SEEDS Academy scrimmage on my last day in Senegal. This was one of many woop-woops I witnessed!
On Jan. 13, I left NYC for an unforgettable journey to the motherland. The SEEDS Foundation invited me to coach clinics in four Senegalese cities over a three-day weekend as part of its GROW THE GAME program to not only help kids learn how to play ball but more importantly to inspire them to choose education as a route to self-empowerment. The academic achievement of the youth there is staggering; something to the tune of 20% go to high school, 5% go to college, and as a result, 40% of the adult population is illiterate. Factor in malnutrition of children under 5, lack of gross national product to export (i.e.: no oil or diamond trade), and you basically have one of the least developed countries in the world. It’s not as poor as Zimbabwe or Somalia, but in comparison, I’ve been to the most down-trodden favelas of Brazil and would definitely say that Senegal was on another level of poverty. About a third of the population lives on less than $1.25 US dollars a day.
In 2003, SEEDS founder Amadou Gallo Fall (currently VP of NBA Africa and a former scout for the Dallas Mavs) took his own money and created the SEEDS Academy, a non-profit center where teenagers with b-ball promise could receive a better education, as well as a chance at life. Its best-known graduate to date has been Mouhamed Sene, who played in the NBA, but the bigger success story is the number of kids who have finished at the school with standardized test scores over the Senegalese national average, having gone on to colleges in the United States, some even on scholarship, both academic and athletic.
Indeed, Senegal’s greatest natural resource is its people. Read More »
On January 9th, 2010, Nike and Brand Jordan sponsored Elementos, produced by Project 2050, in Rio De Janiero, Brazil. There was a b-ball tournament, dunk contest, b-boy circle, live graf, fusbol action, skateboarding, and no doubt miggety me on the wheels towards the end of the day spinning some soul and rhythms for the heads. Check out this clip from LUB TV of some of the action!
Shout out to Dom Filo, president of LUB and OG Rio DJ first responsible for playing US soul/funk to the crowd there dating back to 1970!
On Dec. 27, 2009, I slid out to Houston’s H-Town Sneaker Summit to spin some records in front of 1,000+ local heads. Bun B of UGK gave me the ridiculous intro on stage that had me buggin’. DJ Greg Street, a world-renowned kicks collector, also showed me mad love while I was spinnin’. Mad props to Kadoma and the whole crew. Look forward to going back!
Just the other day, I posted about NYC playground legend/Puerto Rican Pro League champion Angelo “Munch” Cruz (read it here). Well, today I found the above clip of him doing his thing down in PR. Check the crossover at 5:10!
Unfortunately, Angel Cruz has been missing for the last 10 years. Missing as in there is no record of his existence anywhere–not in any morgue, hospital, prison, where ever. If anyone has information about his whereabouts and would like to reunite him with his concerned family and friends, kindly reach out to Mike Napolitano at nappynap@excite.com or 646 239 7450.
Angelo Cruz in 1979, photo courtesy of El Museo Del Deportes De Puerto Rico
If you peeped our Bounce Magazine #19 “Puerto Rico Issue,” you would’ve read about Angelo “Monchito” Cruz, a guard who became a playground legend here in NYC and a champion in PR’s pro league. Click here to see his article online if you don’t have our printed copy. It’ll be worth your while!
At 5′9″, “Munch” was known to cuff it on big men, drop guards on defense, hit 30+ . . . you know, all that street highlight glory that we love talking about here. He was that dude.
Unfortunately, Angel Cruz has been missing for the last 10 years. Missing as in there is no record of his existence anywhere–not in any morgue, hospital, prison, where ever. If anyone has information about his whereabouts and would like to reunite him with his concerned family and friends, kindly reach out to Mike Napolitano at nappynap@excite.com or 646 239 7450. Read More »
Just peeped Cincinnati beating UConn highlights . . . Lance Stephenson hit two freebies with less than a tick on the tock to win it . . . In his first TV interview as Bearcat (courtesy of Fox 19), the Coney Island guard shouted me out for blessin’ him with the nickname “Born Ready.” Good lookin’, fams!
Also, peep him bop the nacho cheese out of a Xavier guard, whoa:
Found this clip titled “The Original Shamgod From Coney Island (Hajji ‘91) on youtube and really enjoyed peeping the vintage pick-up run (plus a young Stephon Marbury is spotted on the sideline, maybe he had next?).
I talked about Spike Lee, who I’ve worked on several films and TV commercials with, and Kobe Bryant, who shares the same high school alma mater as me, at the Kobe Doin’ Work documentary premiere at the ‘09 Tribeca Film Festival, check it out:
NYC native Bobbito Garcia a.k.a. Kool Bob Love is Bounce Magazine's Editor-In-Chief, and the critically acclaimed author of "Where'd You Get Those? NYC's Sneaker Culture 1960-1987" (Testify Books). He performs basketball tricks at NBA halftime shows with Project Playground and on TV commercials. He hosts MSG-TV's "Summerball" series, voices 2K Sports NBA 2K video games, and anchored ESPN2's "It's the Shoes" series. He designed signature Nike Air Force 1s released for the model's 25th anniversary. A world class DJ, this former pro player in Puerto Rico still runs regularly in Harlem's playgrounds.
