2008 NIKE T.O.C winner the X-Men
Not many teams in this city stick together with the same player personnel year after year, which is a shame. The team that sticks out the most to me though is the X-Men. Every year they bring the same vets while adding some juice with a few hand-selected young cats. Dytanya Mixon is a genius with the X’s and O’s and knows what it takes to win as a coach. I interviewed him over the summer, but with all the mayhem in my schedule, I wasn’t able to release it in time. Believe me, though, I’m going to catch up to him again and get that interview up.
The X-Men feature players such as Tommie Eddie, Mike Campbell, Steve Chase, Reggie Roberson, Harlem Globetrotter Miguel Millien, Sean Dantzler, Chris Wehye, Plucky Edness, Malcom Conner, Kevin Green, George Turner, Kahlil Nixon, Mike Davis, Whyett Benn, Kashif Ahmed and Jon Foss, when he’s in town. The reason why the X-Men are contenders year after year is for the simple fact that they play as a unit and no one is afraid to play a role. Last year, when they went into T.O.C. as the underdog, they came in there and smacked the competition. We know Nike was shocked because there were no sneakers for them at the end, no rings, just a trophy that probably cost $19.99 from a TV ad, a few t-shirts that said champs and some free food from the concession stand. I will quote it here myself, I never thought they would win T.O.C last year and they did, so I think they deserve a lot more respect than they get in the city.
All of a sudden N.I.K.E 1 goes back to T.O.C. this year and what do you know, there’re rings and all kind of goodies. What kind of respect is that? When people enter their teams in these tournaments they pay a minimum of $1500, not including ref fees, except for Pro City, where Ray Diaz includes that with the registration. Why can’t all the teams get the same treatment or at least all the elite teams? It looks as if you have to be affiliated with Nike, so if you don’t coach or play for N.I.K.E. 1 or United Brooklyn, you’re not entitled to any of the good stuff. What a slap in the face! Vern was telling me the other day how P.R and company were handing out free stuff to N.I.K.E. 1 such as shoes, headbands, etc at T.O.C and they didn’t even fulfill their obligation to give the X-Men the rest of their stuff that they were promised at the last T.O.C. This year, the X-Men went on to the final after beating N.I.K.E. 1 so bad that they quit with four minutes remaining. They may not have won the final, but I’m pretty sure they were happy with the win against N.I.K.E. 1. My friend Ramel who attended the game called me and said they played against N.I.K.E. 1 like it was personal. I thought it was going to be N.I.K.E. 1 vs X-Men in this year’s final but it looked as if they wanted to knock the X-Men out early so they made it a first round heavy weight match and lost.
The X-men have already added firepower with Smush Parker, but the circle will be crazy once Miguel “Miles High” Millien makes his official return to the X-Men because teams aren’t going to be able to double up on Tommie Eddie in the post. It’s already bad enough no one in this city can move Tommie Eddie off of the block and he continues to thrive going to the basket at will but just think about a starting line up like this: Miles High, Tommie Gunz, Smush, Steve Chase, and Mike Campbell. Who’s stopping that? We have heard of three-headed dragons before such as Strick, Junie and Speedy… Miles High, The Beast and King Bell… Anti-Freeze, Razor and Undertaker… Circus,T y Bodywide & Carl…(Whatever happened to Team Paradise? they need to make a comeback) Mookie, Murder & Slow Motion a.k.a. Way too smooth etc etc but a five like this would be like a locomotive with no brakes. Beware of the X-Men. They mean buisness!
Stay Tuned for my Next team feature!
September 28th, 2009 at 7:24 pm
Vern says:
40,
Nice piece on us my dude. I know you had more stuff you wanted to say but I know how it is if you know what I mean my dude. The one thing I can say about the Xmen is that while we don’t worry about who drops 30 or 40 points a game, we just want to win at the end of the day. Keep up the good work and “WE STILL DID NOT GET OUR STUFF FROM LAST YEAR NIKE TOC CHIP”.
September 28th, 2009 at 7:48 pm
Madmark (BX all day) says:
40 Cal,
Damn 40, I’m a little disappointed my dude. I think I’m younger than you and know my history. I thought you were more of a streetball head, Check the T.N.P. resume. Kendu and Dog have rolled with the same clan for years and it’s basically the same crew that went 96-4 over a two year period and won 7 of 8 tournament in one year. Jay High, Shai Mack, S Class, Foots, Prime Time, T2, Darryl Mack.
Yes they are getting older but this year they still had enough to win Watson. Rah has had his players on the Sean Bell team for years as well. In fact DDN and TNP were running this city long before X Men won a chip in a major tourney.
I got a tip for all the young Bounce writers, when you go to games sit with the old headz in the back rows, they kick mad knowledge and pass the history down.
September 28th, 2009 at 8:07 pm
40 Cal says:
Madmark who said I’m not writing anything on those teams… Shhhhh! Your becoming a little to dramatic, just for your info TNP was next who doesn’t know about how TNP rolled on every tournament uptown & in the bronx but just to let you know not everything is going to be written in the order you want so stop whining.
