Rucker Park

Last updated

Greg Marius Court
at Holcombe Rucker Park
Rucker Park (WTM wikiWhat 023).jpg
Rucker Park in 2008, with Frederick Douglass Boulevard at left
Rucker Park
Location Manhattan, New York City
Coordinates 40°49′46″N73°56′11″W / 40.829564°N 73.936465°W / 40.829564; -73.936465
Area3.05 acres (1.23 ha)
Owned by NYC Parks
Website www.nycgovparks.org/parks/holcombe-rucker-park

Greg Marius Court at Holcombe Rucker Park is a basketball court at the border of Harlem and the Coogan's Bluff section of Washington Heights neighborhoods of Manhattan, 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. [1] Many who have played at the park in the Entertainer's Basketball Classic (also known as the Rucker Tournament) achieved a level of fame for their abilities, and several have gone on to play in the National Basketball Association (NBA).

Contents

History

The park was established in 1956 next to PS 156; the school closed in 1981. [2] The land that the park is on was once the site of the 8th Avenue Railroad Company. [2] Since 1974, the park has been named after Holcombe Rucker, a local teacher and a playground director for the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. [3] Rucker started a basketball tournament in 1950 in order to help less-fortunate kids stay off the streets and aim for college careers. [1] [4] The players in the Rucker Tournament featured slam dunks, crossover dribbles, and bravado that excited the crowd, a playing style then foreign to the National Basketball Association (NBA). [5]

In June 2017, New York City mayor Bill de Blasio dedicated the court to Greg Marius, founder of the Entertainer's Basketball Classic streetball tournament held at the park. [6] The park underwent $520,000 in renovations between August and October 2021, funded in part by the National Basketball Players Association and New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. [7] In addition to the basketball court, the park has a baseball field, handball courts, children's playground, bathrooms, and a spray shower. [3]

Rucker Park was featured in the TNT television film On Hallowed Ground: Streetball Champions of Rucker Park, which aired in 2000 and won a Sports Emmy Award. It was also featured in the 2018 film Uncle Drew .

In 2022, Rucker Park became the first outdoor venue for The Basketball Tournament, a single-elimination winner-take-all tournament with a $1 million prize, acting as one of eight regional venues of the competition. [8]

Notable players

Although many professional basketball players have played at the court after gaining prominence, many others developed their basketball skills at Rucker prior to becoming notable in the sport. Notable players who have played at Rucker Park include:

Other amateur players who made a name for themselves at Rucker but never played in the ABA or NBA included Earl Manigault, Joe Hammond and Pee Wee Kirkland. [19] [20]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rafer Alston</span> American basketball player (born 1976)

Rafer Jamel Alston, also known as Skip to my Lou or Skip 2 My Lou, is an American retired professional basketball player. Alston first gained basketball fame playing in the AND1 Mixtape Tour in 1999 before joining the National Basketball Association (NBA) with the Milwaukee Bucks. While in the NBA from 1999 to 2010, he played for six teams, including the 2008–09 Orlando Magic team that made the NBA Finals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Streetball</span> Variation of basketball

Streetball is a variation of basketball, typically played on outdoor courts and featuring significantly less formal structure and enforcement of the game's rules. As such, its format is more conducive to allowing players to publicly showcase their own individual skills. Streetball may also refer to other urban sports played on asphalt. It is particularly popular and important in New York City and Los Angeles, though its popularity has spread across the United States due to the game's adaptability.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Fourth Street Courts</span> Athletic venue in Manhattan, New York

The West Fourth Street Courts, also known as "The Cage", are a notable public athletic venue for amateur basketball in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. "The Cage" has become one of the most important tournament sites for the citywide "Streetball" amateur basketball tournament, and is noted for its non-regulation size.

Jamaal Lee Tinsley is an American former professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Tinsley played college basketball for the Iowa State Cyclones. Following his senior year, he was drafted by the Vancouver Grizzlies with the 27th pick of the 2001 NBA draft and was immediately dealt to the Atlanta Hawks, and then to the Indiana Pacers on draft night. Tinsley played 11 seasons in the NBA, primarily with the Pacers, as well as the Grizzlies and Jazz.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Earl Manigault</span> American street basketball player (1944–1998)

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).

Raymond Darlington Felix was an American professional basketball player. He was born in New York City. He played high school basketball at Metropolitan High School in New York and college basketball at Long Island University. Felix was the No. 1 overall pick of the 1953 NBA draft.

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.

"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.

The 2001–02 NBA season was the Pacers' 26th season in the National Basketball Association, and 35th season as a franchise. During the off-season, the Pacers acquired first round draft pick Jamaal Tinsley from the Atlanta Hawks, who had acquired him from the Memphis Grizzlies, and signed free agent Carlos Rogers. The Pacers won six of their first eight games, but then lost seven of their next nine games and played around .500 for most of the first half of the season, holding a 25–25 record at the All-Star break. At midseason, the team traded Jalen Rose and Travis Best to the Chicago Bulls in exchange for Ron Artest, Brad Miller and Ron Mercer. With a 37–40 record in mid April, the Pacers would win their final five games of the regular season, and sneak into the playoffs as the #8 seed in the Eastern Conference, finishing fourth in the Central Division with a 42–40 record.

The Dyckman Basketball Tournament is one of the premier summer streetball tournaments in New York City. It is located in Monsignor Kett Playground a.k.a. Dyckman Park in the Washington Heights/Inwood section of Manhattan. What was a one division, six-team tournament in its first season in 1990 is currently a tournament with six age divisions, containing a total of 77 teams. Its college/pro division is the most notable of them all, on any given night you are liable to see NBA, NCAA, and overseas professionals on the court.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Streetball in Puerto Rico</span> Popularity of basketball in Puerto Rico

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.

