Between ‘82-’84, the U. of Houston boasted one of the most high-flyingest crews ever assembled. I don’t know much of their background, but would have to surmise by the way they would just throw it in peoples’ faces, they all had to have some serious park time growing up! Ali, where you at?!!! We need you to do research! Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler went on the NBA fame, but shout out to point guard Reid Gettys who if I recall correctly led the country in assists every year with all his alleys. Larry Micheaux and Michael Young were problems above the rim, too. They couldn’t get a chip though! Second place two years in a row to NC State in ‘83, then Georgetown in ‘84. We didn’t have AND 1 Mixtapes or City Slam Dunk Contests to watch over and over again. This was the closest thing to catching the playground on national television. In fact, we’d have to wait all week to see the college games on Saturday and Sundays, but oh was it worth it when Houston was on the tube. (yes, tube–flat screens weren’t developed until 20 years later, i’m showing my age!)
Oh, and props to whoever put this clip together for the Camp Lo “Luchini” instrumental! It’s either a Debarge or Shalamar sample, I know have the record in my crate!
September 12th, 2008 at 10:08 am
ali says:
Dayamn Bob!
I be tryin’ to keep the ingredients to upcoming “The Playground Gave Us …” installments more secret than the recipe to Popeye’s biscuits and knowledgeable brothers like yourself, PTFB, Illest, Dan the Man, Blk Ceaser, Elliot Rosado and all the others just go on and ruin the surprises!!!
Asking “Did the playground give us Phi Slamma Jamma?” is like asking “Is pickled pigs feet pork?”
You know it like a poet bro. The Phi Slamma Jamma joint was slated to hit in a few weeks. They were the forerunner to the new jack city college game, before the runnin’ rebels and the fab five. great minds think alike!
September 12th, 2008 at 11:49 am
Elliot Rosado says:
Phi Slamma Jamma was crazy. Even if you didn’t have any hops you was trying to dunk. Hakeem & Clyde had you staying in the house on weekends hoping they come on. They just didn’t have that swag like Georgetown. As high as they all jumped it’s a shame nobody boxed out or jumped on that Lorenzo Charles put back dunk. LOL!
September 12th, 2008 at 12:34 pm
kenny Patt says:
KBL, Did you mention Benny Anders? He may have had the most hops on that squad.
September 12th, 2008 at 1:44 pm
Blk Caesar says:
Ali,
Can’t wait for the Phi Slama Jama piece! Hate to get off topic but,I am also anxiously awaiting something on Derrick Coleman! Dude had it all, but never really became that “redefine the forward position” player everyone thought he would be (although he did put up respectable numbers in the pros and was an all-star with the Nets). I have always been curious about what kind of wreck he caught on the asphalt, but could never find any info. Side note: After the great back and forth with guys on the UNLV piece I could not help but think about that #2 ranked Arkansas “40 min of hell” squad in 1991 (Todd day, Lee Mayberry, Oliver Miller, etc..) that everyone could not wait for Vegas to play that year! Also, ones of these days please hook a brotha up with a heaping side order of something on Mahmoud Abdul Raof aka Chris Jackson… He had bogie-oogie and sweet quick release jumper!
September 12th, 2008 at 2:17 pm
ali says:
Blk Ceaser,
Between you, bob, illest, funk, dan the man, elliot rosado and everybody else, ya’ll are killin’ my secret recipes!!! i got the direct line into dc through my detroit clique so that will pop off, either on the site or in the mag. he killed karl malone early when he played with kenny and drazen with the nets. one of my favorite ballers ever!
and the arkansas crew, along with Mahmoud all have files in the “Playground gave us….” archives. ya’ll cats keepin’ me busy! money orders, bus passes, metrocards,kbl A.F. 1’s, food stamps, welfare checks, chuck-ee cheese coins, etc. can all be mailed to the crib for compensation. my wife and kids hate all ya’ll!!!
For the love of the game. I’m out like shout!
September 12th, 2008 at 2:32 pm
funkalot says:
First, “the Playground” or “driveway” (in some burbs) is the cradle for all ball skill development. It is the open air , make up your rules, survival of the fittest and extemporaneous engagementlaboratory necessary to even think about being taken serious. I liken it to a “rights of passage” program. If your feet, haven’t hit the ‘crete, you are not authentic, simple as that. So, without question Phi Slamma Jamma hails from the ‘ground.
How do you and where do you get lift off, if not from the ‘ground. Ya, dig.
Peep, Houston did their thing. My favorite game of all-time involved them vs. Louisville (The Doctors of Dunk), in the 1983 Final Four. The ‘Ville was equally loaded with the McCrays, Lancaster Gordon, Milt Wagner, Billy Thompson and Charles Jones. Speaking of Charles Jones , remember when Benny Anders cirled him out from half-court, as if to say, you ready, let’s go, I’ll meet you at the rim and just put it on Charles’ neck, real ugly. Damn!