P.S If you noticed this year except for in Tri State DDN did not look like DDN, if they had the full roster still I think they would have been in the final or semi final at west 4 with the X-Men and that’s if it was the same DDN that won back to back chips down there. Are you from the Bronx or are you from queens? Just for the record that’s exactly the reason why I posted on the X-Men, they never get the respect they deserve and you just proved it.
September 28th, 2009 at 8:38 pm
dytanya says:
now for the record madmark if u knew your history xmen won a major before u heard of tnp or ddn check your records did respond
September 28th, 2009 at 8:41 pm
dytanya says:
so check your records then respond madmark cause u dont know your history X-Men been around 20 years in Soul in the Hole doing our thing so u need to recognize cause u really dont and any tournament we are in im one of the favorites and the best in Brooklyn
September 28th, 2009 at 8:41 pm
dytanya says:
so check your records then respond madmark cause u dont know your history xmen been around 20 years in sould in the hole doing our thing so u need to recognize cause u really dont and any tournament we are in im one of the favorites and the best in brooklyn
September 28th, 2009 at 8:45 pm
dytanya says:
and if u ask ddn or tnp they will tell u hands down its us three and everyone else………………………………………………………………………………………
September 28th, 2009 at 8:48 pm
dytanya says:
and this is from the xmen coach ceo general manager no one does it better or no one has done it better and ive won a championship since 1991 to present tis is a classy organization i got all the footage so i can show ask around rookie
September 28th, 2009 at 9:40 pm
Vern says:
Madmark,
I like you’re style my dude but if you ask Kendu, Dog, and Rah they will tell you that Xmen have won a major tournament every year since 1990. This was our 20th year in streetball and were proud of our accompolishments in NYC Streetball. If you ask any team throughout the 5 boros they will tell you that the Xmen are a solid team, we want the Xmen in our tournament, and they are a tough team to beat. 40 wrote this piece on how we just win tournaments but never get no respect. My question to you is would you rather take an all-star team (like bingo allstars did at Nike TOC 2008) and lose or would you like for your team to have unity and unselfishness in winning basketball tournaments? Not saying your wrong in your opinion but name one team right now that has been in existance since 1989 (Xmen first year) and constantly put out a great team? Also please ask Rah, Kendu, and Dog about what I am saying and you can ask all of the TNP players too if you like.
September 28th, 2009 at 10:16 pm
Madmark (BX all day) says:
40,
You right, when the dude that you think tells it the way it should be told is throwing the politically correct hyperbole around it’s time for me to fall back.
I don’t care what order you write it in 40, Keep It Real, I’m a fan of your writing when you keep it as real as you usually do!
I’m not from Queens, I am from BX, so until the X Men show me something uptown I can’t get with what you’re selling. I remember them getting SPANKED by Dominican Power at Dyckman and Whining about the “Home court advantage” TNP won there. They haven’t been close at Tri State. To me they have failed to impress uptown. If I’m wrong let me know?
No disrespect to BK, it’s just your players are much better than your teams.
BTW, DDN and TNP have both won multiple Championships uptown and the BX.
You are right about the disrespect that NIKE shows them.
But I am sorry 40, I’ll fall back and let you be the expert.
September 29th, 2009 at 7:26 am
Kenny Patt says:
X-Men did their thing in EBC in the mid 90’s from what I remember. I once heard someone call them the San Antonio Spurs of streetball.
September 29th, 2009 at 7:01 pm
TNP says:
When TNP came in the game, the X-Men, Primetime Roadrunners, United Brooklyn, Brew Crew and Nike-1 was the teams to beat in BK and Queens. The X-MEN is and has been the most consistent team coming out of Bk. I have the most respect for my nigga “Dah” and the X-Men. 40-Cal said it best when he said that they don’t get the respect they deserve. I actually heard Paul Rivera tell Mike Cambpell that the X-MEN don’t win nothing, then the X-men went and won the NIKE TOC that same year. How much does a team have to do to get respect in this city. I thank Madmark for his acknowledement on the TNP history, but I would never take away any props towards the X-men because TNP & X-Men had wars over the years and it took us a minute to get over the hump against them. X-Men & TNP has over 15 years of back & fourth battles, we luv this sh@t.
You can catch us at the D&D Invitational in Jan 2010.
September 29th, 2009 at 7:20 pm
westside merrick says:
MONEYTRAIN!!!
MOST HATED TEAM IN NYC
September 30th, 2009 at 12:20 am
Sean Couch says:
The X-Men are one of the most respected streetball teams in the city. I remember hearing more and more about them in the late 90s when Coach Mixon started playing in more uptown majors.
I also remember talking to Ray Diaz about which team on the street was deserving of a spot in Pro-City, the X-Men came up as one of the most deserving to join along with Mousey/Fat Joe.
The team has been respected winners in the BK and Soul in the Hole originals. 20 years of streetball work is nothing to diss.
