Malinda Steele and her daughter Autumn holding up priceless family album photos.

Back in December, I received an email from my childhood next door neighbor Malinda Steele that read, “Bob, I just watched your youtube basketball highlights . . . did you know that my uncle was one of the original Harlem Globetrotters?” Huh?!!!

Malinda and I grew up together on 120 West 97th St. in Manhattan. My family lived in #13I, her and her moms lived in #13J. She quite possibly was the first friend I ever had, dating back to 1970 when we were four years of age. We both appeared in the intro of an early Sesame Street TV episode, both had parents who loved the piano, but almost 40 years later I’m finding out both of our families shared a love for basketball? I was intrigued and invited her to stop by my crib while she was in town with her daughter Autumn visiting her moms for holidays.

“My uncle Bob Dowery ran with the Globetrotter for years,” Malinda shared with me while paging through a decades-old photo album, “and my grandfather ‘Horse’ Steele was a teammate of ‘Pop’ Gates!” Read More »

Mr. John Isaacs chilling at Mr. Couch’s Uptown Express Women’s League in Harlem. I shot this photo in ‘07, and it is now very dear to me. Earlier last week, Mr. John Isaacs (1915-2009), one of the last remaining living members of the original Harlem Rens, passed on at the age of 93 years old. On Saturday, his funeral service was held at the Metro AME Church on 135th St. I’d been wanting to write something about my feelings for days, but I needed to do something first . . .

Today, I walked by the original Harlem Renaissance ballroom on 138th St. and 7th Ave. Once a tremendous structure housing the greatest Jazz legends one could imagine, it now humbly rests as what appears to be an abandoned, unattended building. In the 1930s, it was in these hallowed halls that Mr. John Isaacs cemented his Hall of Fame career. Read More »

Just in from Claude Johnson of www.blackfivesblog.com: I regret to report that John “Boy Wonder” Isaacs has suffered what appears to have been a bad stroke, on Friday, according to his daughter, Susan. He’s hospitalized, and has shown some minimal movement of his fingers, and has opened his eyes, and apparently knows that people are talking about him, but is otherwise unresponsive and hasn’t spoken. His family is waiting for the results of some neurological tests. Meanwhile he’s resting in intensive care. Please join me in sending your best wishes and positive thoughts his way.

Claude

Everyone here at www.bouncemag.com sends only their most positive energy to Mr. Isaacs, the only remaining member of the Harlem Rens (the first all-black team ever inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame).