Photo by Rafael Roy

The 2010 Nike Tournament of Champions was about one thing – Namesake. I had a convo with Corey “Homicide” Williams a few weeks before the game and he told me two important things about the city game. “It takes a long time to build a name but only a second to lose it,” Homicide said. Makes sense.

Watching a player kill summer after summer only adds to their legacy. It’s why players like the newly retired John “Franchise” Strickland, the master of post finishing for several years in New York City, are so revered in playground basketball – he owned the game in his prime and now in its 4th year, the Nike T.O.C. can bite that rep and now be called “The Franchise” of NYC tournament ball.

The second bit of knowledge from Homicide: “It’s not about playing in every game, but playing in the right game.” He’s right. I’ve heard plenty of pickup game arguments end in “Yeah, so where do you play?! What summer leagues are you in? I don’t ever see you!” A player can be in every tournament in the city just to collect a jersey but if you don’t put in work in the top places, who cares?

It all comes together at the T.O.C., the right game, the place where the best of NYC gather: Corey Homicide, Antawn Dobie, Andre Barrett, Kenny Satterfield, Antoine “Miguel” Millien, Reem Reid, the Glover Brothers as well as the top high school and women’s talent for a day of real ball.

West 4^th Street, EBC, Dyckman and Hoops in the Sun – the top playground dogs were in the house and right before the game at Gauchos gym, announcer Joe Pope got the games going semi-I.S. 8 Pete Edwards (longtime announcer of the I.S 8 tourney) style by saying, “This is the battle of champions baby, everyone has a name, let’s see what that name brings.”

In the opening minutes of game one between H.I.T.S (Bingo’s All-Stars) and Dyckman (Take No Prisoners), Homicide would have to defend his name on “D” as a newcomer Tone a.k.a “Box Cutter” came at him early. Cutter hits a three on Hom early, and keeps momentum as he shakes him with the time-warped Tim Hardaway-style cross over to draw the foul (5-0 TNP). After Ant Glover (former St.John’s star) puts Bingo’s on the board with a layup, Homicide seeks out the youngin’, strips him at the 3-point line and tosses it ahead to Antawn “Anti-Freeze” Dobie (Overseas Argentina A league) to tie up the game (5-5).

The backcourt of Anti-Freeze and Homicide was mentally in tune. Like listening to Nas and Jay lyrically body Nas’ “Black Republican” and prove a point to the new school. With 10:20 on the clock the tandem of Anti-Freeze/Homicide connect again for a 6-0 run (17-8 Bingo). Sherrod (S-Class) Brown ends the run with a drive down the lane and goes on a one-man-tear to bring TNP back into the game 20-16.

At 4:55, with Ma-ma-ma-ma-Mookie is at the point guard spot for Bingo’s. Mookie catches the defense sleeping as he dishes the rock for a no-look, over the shoulder pass to Mike Glover (28-20). The H.I.T.S squad keeps the momentum going as Mike Glover (11 points) and passes it out to Homicide (21 points) for the lay-in and the 32-22 lead, heading into halftime.

The second half didn’t off any better for TNP. Ant Glover bounced his defender off the block to score 36-24. With 17 minutes left, S-Class spins through the defense, trying to bring the team back (40-28). Anti-Freeze (19 points) quieted any hopes of a TNP comeback when he dropped his defender with a in-and-out worthy of its on infomercial. Joe Pope then hit him with a new nickname: “Sub Zero.” Another level of the street name game accomplished.

1-800-Sub-Zero Photo by Rafael Roy

(Hi, I’m Antawn Dobie. Do you want make unworthy opponents fall flat on their faces? Publicly embarrass defenders by making them hit the ground and then finishing off moves with an ice-cold jumper? To learn how you too can make in-and-out crossover moves a lethal part of your offense, call 1-800-SUB-ZERO. Tell ‘em Anti-Freeze sent you.)

