Eugene “Built Ford Tough” Lawrence is known around the city for his muscular physique, crazy handle, court vision and toughness on the defensive end. We had the chance to catch up and discuss the way basketball is played in Brooklyn, and his future after playing for four years at St. John’s University.
Randy Millard: In one sentence define Brooklyn Basketball.
Eugene Lawrence: Brooklyn basketball is straight up and down the jungle.
RM: How does Brooklyn differ from basketball being played in Queens, Harlem, the Bronx?
EL: Brooklyn has a different mentality. We don’t care who you are and where you’re from. You step on the court against us, it’s going down.
RM: Since you finished at St. John’s University, what do you have planned?
EL: Right now, I am going to Italy for an exposure tournament. Besides that, I am just out here playing in anything I can in the city.
RM: If you had the chance to play in the backcourt with anyone in the city, who would it be and why?
EL: It would have to be with anyone from Brooklyn because I know no matter who we play against and where we’re at, I know we are going to play hard until the end of the game.
RM: Do you have any shout outs?
EL: I would like to shout out my family and friends, Junie Sanders, Mookie, Levance Fields, Gary Ervin, Young Mase (Anthony Mason Jr.), St. John’s, Nike-1 and the whole entire Brownsville.
Randy Millard is currently enrolled at Norfolk St. University in Virginia where he argues every lunch period about how great Brooklyn is. He is happy to be home for the summer.
July 29th, 2008 at 11:38 pm
Bobbito Garcia a.k.a. Kool Bob Love says:
eugene has definitely emerged this summer as a player to watch for in the unlimited division. he’s been killin’ in pro city, and i suspect he’ll be like many others before him and just keep getting better and better.
August 4th, 2008 at 12:00 pm
splash20 says:
that lincoln team he was on was crazy. it was him, sebastian, and antonio pena, who now plays for nova. they beat cardozo in the finals their senior year and it was gino, not sebastian, who took home mvp honors.
August 4th, 2008 at 1:09 pm
Kyle says:
Geno has stepped his game up and he plays both sides of the ball. He was the leader of the N.I.K.E. 1 squad at Pro City.
August 4th, 2008 at 3:38 pm
fan says:
He reminds me of Chauncey Billups. His game definitely reps BK all day. It’s in the water.
August 4th, 2008 at 5:43 pm
gabrielo says:
i second the chauncey billups comparison
August 4th, 2008 at 10:52 pm
BallGurl says:
Truth be told, I attended that final game at the Garden way back in ‘04 where Geno took the MVP, and I’ve watched him over the past few yrs at Pro-City where he’s played for Dyckman and Nike-1. Geno has always been a problem for opposing defenders and now he can lock-down anyone he wants. Three words for scouts and GM’s: “Sign this man!”