September 30th, 2009 at 11:51 am
Big Heavy says:
If you hear someone say that the X-men is not one of NY’s top teams in the city, then you know that that person don’t come to brooklyn or Queens. Name your favorite team from Uptown, then ask yourself, will this team beat the X-men all year round. From Jan to Dec. I don’t think so. Yall praise these teams thats only good during the summer. Those are put together teams. Every team in NYC has players that leave to go overseas, so does the X-men, TNP, Sean Bell & Bingo Allstars. But they still manage to provide good teams in the winter & spring leagues. That’s why these teams are considered the best teams in NYC because they do it all year round, not just the summer. X-men is in the top 3 in the city. Just ask the referees because they cover the whole city all year round, not just uptown. X-men is one of the longest active streetball organizations in NYC. So respect that, cause the rest of the top teams do.
“The X-Men is like the San Antonio Spurs of streetball” Now that sh@t is funny. Because it’s true. They are not exciting but they display unselfish streetball. (Vern) When i see you, I got mad jokes on yall. One other thing, the X-men will play whoever regardless to who they got on the team. Not like all the Uptown teams that ain’t worth sh@t during the rest of the year. NY Basketball ain’t just about the summer. This is all year round basketball in NYC. So if teams don’t play all year round, then they are commercial teams thats put together for one or two events during the summer. Those are the official fly by streetball teams that may play for one or 2 years then you don’t hear nothing about them no-more. Like BMI.
September 30th, 2009 at 3:43 pm
Coach Bingo says:
First of all I give all due respect to certain teams around the city and X-Men is one of them who is at the top of my list. I know everytime we have to play them that it is always going to be a war! So Coach Dytanya keep doing your thing. As for the comment made about the All-Star team I put together in 2008 for the TOC tournament, lets not forget I was forced to do that becasue my college players was not allowed to play in the event. This has happened to me two years in a row. So when a comment is made like that please explain why it happened that way. Thanks Once again
September 30th, 2009 at 5:14 pm
Casey Lee says:
The X-Men are one of the Top 10 teams in NYC streetball period. I remember hearing about this team from Brooklyn called the X-Men in the 1990s and thought of the superheroes…lame but think about how everyone on that team always has an individual TALENT like them!
Role players…ehh…I like to think of them more as the ones who fought for the city..superhero style!
September 30th, 2009 at 5:39 pm
Vern says:
Coach Bingo,
In no way did I try to disrespect you and your team. I know why did what you did because of the NCAA rules for C-Fish and Kemba Walker just to name a few. I just wanted MadMark to know how sometimes it does not work when you put an allstar team together versus a team who play’s together all year around(expect our overseas players). I know how you go about your business with your team and if the NCAA was to lift that rule and sanction the Nike TOC then it will be a different situation in regards to the TOC the last two years. Trust me, all of the Xmen coaches, and players have great respect for you and your program as some of these streetball teams (except for Bingo, Sean Bell/DDN, United Brooklyn, TNP, MoneyTrain, Money Inc.) are calling themselves programs when they are really just summer basketball teams not year around teams as you have along with those I mentioned in this blog. Much love to what you do with your program year in and year out my dude.
September 30th, 2009 at 9:44 pm
The Shermanator says:
Dytanya,
It’s funny to see someone try to diss the X Men. That’s just crazy to me. Dee, There is no reason to ever have to defend yourself or your program, the results speak for themselves. Shout out to 40 Cal for shining the light on the program.
MadMark, you’re barking up the wrong tree on this one.
Shout outs to Kendu & Dog, Dytanna, Vern, Rah, Hev, Tee and can’t forget the Don Corleone of Streetball Bingo and all of the programs that go year round.
See you all in the 2010 Inside Streetball Invitational, next year is going to crazy.
Dytanna, Rah and I were talking, One day we actually gotta play that Indside Streetball vs X Men game that we talked about that day way back at Forrest Park.
September 30th, 2009 at 11:15 pm
Coach Bingo says:
Thanks Vern I appreciate that and if I misunderstood please do accept my apology. Shout out once again to the x-men. great organization!!
October 1st, 2009 at 1:55 pm
Blackstar says:
X-MEN is the best unlimited streetball program in Brooklyn period. Bingo’s Allstars is the best bronx program period. TNP has the best Queens program period.
Sean Bell Allstars is a good program too, but Sean Bell did’nt win nothing this year. Coach Rah is so thirst for a win this year that he claims the Nike TOC win was a Sean Bell team and not a Tri-State’s. Now that’s desperation for a win. Kingdome Allstars maybe the new thing for Harlem because the rest of the Harlem teams are trash all year round. Dipset/Skull gang is just a good label to have in your tournament and the rest of those Harlem teams are here today and gone tomorrow. And Dominican Power needs to play in other boro’s. Alot of people in Bk & Qns don’t know that there is a Dominican streetball team in NYC called “Dominican Power” that will destroy alot of yall.
October 2nd, 2009 at 8:37 am
dytanya says:
shout outs to my peeps, sherm,rah,heave,du and dog,bingo nuff love from my people but blackstar understand that rah and seanbell are very respected and they are one of the top 3 teams in nyc dont ever forget that we should watch who we throw slugs at cause guys gotta know there history