James "Speedy" Williams is a streetball basketball player from the Bronx, NY who has been called a "Rucker Park legend". He attended Morris High School in the Bronx. He played at Medgar Evers College where he averaged 26 points per game, later going on to play with the Harlem Globetrotters and the Continental Basketball Association. He played 10 seasons with the United States Basketball League and the Harlem Wizards.

James "Pookie" Wilson was a streetballer from Far Rockaway, Queens in New York City.

John Strickland was a former professional basketball and streetball player. He was a native of Washington Heights NYC who left to play college basketball. He later played at Hawaii Pacific University where he averaged a double-double each season. He went on to play at the USBL for 6 seasons where he averaged 22 points per game. He also played for the Albany Patroons of the CBA. In 2008, he was a CBA All Star. He died in 2010 at the age of 40.

Shamel Jones is a former collegiate basketball player and streetball player. Jones skipped over St John's University, UNLV, and TCU to play for Georgetown. Jones originally played for the 1996–97 Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball team and later the University of Memphis. He took Memphis to the NIT championships during his time there. The 6'9 forward originally played for Paul Robeson HS along with Lamar Odom. He was considered to be a city Basketball legend. He played basketball in Brazil for Winner/Kabum Limeira. He teamed with James Speedy Williams in streetball tournaments in New York City.

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.

Robert McCullough is a former basketball player from New York. He was widely known as a streetball player at Rucker Park. McCullough and Fred Crawford started the Rucker Pro Tournament in honor of mentor Holcombe Rucker.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 History in the Making at Rucker's Park Archived June 16, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  2. 1 2 "Holcombe Rucker Park Highlights". nycgovparks.org. Retrieved July 16, 2022.
  3. 1 2 "Holcombe Rucker Park". nycgovparks.org. Retrieved July 16, 2022.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Nunyo, DeMasio (August 21, 1995). "Carrying On an Asphalt Legacy". The New York Times . Retrieved October 6, 2007.
  5. ↑ Pomerantz, Gary M. (2005). Wilt, 1962: The Night of 100 Points and the Dawn of a New Era . New York: Crown. pp.  123–4. ISBN   1-4000-5160-6.
  6. ↑ "Holcombe Rucker Playground Highlights - Greg Marius Court : NYC Parks". www.nycgovparks.org. Retrieved October 11, 2021.
  7. ↑ Abrams, Jonathan; Geathers, Anthony (October 10, 2021). "A Street Basketball Mecca Gets a Face-Lift". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved October 11, 2021.
  8. ↑ Casey, Tim (July 15, 2022). "How The Basketball Tournament Landed Harlem's Famed Rucker Park As Its First Outdoor Venue". Forbes . Retrieved July 16, 2022.
  9. ↑ Steve, Popper (January 18, 2003). "Nets Win, but Challenging Trip Awaits". The New York Times . Retrieved October 7, 2007. With the Rucker Park legend Rafer Alston now the biggest attraction for Toronto, the Nets' only moments of suspense came when they attempted to compile their own mix of highlights.
  10. 1 2 Zengerie, Jason (February 20, 1964). "Empty Garden: Why did New York stop growing basketball stars?". Williamson Daily News . Retrieved August 4, 2023.
  11. ↑ Mallozzi, Vincent M. (2003). Asphalt Gods: An Oral History of the Rucker Tournament. New York: Knopf Doubleday. Retrieved March 9, 2016.
  12. ↑ "Connie Hawkins: Thoughts on Wilt" . Retrieved July 3, 2009.
  13. 1 2 3 Mallozzi, Vincent M. (June 24, 2007). "His Eyes Have Seen the Glory of Rucker Park". The New York Times . Retrieved June 28, 2010.
  14. 1 2 No Name. "Playground Legends: 10 Best NBA Players at Rucker Park". Bleacher Report.
  15. ↑ "St. Bonaventure is 5th Team to Accept NIT Bid". Williamson Daily News . February 20, 1964. Retrieved August 4, 2023.
  16. ↑ "Rucker Park". Basketball.org. June 24, 2007. Archived from the original on April 14, 2013. Retrieved June 28, 2010.
  17. ↑ Mazzeo, Mike (June 14, 2021). "As Kevin Durant's Legendary Night at Rucker Park Turns 10, Brooklyn Nets Could Use 66 Points in Game 5". Forbes.
  18. ↑ Ebanks, Jared (August 2, 2021). "Kevin Durant's 66 Point-Performance at Rucker Park is Still Legendary". SLAM.
  19. 1 2 Walker, Sam (November 27, 2016). "When The Destroyer Joe Hammond ruled street basketball". Roar. Retrieved March 2, 2022.
  20. 1 2 Mallozzi, Vincent M. (2003). Asphalt Gods: An Oral History of the Rucker Tournament. Knopf Doubleday. ISBN   9780385506762.
  21. ↑ via YouTube. "NBA Players At Rucker Park". SI.com.
  22. ↑ Jamaal Tinsley Interview, Inside Hoops , January 7, 2005. Accessed October 7, 2007. "InsideHoops.com: In your high school years, out of the gym, which parks were you playing at? Jamaal Tinsley: Everywhere. West 4th. 68t-h, the Pro-Am tournament. Rucker. Soul in the Hole. That's it, mainly, in New York City."
  23. ↑ "The magical day Kobe Bryant became Lord of the Rings at Rucker Park".
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.