PR Pro Legends squad (Coach Santos Negron not pictured)
On Sunday, the Golden Hoops @ Riverbank State Park featured a legends game between former Puerto Rican Pro players vs. some Rucker Park stars of the ’70s and ’80s. It’s been an annual event for almost a decade now, and the series is basically tied. This year belonged to the crew who yelled out in the huddles, “Boricua!” I love being a part of it.
This contest’s MVP went to Wes Correa. As a National Team member in ‘83 during the Pan-Am Games, he dropped 38 on a US team that featured Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley. He stills plays in Hoops In The Sun and West 4th even though he is now in his mid-40s! H.I.T.S. perenial All-Star Will “Buckets” Cadiz a.k.a. “Silence of the Lambs” was also a big contributor to the W. He played Pro for 1 year on the island, although not many heads here may know.
Andy Chevere and I were teammates for the Arecibo Capitanes back in ‘87, and I hadn’t seen him since (I only played one season and never went back). The crowd got amped on one play when i hit him with a no-look under and thru my legs as he trailed me, then BAM a three from 27′! Nice to see he still had his touch!
Rucker Pro Legends were lead by Leroy “La Luscious Lee” Shaw and Gerald “da-da-da Dancing Doogie” Thomas. A rematch is planned for August 26th @ Orchard Beach.
Arecibo Capitanes (Baloncesto Superior Nacional) program guide 1987. Yeah, that’s me on the left with the tight-ass shorts! The caption reads, “For Bobby this is his first year with Arecibo. He is a guard with a nice handle.”
August 14th, 2007 at 10:01 am
Quickfast says:
It also says you played defense…we all know you gave that part of basketball when you hit 40…i mean even the crowd was yellin it out at SBL…”Bob dont need to play defense, he’s 40, he’s here to hit 3’s, so let him shoot the damn ball”…hahahaha
August 14th, 2007 at 12:31 pm
Jeremy Ripley says:
Bobby (haha),
That program picture is awesome. I’m digging the Weapons on the guy to your right. I thought I remember reading that you guys played in a court surrounded my barbwire and a chain-link fence to keep the fans out? I have no idea where I read that, but that’s wild!
On a completely unrelated note, I found Stretch Armstrong’s blog (Konstant Kontact) and I was able to obtain a few copies of your show to listen to when I went to Houston a few days back…There’s one episode where you were freestyling with Kool Keith (Rhythym X) which was hilarious. You guys moved on to talk about old school cartoons. Awesome stuff!
Peace.
August 14th, 2007 at 1:57 pm
Bobbito Garcia a.k.a. Kool Bob Love says:
no doubt, jeremy. www.konstantkontakt.blogspot.com has a ton of old freestyles and exclusives from me and stretch’s radio show back in the ’90s. i’m glad you’re enjoying it. kool keith was hilarious to have on air everytime!
August 14th, 2007 at 7:46 pm
Santos Negron says:
The Puerto Rico Pro Legends played a terffic team concept
game and they never let up. I believe that the guards control the tempo and kept the ball moving thru out. The bench played exceptional; key contributors was Bobbito Garcia, Mel Cadiz and Ray Jackson. I saw a determine team playing like the knicks of the 70’s.
August 14th, 2007 at 9:20 pm
chris says:
yo don, i got a white.. mask, a black cape, 2 pair of silver gloves.. and nobody know who i am.. i will not take my mask off to reveal..
haha love rhythm x!!!!
yo bob, great game sunday.. i had to rush out real quick cause i had a fantasy football draft to attend. i wanted to say whats up, hopefully next time..
peace
August 15th, 2007 at 7:47 am
Jacek says:
And still Puerto Rico got some nice guards. In my country (Poland) we had some decent players like Ricka Apodaca, Christian Dalmau, Andres
Rodriguez and now some young Carlos Rivera (he will be playing in team from my town in the coming season). Apodaca he was probably the best scorer. I rememeber in some Nike Battlegrounds some said about Junie Sanders that he’s a guy who can score 20 pts anywhere, and I think this is a description for Apodaca. He was one of best scorers in Poland, and year later he still did the same in Italy. I know that he’s the new generation combo-guard but still it’s very nice to see all his moves even if he ends them with layups.
August 15th, 2007 at 10:58 pm
Bobbito Garcia a.k.a. Kool Bob Love says:
chris-
did you see me dancing on the lay-up line at halftime?!!!
jacek-
i wrote a nice blog on apodaca, click on ‘previous entries’ at the bottom of the home page to find it. christian dalmau is the son of raymond dalmau, one of the all-time greatest puerto rican ballplayers of any generation. i’m glad to hear that we’re getting love and respect on the court in your country.
peace
August 17th, 2007 at 3:49 pm
Jacek says:
I have already read it. It’s interesting that Puerto Rico is such a small country and plays so good during Olympics or World Championships.
I hope that in next season Carlos Rivera will keep his game on same high level as Apodaca and Dalmau. He’s from Hofstra and that’s not a bad college, as I know (?).
August 17th, 2007 at 3:53 pm
Bobbito Garcia a.k.a. Kool Bob Love says:
Jacek-
yes, we are small, but our pro league outdates the NBA by 10 years (established in 1936). People know us for baseball cuz of Alex Rodriguez and Roberto Clemente, but the island is crazy about basketball.
Suerte!