playing at the Rucker Park. https://wiki.muscoop.com/doku.php/men_s_basketball/artie_green