Locale & Links
Nick Gutowski
By Scot Meyer
SwitchYard Media, Inc. - contact | website
Designed and produced by Lang Kirchheimer
SwitchYard Media, Inc. - contact | website
A production of SwitchYard Media, Inc.
Rucker Park (New York City)
The most famous streetball venue in the world is The Rucker, located at 155th Street and Frederick Douglas Boulevard in Manhattan's Harlem neighborhood. The action here dates back to 1946, when a junior high school teacher and city parks department recreational director named Holcombe Rucker started a summer basketball tournament with the goal of giving local teens some direction and discipline. He inspired thousands of "Rucker kids" who went on to college and then to careers as teachers, doctors, lawyers and business owners.
Great basketball is Rucker's other legacy. Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Julius Erving were among the stars who played at Rucker Park during the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, sometimes getting whipped by local legends like "Jumping" Jackie Jackson and Earl "The Goat" Manigault, who never made the big leagues but pioneered the crossover dribbles, behind-the-back passes and big dunks that would later transform the way the game was played in the NBA.
Jerryd Bayless, Michael Beasley and Kevin Love are some of the more recent pros who've played at The Rucker, which is now formally known as Holcombe Rucker Memorial Park.
ADDRESS:
155th St. and Frederick Douglass Blvd., New York, N.Y.
SEARCH:
SEARCH:
The Cage (New York City)
Another storied Gotham playground court is popularly known as "The Cage," both for the 20-foot-high chain link fence that marks its perimeter and the fast, aggressive play that predominates within.
Located on West Fourth Street and Sixth Avenue in the heart of Manhattan's Greenwich Village, the place definitely has an urban flavor, with subway trains rumbling underneath the players' feet. It is also one of the nation's most competitive public basketball courts, despite being barely half regulation size.
The West Fourth Street Pro-Classic League estimates that its games attract more than 100,000 spectators over the course of the summer season, and even pick-up games draw crowds of onlookers, many of them foreign tourists and other passersby mesmerized by the action. Famous Cage alumni include Dr. J, Walter Berry, Jayson Williams and Anthony Mason.
ADDRESS:
West Fourth St. and Sixth Ave., New York, N.Y.
SEARCH:
West Fourth Street Pro-Classic League
DC Parks and Recreation
Barry Farms (Washington, D.C.)
Dramatic dunks are the rule at the Goodman League, which will mark its 29th anniversary this summer. Played at Washington's top streetball locale, the Barry Farms Recreation Center at 1230 Sumner Road, the games attract thousands of fans as well as top college and pro players, including Wizards stars like Gilbert Arenas and Andray Blatche.
The Washington Post says Barry Farms has the reputation of being in one of the District's roughest neighborhoods, but adds that the local court has been drawing throngs of fans since NBA stars started playing there in 2005. Contributing to the venue's appeal is the patter of Miles Rawls, a federal police officer who has served as the league's commissioner for more than 12 years.
ADDRESS:
1230 Sumner Rd., Washington, D.C.
SEARCH:
Chicago Park District
Jackson Park (Chicago)
For local history buffs the surrounding green space is most notable as the site of the 1893 Chicago World's Fair (officially the World's Columbian Exposition, in honor of the 400th anniversary of Columbus' voyage to the New World). But for hoops fans (and their videogame playing counterparts) the local blacktop, located just off South Lake Shore Drive, was truly immortalized when it was one of 10 real-life locations included as a playable venue in the 2002 game "Street Hoops."
One more bit of trivia: Probably the most famous guy to have played pickup ball in Jackson Park, to non-sports fans at least, is President Barack Obama.
ADDRESS:
6401 South Stony Island Ave., Chicago
SEARCH:
Mosswood Park (Oakland, Calif.)
Bay area native Jason Kidd, who plays for the Dallas Mavericks, is one of the NBA stars who honed his chops at Mosswood Park's two courts. He was reportedly mentored there by Gary Payton, another Mosswood regular, who spent 13 years with the Seattle SuperSonics (1990 to 2003) before finishing his career with the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat.
Besides pickup ball, Mosswood Park hosts an annual 3-on-3 summer tournament frequented by pros from the area. The local streetball legend is Demetrius "Hook" Mitchell, who was the subject of a 2003 documentary. The 5-foot-9-inch player, whose chance at a professional basketball career was thwarted by his involvement in drugs and crime, is best known for executing a 360-degree dunk over a car.
ADDRESS:
W MacArthur Blvd between Webster St. and Broadway, Oakland, Calif.
SEARCH:
Venice Beach (Los Angeles)
A picturesque place to play basketball, with nearby palm trees and Pacific Ocean breezes, the courts at Venice Beach, Calif., are also home to some serious action.
The local streetball scene was immortalized in the 1992 film "White Men Can't Jump," starring Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson. Parts of the movie were filmed on the Venice Beach courts.
The venue's proximity to Hollywood continues to boost its visibility. The summertime Venice Basketball League bills itself as the first televised streetball competition, with the on-court action available for online viewing, where it is supplemented by live DJs and MCs. In 2007 the league founded an auxiliary aimed at local children, called the Kids Venice Basketball League, which strives to promote discipline, good health and basketball skills among underprivileged youngsters -- just like at Rucker Park in New York City, all those years ago.
ADDRESS:
1800 Ocean Front Walk Venice, Calif. 90291
SEARCH:
SEARCH:
16th & Susquehanna (Philadelphia)
Photo and video shoots promoting the AND 1 Mix Tape Tour helped raise the profile of this schoolyard basketball destination, located just off the Temple University campus in North Central Philadelphia. The tour, sponsored by the sports shoe and apparel maker AND 1, showcased famous streetballers from around the country, including Philly's Aaron "AO" Owens, who made his name on courts like the ones at 16th Street and West Susquehanna Avenue.
The Mix Tapes, released as a promotional tool and also televised on ESPN 2, helped boost awareness of streetball, even in neighborhoods with no well-known courts of their own.
ADDRESS:
16th & Susquehanna, Philadelphia
SEARCH: