Coach T with 2008 Tri-State Classic ’ship MVP Antifreeze
Money Train is certainly on the championship fast track after taking top prize at Mousey’s Tri-State Classic tournament. They defeated a “Schwarzenegger” strong Ed All-Stars squad, who were actually dubbed the favorites in this contest. Ballers and fans packed Col. Young Playground (145th/Lenox, Harlem) for last Saturday’s finale expecting to see something great. Well, both teams delivered like DHL with non-stop action. The crowd was treated to a come-from-behind overtime win by Money Train, a 44 point explosion by Quinton “T2″ Hosely, and a bookbag performance by Antawn Dobie…All within the same game!
I arrived a little late after spending the day watching playoff action in “The Cage” (W.4th st./Ave of the Americas). By the time myself, Nike’s Paul “PR” Rivera, and Sean Bell’s All-Stars coach Lil’ Rah arrived to the park, Ed A.S. were sitting comfy with a six point lead. Within moments their backcourt of K-Satt and T2 caught fire, scorching the nets on a series of dribble drives and outside jumpers. Before Money Train could blink their opponent’s lead ballooned to 16 points, which was extremely shocking considering they had Corey “Undertaker” Underwood, Junie “Mr. X-citement” Sanders, and Darren “Primal Fear” Phillip in uniform. All are excellent defenders in their own right, but they couldn’t stop the flow of Ed’s offense.
That was until the 2nd half. Slowly but surely The ‘Train chipped away at Ed’s lead. DP and Undertaker dominated the defensive boards, while Yata Gaines and Antifreeze dropped bucket after bucket in transition. They put in enough work to tie the game at the end of regulation, and took control early in the extra session off that same intensity. Despite huge contributions late in the game from Fred “Razor” Williams and Gordie Malone, Ed All-Stars were defeated in O.T.
TSC regular season MVP and now champion, DP celebrating post game
With the win, Money Train not only earns bragging rights in Harlem, but they punch a ticket to the 2008 Nike Tournament of Champions as well. There, the ‘Train will meet either Queensbridge (Pro City Champs) or the winners of W.4th or Dyckman.
Term 2 can smile, despite the loss, for finishing with 40+
August 18th, 2008 at 4:17 pm
fan says:
Antifreeze(TRUTH) was extra cold today. Down 17 he hit three consecutive trey’s in 3 straight possesions. Yatta was a Georgia Bulldog. DP manned the ship as always(BK STAND UP) Mr Excitement looked 20 years old. T2(Unbelievable) will be in the league shortly averaging a double double. Razor is a problem. This game might be one of the best of the summer. It had everything you could ask for in one game. Shout Outs to Mousey C.E.O. (WHAT A TOURNAMENT).
August 18th, 2008 at 6:02 pm
A. Ford says:
Congratulation to Coach T and money train on their win @ tri-State. Coach T is a good dude if anybody deserves a ship is him. Congratulation once again to money train.
August 18th, 2008 at 8:43 pm
mr. k1x says:
dobie is the best guard/player in the city. that spot changes every year and dobie got it. k-sat had it last year. homicide could have had it if he stayed the whole summer and put in work in the playoffs.
comeback of the year – ant-glover
rookie of the year Cab-driver
best pro – Ron artest
worst pro – smush
best college players – yatta gaines/cab driver
best new/come-up league – Together We Chill – 119th
worst league downfall – Kingdome
best player noone ever sees – dwight hardy (hoops in the sun)
best league – tri-state classic
best game – tri-state chip
summer buzz – K1X signing all the top players
best team money train (if they win west 4th)
most overated team – sean bell
most overated league – west 4th
best high school- kimba walker
best coach – Bingo
oldest player – tie – moe black (watson) ,big strick (everywhere!! lol)
officially washed up – future
almost washed up – hi 5
best (only) interleague game- dykman vs. hoops in the sun
best not talked about rivalary – nike vs. k1x
Did i forget any categories?????
August 18th, 2008 at 9:18 pm
splash20 says:
k1x- good post. i agree with most of these. you could say brandon jennings was the best high school player but he didn’t play as much as kemba. pdg qb is better than money train (train lost by 30 in tonight’s west 4th chip). west 4th isn’t overrated though. there’re 20 teams and they’re not all great, but the league still draws most of nyc’s top players (dobie, dp, hommo, smush, fx, icon, tommie gun) and is about as competitive as it gets.
August 18th, 2008 at 11:01 pm
e says:
mr.k1x that list is wack west 4th st is a great leaugue worst downfall league ever is rucker no one even bothers to go to 155th anymore smush is one of the best pros in my eyes smush always does work junie sanders is washed up hes done how can mike cambell not be the best guard he effortlessly destroyed money train at the west 4th chip scoring whenever he wanted to with tommy gun putting the finishing touches.Tommy gun in my eyes has a leaugue game he can ball foreal dobie is nice though he works out . Hsas anyone notices this summer that so called undertaker c.underwood has only one move and when that isnt working he cant contribute most underated guard is mookie s.gaines overrated. i seen gary ervin ball a few times why did he do $ years of college and looked better as a highschool player e.lawrence aka gino built ford tought made a big name for himself in the city and im mad eugene harvey didnt ball in the city like that that kid is the truth
August 18th, 2008 at 11:46 pm
Brelander says:
Forgive them lord they know not what they speak “Junie Sanders washed.. puullleeassseee
You must have missed Junie in the Tri State Chip.