Midway through the second half, Mookie (five points, seven assists) knocks down a three to put Bingo’s ahead 68-49. Chris “Primetime” Grant showed signs of life in the second half, finishing the game with 19 points for TNP, but Bingo’s had to much game winning 81-62.

In the second matchup of the T.O.C. semifinals, EBC champs (Certified), took on the West 4th^th street winners (Money Inc.). It didn’t take Certified long to heat up behind the outside game of Kenny “K-Sat” Satterfield/Kareem “Best kept secret” Reid) and the inside presence of Kavon “The Brooklyn Bully” Lytch (The modern John Strickland)/Nakia “Fab” Miller.

Fab hit a baseline jimmy to open the flood gates for Certified. K-Sat followed up with a trey and backcourt mate, “Best Kept,” used his speed to leak out on defenders for easy buckets 15-3 (12:40 left in the first). At 6:50, West 4^th’s Muff, drives for the tough-two point layup (25-13). With under five minutes to play in the half, Money Inc. cuts the lead to nine, after Muff hits a deep three (29-20).

The Brooklyn Bully answers back, dazing his defender with his patented slow motion dribble and finishing through contact, to go on his own 6-0 run. Certified kept the energy up, as Best Kept hit Lytch with a drop pass for an and-one basket, going into halftime (39-24).

The EBC champs entered the second half with the feel of a Mike D’Antoni team, with the offensive strategy of seven seconds or less. With 11:25 left on the clock, AG the Voice of Harlem asked “What you gunna do?!” to Money Inc. but they had no answers for K-Satt (17 points), Best Kept (11 points) or Lytch who had 10, as Certified moved on to the chip, 73-46.

Photo by Rafael Roy

The first two TOC semifinal matchups were dominated by players who’ve staked a claim as the “right now” players. The High School bout between the Bronx vs. Queens was about who’ll soon lead the next generation of city-bred stars. The Battle for Borough supremacy started off close, until Daniel Dingle (St. Raymond’s) got his mid-range Melo game started, for six-straight buckets and a quick 21-11 lead. At 5:35 in the first, Kevin Punter whirled around Jevon Thomas (St. Benedicts) and left him on the floor and the ball in the basket (28-20 BX lead).

Photo by Rafael Roy

DJ Webstar always knows just what to play to orchestrate the game flow. As Waka Flaka’s “Oh let’s do it,” pumps through the speakers, Dingle (14 points) drives the lane to push the lead 34-20. Queens guard, Corey Edwards (Christ the King) can’t let his team go out too easy and hits a three to cut the lead at the half, 34-24.

While the on-lookers of the game we’re cheering for their respective boroughs and players, the first half taught everyone one thing: Danny Dingle can do a lot. In the second half, teammate Musa Kone(Frederick Douglas Academy III) let the crowd know he’s got game too, as he threw down a game changing dunk and let the crowd know it with his soul-snatching stare down (44-33, 17:45).

But the boys from QB battled back behind Kadeem Jack (Rice/South Kent) who caught a dunk of his own and a three-pointer from Edwards (44-38). After both teams traded baskets, Kerwin Okoro (St. Rays) hits a three to extend the BX lead 66-55. Action heats up as Jermaine Sanders (Rice) drives for the and-one to cut the lead to five with 1:02, left to play. Backcourt mate, Thomas (12 points) hits a three with 30 seconds left to make the score 68-64. Then after the Bronx adds a point from a free throw, Thomas hits another three 69-67, as the energy gets crazy. Pressure busts pipes, as Okoro goes to the line for two but misses both, Thomas gets the ball on the break, drives to the baha and dishes to Jordan Washington (11 points) to the tie the game and force overtime.

Bronx players look stunned and the Queens kids are hyped, behind streetball’s Bobby Knight, Coach Rah. Jack goes to the rack on the opening play of OT, draws a foul on Kone (15 points) who fouls out and puts Queens up 71-69. Dingle then leads a 3-0 run (a FT and an assist to Okoro) to put the BX back up 72-71. Okoro then scores down-low on a tip in but Washington answers with a baseline drop step (74-73, Queens) with 1:02 left. But as DJ Webstar blasts Nas’ “Who’s world is this,” Jack heads to the line again with 17 seconds on the clock to put Queens up for good. Ron-Ron wasn’t in the building but the young-guns from Queens took another title, with a 76-74 win.