Oh no, I did it again, You must do a feature on the ‘Ville. Their coach Denny Crum, is reported to have told recruits that when you come to the ‘Ville, Ball is first and books are second. He kept it gully and I can respect that,if it is true. I don’t condone that type of thinking, but I can respect a man if he tells me up front what the deal is and not “fake the funk”.
Funk -en-telechy
September 12th, 2008 at 3:44 pm
ali says:
funk,
i give up! you know the dr. dunkenstein ‘ville troops would see some light. oh, and i’m taking cash too!
September 12th, 2008 at 4:55 pm
Kenny Patt says:
KBL,
That original was from Dynasty (Sounds like Shalomar cause they were from the same camp). I think Soul Train ran that label.
September 12th, 2008 at 11:33 pm
Dan the Man says:
What about Dr. Dunkenstein??!! Do a piece on him !
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bAkaSw_sYY&feature=related
September 12th, 2008 at 11:38 pm
Dan the Man says:
MEET DR. DUNKENSTEIN:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXhYhabMWiU&feature=related
September 13th, 2008 at 12:00 am
funkalot says:
Dan,
I agree, that Darryl Griffith merits a Bounce piece and they will give it to us. He is very significant because he singlehandedly ushered in the art of dunking, in college ball; starting in ‘76.
Darryl was showing us what DT (David Thompson) wanted to do, with flair. He was more than just a dunker as he still holds the record for most points scored at the ‘Ville, coupled with a decent career in the “L”.
September 13th, 2008 at 11:03 am
Teddy "Doowop" says:
Bob, the one mistake I noticed in your book, was when you stated that Clyde never won a championship. He did in fact win won with Hak Man in Houston. Dont know if you ever picked up on that or if it was ever brought to your attention.
September 13th, 2008 at 11:53 am
PFTB says:
Phi Slamma Jamma and Louisville’s Doctors of Dunk led by none other than Dr Dunkenstein himself were THE dunk squads of th 80’s.Darrell Griffith was listed at 6′4″,like David Thompson,but most people said they were more like 6′2 1/2,Plus DT couldn’t palm the ball thats why most of his dunks were two handed or cuffed one handers.Along with Clyde Drexler and yes KPatt, Benny Anders, were probably the most devastating college dunkers (DT wasn’t able to do his thing due to the rules at the time. Denny”I NEED TO KEEP THIS JOB” Crum ,just said what alot if other coaches thought.Just check their grad rate.Can’t wait for these pieces along with the “Chris Jackson” piece.That Mississippi Magician had
S-O-O-O-O much flavah to his game,and he teamed up with
Shaq & Stanley Roberts.Damn KPatt,you got the music knowledge too? “Adventures In The Land Of Music”
September 13th, 2008 at 7:02 pm
illest says:
ali…
like is said you started a movement. there are so many more theres no need for me to mention any. the cats on here definitely know what time it is.
i also didnt see phi slamma jamma in sole provider even though they rocked nikes then too.
September 14th, 2008 at 3:02 pm
Wall $treet says:
Whoa! This clip is banoodles!
I know I’m showin’ my age when I can say I watched both the Phi Slamma Jamma vs Denny Crum’s Louisville squad( R.I.P. to one of the illest Starter jackets I ever had! KBL knows the details!) & the game Houston played against Memphis State (Yes! That is what they were called then!) when Clyde the Glide jumped over Memphis blur quick point Andre Turner like he was not even there.
J-Wash can tell you fom relatively similar experience that ballin’ in the summer in Houston can get ultra competitve, too, especially if you have an in at Fonde Rec or at the Westside, where all of the pros seem to hide out more now.
Benny Anders, Larry Micheaux, Michael Young, Ricky Winslow, Alvin Franklin…damn…Guy Lewis had cats on that bench who didn’t play with 45″ verts that still hoop somewhere in Houston.
Phi Slamma Jamma did bring the playground to college ball as a SQUADI would venture to guess this cat called Black Jesus down in Winston-Salem, North Carolina in the 60s helped, along with others, true?
Let’s get on that line: Who else brought that extra tasty arroz con pollo from the street to the campus?
I would love to see this list, starting from genesis!
Wall $treet, givn’ you the B.I. all day, e’ry day!
March 16th, 2009 at 2:27 pm
World B Wiz says:
I had the privilege of attending U of H during Phi Slamma Jamma. Season tickets cost $3 a game! These guys sure made college even more fun than it already was. All of the Final Four pain really hurt. But the individual moments of face-dom were priceless.