This morning in the Pelham Fritz 38 and over League in Harlem, I got to go up against the Lakers, featuring Molloy “The Future” Nesmith, Steve Burtt Sr., and Marcus Gaithers. Steve played in the NBA, Marcus was a 5th round draft pick of the Utah Jazz then killed overseas for over a decade, and well, you all should know about “Future.” A bona-fide playground legend who once scored 60 points in a game at Monroe H.S. in the Bronx, he wound up playing D1 at Utah St. and by the late ’80s/early ’90s was a fixture at the EBC @ Rucker Park, where Duke Tango gave him his nickname because, “He was doing moves that wouldn’t be seen in the NBA for 20 years!”
In 2001, Future and I suited up for the award-winning NIKE “Freestyle” commercial. He’s the crazy dude laughing and smiling while dancing and dribbling with a red top and white shorts. (I’m the one who does the James Brown shuffle dance):
Needless to say, I was amped this morning to play against him, as I have been anytime we’re on the court together in the last 15 years. He’s one of those dudes you can never take a break on D with. He might pull from 28′ at any point, or throw some no-look pass, or zoom by you for the and 1. Take your pick. He finished with 30+, basically his season average. We didn’t wind up guarding each other the whole game (luckily), and my squad the Warriors took the W. I finished with a respectable 12 points on 4 or 5 shooting from three, 4 of 6 from the field (truth be told I shot an air ball on my only attempt from inside the line–go figure).
My personal highlight might very well have been pulling from 25 feet on a fast break in Steve Burtt’s face. Bang. I only played against him once before, back in ‘95 in the 1st ever Nike Pro City Games. I was on my donut, and felt pleased that he only dropped 17 points on me. I guess I should add that he only showed up for the 4th quarter! Word is bond! Please do not sleep on Steve “All Day” Burtt Sr. Ever. Dude was one of the most dangerous scorers out of NYC in the last 30 years. Watching him today was bananas. Head fake. Drop step. Step back. Pump. Man in the air. Shot. Foul. And 1. Not as in the team he coached on tour for the last couple of years, as in he got a quiet 30+ himself without even hogging it. Free throw is ice water. He’s a pro. When he was on the Mixtape Tour bus, active or not, he was And1’s realest legend, whether or not the legion of kids realized it or not.
Catch Pelham Fritz action every Sunday morning at IS 201 gym, 127th St. bet. Madison and Park, from 8:30am-2:30pm.
January 7th, 2008 at 12:24 am
Jeff of InsideHoops says:
I once dropped 183 points at Rucker on a young Julius Erving.
Well, it wasn’t really just on Erving. I was quadruple-teamed all game and he was one of the four.
My shooting was off, though. I only went 75 of 91.
January 7th, 2008 at 1:22 am
Bakar says:
Whoa! It’s been a while since I’ve seen the Freestyle ad -I totally forgot about looking up YouTube! On the real, it’s amazing that you guys are still ballin at 30, 35. Most ballers I know quit after 25, some because of injuries, but most because they wanna focus on a job, startin a family, etc.
January 7th, 2008 at 1:24 pm
Saku 39 says:
The dude is awesome and all and one of my favorites but at his age can he still have the name “Future”?
January 7th, 2008 at 9:42 pm
Bobbito Garcia a.k.a. Kool Bob Love says:
The Pelham Fritz announcer AG of “Chicken Noodle Soup” fame sometimes calls him “The Computer” now, but I say why not still be called “Future.” He’s earned it. Dominique Wilkins can’t hop like he used, but is still not the ‘Human Highlight Film’ in perpetuity?
January 8th, 2008 at 11:06 am
Saku 39 says:
Oh no doubt he should be forever known as “Future”. I was being semi-sarcastic to note the irony that a veteran like him has that name.
In today’s game they don’t name them like they used to (CP3, KB8, D-Wade, etc.) When you get a name like “Future”, that’s gonna stick.
January 9th, 2008 at 1:25 pm
Wild Bill says:
now that i see the freestyle ad again it looks like straight bafoonery!!!! that shit really hurt street hoops, its cool that the freestyle culture was born but that was some real shuckin and jivin and a straight weak move by nike to be like And 1 was at the time, innovative and fresh. nike usually coattails but that was so blatent that its not even funny.
just goes to show why nike hates on brands like K1X and Undercrown be cause they are what they will never be
January 9th, 2008 at 4:33 pm
Bobbito Garcia a.k.a. Kool Bob Love says:
Wild Bill-
Uhh, you’re bugging a little. A bit of history for you:
Freestyle culture was not born in 2001 with the Nike commercial. It existed for decades beforehand, and obviously caught a boost in popularity globally via the ad. The Globetrotters are an 82 year-old traveling squad at this point, and most responsible for the spread of tricks to generations throughout the continents.
Nike was barely being like And 1 at the time. Nike started doing playground ads as far back as ‘94 with NYC City Attack campaign. I know cuz I was a part of it. Many of the TV/radio spots and posters were only revealed locally though, with few exception.
Props forever go out to And1 for the Mixtape idea. Now that was way ahead of the pack!
Nike doesn’t hate on brands like K1X and Undercrown, they hate on all brands. Their intent is to squash all competition, including adidas, reebok, new balance, etc. and the up and comers. To say that K1X and Undercrown are what Nike will never be, again, is false and shows you are unaware of history. Look up a guy named Sonny Vaccaro who did basketball promo for Nike in the ’70s and ’80s. Dude invented the blueprint for what K1X is doing now, and then some. And that’s no disrespect to the German brand or Undercrown, but we have to give propers where they are do.
hope that helps you.
oh, and lastly, to call myself, Future, Globetrotters Jackie Jackson and Arnold “A-Train” Bernard, Baron Davis, Speedy Williams, Lisa Leslie, etc. all ’straight bafoonery’ is a real disrespect to a lot of people who have committed lifetimes to the benefit of the playground. We all got paid to do what we love to do. Nike had no hand whatsoever in instructing us on set what to do. they just rolled tape, and asked us to have fun. the rest was history . . .
January 10th, 2008 at 8:16 pm
c-murda says:
i agree with both sides, nike be hatin, but they were (and still trying) to be in the streets too. they were also on the golf course, football field, baseball diamond and probably on the chess tables!!!
they do everything so they didn’t put their street efforts to the forefront like And 1 did.
i know a lot of dudes on that ad and they are not clown ballers but it did look kinda crazy, like over the top. the Wayan Bros. spoofed it in Scary Movie and it showed how it was kinda cheesy.
good points on both sides.
January 14th, 2008 at 9:34 pm
Dan the Man says:
Bobbito: The New Skool playas…Never saw the BEST PLAYER NEVER TO PLAY IN THE NBA: Raymond Lewis. Best Shooter EVER ! 35-foot layups ! No one could contain him or stop his dribble penetration. Tark the Shark (UNLV) said he was the best player he ever saw. As a high school senior once scored 49 points against L.A. Lakers Summer Pro Team at Cal State L.A. against such players as Jerry Chambers and Jim McMillian of 33 straight win fame. See his story at raymondlewis.com
January 14th, 2008 at 10:06 pm
Dan the Man says:
Bobbito is RIGHT. Old School playas paved the way for New Skool. Raymond Lewis the Philly 76ers 1973-1st round draft choice used to rip up NBA players on the playgrounds of L.A. circa 1970’s and 1980’s when it was ruled by PUMA(Clyde) and ADDIDAS (Ray-Lew).