Photo by Rafael Roy Queens player Lebrent Walker Photo by Rafael Roy

Once again the T.O.C. was living up to the billing. Semifinal games where NYC hoop legends, proved why they’re recognized and hungry prep-players eager to earn respect. Before the last game of the night got underway, Joe Pope talked to the crowd and fellow game announcer Bobbito Garcia.

“Yo Bob let’s turn it up! It’s the 2010 tournament of Champions. The game is finally here; let’s go!”

Bingo’s All-Stars were the first to answer Joe Pope’s request, as Anti-Freeze hit back-to-back buckets for a 4-0 H.I.T.S. lead. Freeze forces a 12-6 run, capped off by an outlet pass to Mike Glover (14 points) who yammed on K-Satt’s head. K-Satt answered back with a few jumpers and got Certified back into the game, 12-10. Teammates “The Brooklyn Bully” and Andre “Dre da point” Barrett ran the textbook pick-and-roll to get an easy two, but Bingo’s was still up, 19-14.

Al Sheppard (14 points) went Gary Payton post-up style on K-Satt, for eight points early in the first half and a 25-15 lead. Miguel “Miles High” Millien gave Bingo’s the biggest lead of the half (34-22) with a spin move, to the dunk at 5:18. Dre the Point decides to get involved right before half, as he drives the lane and kicks it out to K-Satt for the mid-range jumper and cuts the lead 43-33.

With one half remaining in the summer of 2010, the Nike reps decided to announce the Nike Player of the Summer: Antawn “Anti-Freeze” Dobie. Maybe they saw his infomercial? The reigning POS accepted with his signature calm, cool demeanor.

Photo by Rafael Roy

“It’s long overdue,” said Dobie. “I think I could have won this in ’08 but I don’t play for individual awards. People remember you for winning and that’s what I’m really about.”

With his trophy presentation now done, the city was his for the taking. Every player who’s won the Player of the Summer (P.O.S.) award so far has also won the championship game and Dobie was poised to carry on tradition.

As second half action jumped off, Anti-Freeze hit Sheppard for a wide open three (45-39). Dre da Point was determined to spoil the party as he ran the show for Certified and lead a 6-0 run. But Homicide noticed the mismatch and overpowered him on the block, running the offense from there and making a sweet-pass to Ant Glover for two.

With 12 minutes left in the game, Dre finds his own shot, tying the game at 56 with a three. He then comes down to score on the ensuing possession, but Anti-Freeze answers (58-58). At 8:45, The Brooklyn Bully puts a spin move through the lane on Mike Glover that draws more “wooo’s” from the crowd than the entire Rick Ross album but Freeze dizzies the defense with a spin of his own, for two points (64-64).

Photo by Rafael Roy

At 5:02, Freeze takes over, loses his first defender and twirls through the entire interior D, for the lay (68-64, Bingo’s). After Bingo’s takes a 74-64 lead, Dre the point knocks down a three and The Brooklyn Bully follows up with a layup (74-69). Lee Church checks in for Bingo’s and throws the lob pass to Miles high (seven points), to put H.I.T.S up 78-73. Miles high hits a FT with 22 seconds left (80-75) but The Brooklyn Bully answers with an and-one 80-78.

Church went to the line to ice the game but missed both attempts with 15 seconds left, the ball popped out to Anti-Freeze who was immediately fouled and knocked down two FT’s 82-78 (7.2 on the clock). After a EBC timeout, K-Satt gets the ball on the wing and kicks to Dre da Point who hits the three, 82-81. But the Freeze makes the smart play at half, as he gets the ball, runs away from the defense and lobs it to Church as the clock runs down.

Bingo's celebrates after the win Photo by Rafael Roy

Anti-Freeze Photo by Rafael Roy