On Tuesday (June 23), the Entertainer’s Basketball Classic (EBC) kicked off its second week of the 2009 summer season. Coach James Ryan’s Prime Time faced off against Coach Bingo and the Ether Boys (sponsored by Harlem producer Ron Browz – “Ether” & “Pop Champagne”) in a matchup of two great teams at Rucker Park. The Ether Boys controlled the charge and came up with the 80-75 victory. Mike “Optimus Prime” Glover led the way with 22 points and 12 rebounds, St. John’s alum Anthony Glover chipped in a solid 14 points and 7 rebounds, while former NBA player Kenny “Serious Satellite” Satterfield dropped 15 points and Antawn “Anti-Freeze” Dobie scored 14 points. Yatta Gaines contributed 24 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists and Melvin Creddle added 20 points and 3 rebounds in the loss. Queens native Ryan “Special FX” Williams provided much entertainment for the crowd with some dunks while warming up and some throw-downs during the game.

The second game of the night (both taped by MSG-TV) was held between EBC sponsor team Evil Training and Team Cam’ron. Initially, Team Cam’ron came out on a shooting spree and held an early lead. Evil Training stuck together and continued to play team ball as well as defense. After the first quarter, Tyron “Black Widow aka Alimoe” Evans sat on the bench, where he remained for the rest of the game due to a dispute with a fellow teammate. On the opposing side, Marvin McCullough finished with 24 points, 9 steals, and 5 assists. Bildon Frost scored 20 points, grabbed 5 boards, and cleaned up in the paint with 5 blocks. Raul Mercedes helped the team with 18 points and 6 rebounds. Evil Training took the “W,” 87-67 in a blowout, dropping Team Cam’ron to 0-2 for the summer. The dynamic duo out of Harlem, Adrian “A-Butta” Walton and Kareem “Best Kept Secret” Reid, dropped 19 and 27 points respectively in the loss. A-Butta was the Player of the Week for EBC’s first week.

The sky opened up and rained on Wednesday, forcing the EBC to relocate to Gauchos Gym in the Bronx for the game between last year’s champions Sean Bell All-Stars and Chris Brown’s sponsored team The Posse. The game was neck and neck until the fourth quarter, where Sean Bell All-Stars broke away for the win, 71-63. Aquewasi St. Hillaire dropped 21 points and grabbed 9 boards in the victory. Jenar Harrison, 15 points, and Brian Woodward, 14 points, scored at-will in a game determined by free throw shooting. B.J. “The Beast” McFadden was also in attendance for Sean Bell All-Stars. For Chris Brown’s team, Pete Mully had 15 points and grabbed 6 rebounds, Kashif Pratt contributed 13 points, Frank Elegar dropped 11 points and had 9 rebounds.

Hot 97 and DJ Enuff were in attendance on the hot Thursday afternoon showing Angie Martinez All-Stars support against DJ Webstar All-Stars. They will be broadcasting live every Thursday at rush hour from 5-6pm at Rucker Park in association with fellow sponsor Metro PCS. During those Thursdays, Metro PCS has put up a chance for some lucky fans to win $1,000 in a half-court shot.

The game went down to the wire. Angie Martinez, coached by legendary leader Tone Rosa of the Harlem Mustangs, pitted up against DJ Webstar’s squad. Kane Andrews – 20 points and 7 rebounds, Rob Hines – 19 points, Rendo Lindmets – 11 points, 7 rebounds, and Mike Wilson – 10 points, 4 assists all led the charge against Angie Martinez and company. For the opposing side, four other players matched up Angie’s four players above. Junior “Baby Shaq” Defonso put up 18 points and bodied 4 boards, and Franklin Dean added 13 points and grabbed 6 boards. The other two main players made the difference for Tone Rosa’s squad: Adris “2 Hard 2 Guard” Deleon and Anthony “Africa” Pimble.

2 Hard 2 Guard scored 16 points, unselfishly dished 9 dimes, and played defense with 2 key steals. The difference in the game was Africa. Yes, he is back at the Rucker! The dunking specialist from the Bronx, who once started because former NBA players Ron Artest and Theo Ratliff were running late, earned his name at this very park located at 155th and 8th Ave. [For a complete story, click here: Anthony Pimble adjusts to life at SIU

Africa made the difference for Angie Martinez All-Stars and dropped 17 points on mostly dunks and snatched 5 steals on the defensive end. His monster dunk with four seconds left boosted Angie Martinez to an 81-78 lead. DJ Webstar’s All-Stars called a timeout. The crowd was jammed packed at the Rucker despite NBA Draft night! A pass was thrown up the court and a three-pointer was shot. A foul was whistled on Africa for a missed three-pointer by a player whose name to be kept in anonymity for the next couple reasons. First free throw: miss; it hits the front of the rim. The hecklers of Harlem come out now! Second free throw: miss; it rattles out. More cheers for the OTHER team, and a mix of laughter and disappointment fills the other vocal gaps. Third shot: SWOOSH. The score becomes 81-79 with one second left as the ball is thrown to an open player at half-court, which ends the game and dramatic ending. “The EBC at Rucker Park is back!” – “I like to see that kid show his face Uptown again!”

Check the Official EBC Facebook Fan Page for Updates!

Stay posted for the schedule for Week 3 and the Player of the Week!

~Casey Lee~
Entertainer’s Basketball Classic (EBC)
Community Relations Director
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EBC Photographer / Writer