Worst pro Smush? C’mon, where all these other nyc pros that you don’t see on the concrete streets in the summer? Sundiata can score , he’s proven that this summer, next level he would have to be prove he can run a team and make others better. Xmen got up 16 before Junie, Dobie and C Underwood showed up and kept pouring it on after they showed. Hitting everything from the outside and Raphael & Tommy tearing up the paint. When Xmen is hitting their outside shot they are hard to beat. Queensbridge knocked them out the playoffs in Pro City, lets see it Tommie Gun & Raphael can get off against Artest in the post. They lost in the playoffs because they didn’t even try to establish and inside game. Reggie Freeman man be a step slower but he’s still knocking down 3balls and playing hard. When you say some of these dudes are washed up , keep in mind they are at the age when nba and competitive dudes are winding down their careers and still competing. Mookie had a good summer, he’s been really working on his outside shot and hitting 3’s.
BEZ
August 19th, 2008 at 12:58 am
BallGurl says:
I’ve got 3 things to add:
1) Junie Sanders is in no way, shape, or form washed up. On his worst day (which includes him being drunk, high, no vision in one eye, and shooting with only his right) Junie can destroy half of nyc’s circuit players.
2) Sean Bell’s All-stars are not overated. There is no squad traveling internationally and winning multiple ’ships against serious competition the way they are. Coach “International Rah” would wild out like only he can if he heard that.
3) Everything else is funny and pretty accurate.
The End
August 19th, 2008 at 9:09 am
nyc1 says:
You forgot the best defender award!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 19th, 2008 at 9:22 pm
mr. k1x says:
tommy gunz is a great player. he killed us at the garden this summer.
Bingo All-Stars is the best team in my opinion, looks like they are gonna take that nike tourney of champs.
as far as random player like gary irvin even being mentioned, thats crazy. we have been to almost every game in every REAL league scouting players and niether gunz or irvin did anything any where important. if u gettin paid overseas and u dont wanna get hurt dont come out at all. I personally know plenty of dudes who are making six figures who still come out and put in work
im a big smush fan, he is nice but he didnt bring his real game to the courst this year. the only thing he brought was like 20 extra pounds and a flat j!
go hard or go home.
Gary Irvin !?!? We dont believe you – you need more People!! haha
not sure about best defender though.
August 19th, 2008 at 10:34 pm
Boo says:
I saw Smush put up NUMBERS and single handedly get Gold’s Gym a win out at Pro City, so I don’t know if worst pro is accurate. I know Ron did his thing this summer, but Marcus Williams needs some love too, because he KILLED in every game he played in.
one more award…
Best Surprise Appearance- Mike Beasley at Pro City going for 35 in the 2nd half!
August 20th, 2008 at 8:34 am
e says:
mr.k1x look at my comment smart guy i said i seen gary irvin play did i comment on his game yes i said i dont know why he spent 4 years at college and looked like he was better in highschool and that smush worst pro thing is reckless like i stated before im sticking by my statement junie is done the guy wears like 40 knee pads its ova in the words of abutta the young dude is movinggg and yall cant keep up and as far as tommy gunnz not doing anything important and not wanting to get hurt crap u sound like a hater gunnz gets it done . SHoutout to ball gurl
August 20th, 2008 at 4:09 pm
mr k1x says:
my first line was givin tommy props
U right, I gotta stop speedreading
August 25th, 2008 at 3:03 am
nutcracker king says:
E,
You must be from bklyn…and a x-men fan…b/c you killed everyone outside of bklyn…’cept junie sanders…who by the way had a great playoff run…
Also I agree with parker being the worst pro, he’s added weight and isn’t athletic as he once was…
Tommie guns is a GREAT streetball player…PERIOD! At 6′7 what position does he have in the nba?? He can’t guard a wing nor is he athletic enough to guard a big…and the c. Underwood dude you trashed killed him at tournament of champions this weekend! Dribble drive, jumpers, jump hooks, dunks…at 6′10 He’s a player I think that really has a chance of playing in the NBA, and I heard from about 3 or 4 people in the park say the 76ers are very close to signing him to a deal…Good Luck to the guy
All tourney team at TOC
Dobie (probably re-claimed the top player in the city after 2 so-so summers)
Mike Campbell
C. Underwood
Showtime Hill
Kenny Satt
2nd team:
Tommie Guns
Jarrid Frye Daddy
Kareem Reid
Mike Glover
Fabian Foots
August 27th, 2008 at 11:51 pm
mr. pope says:
yeah what happen to the best announcer and the best tag team announcers
August 27th, 2008 at 11:57 pm
mr. pope says:
the best streetball announcer and the best tag team announcers
August 28th, 2008 at 12:04 am
40 plus says:
40 plus and the hold bronx and some of harlem say joe pope hands down say joe pope is the sharpest knife in the draw and joe pope and po are a true hit together and joe pope turned it up at the tournament of champions theres nothing left to say