The scam went down like this. A skinny kid named Reggie would be tossing up jumpers at the John Adams Elementary School and other playgrounds in Riverside, California. His older sister, Cheryl, would be at the other end of the court, tossing up bricks. Sometimes, she would wind up and heave the ball over the backboard and into the chain link fence.
Reggie would approach a couple of kids and the convo normally went down like this -
“You guys want to play two-on-two? I’m waiting for my man to show up. Or I can just play you with my sister down there.” Read More »
A few weeks ago, we celebrated the one year anniversary of “The Playground Gave Us…”
It’s been an incredible journey – connecting the past with the present and opening a floodgate of discussion, debate & appreciation for the exploits of those who touched our spirits through our beautiful game.
A year ago this week, we examined the late, great Reggie Lewis. In celebration of the belated birthday of “The Playground Gave Us…” series, I give you the updated version on the re-mix tip.
The fall of the Boston Celtics empire was not due to, though it did coincide, with Larry Bird’s back problems in the late ’80s and early ’90s. The definitive blows were delivered in the forms of the untimely passing of the franchise’s future torchbearers – Len Bias in ‘85 and Reggie Lewis in ‘93.
Reggie Lewis, known as “Truck” to his family and friends in his hometown of Baltimore, was on the cusp of stardom when he succumbed to a heart condition. At the moment of his death, he was doing what he loved – playing ball. Read More »
From the early ’90s through the middle of the new millenium, his bark and bite were equally loud and vicious. For those whose memories reside in recent history, they might only remember Glenn Allen Robinson as a role player from San Antonio’s 2005 NBA championship team.
But for those of us who saw him as a youngster on the come up, he’ll always be fondly remembered as the “Big Dog”, one of the greatest and most dominant players the college game has ever seen. A tenacious rebounder and deadly shooter, he singlehandedly altered the hoops and financial landscape as one of the most complete and unstoppable forces in the illustrious history of the NCAA. Read More »
Christopher Paul Mullin was a simple, neighborhood guy from Troy Avenue in the Flatlands section of Brooklyn. The love affair with hoops was a multi-generational thing that began in the driveway of the family’s small row house. Read More »
“Simple and plain, give me the lane, I’ll throw it down your throat like Barkley!” - Chuck D’s lyrics from the Public Enemy classic, Rebel Without A Pause.
To young fans, Charles Barkley is simply a former player. He’s better known as the affable television personality that always has something funny to say on the TNT show, Inside the NBA.
But for those who watched ball in the ’80s and ’90s, he was an awe inspiring, revolutionary talent that turned the establishment on its ear. He was an unstoppable, undersized, 6′4″ power forward who owned the low post, an explosive leaper and ferocious rebounder who could dribble, pass, score and pump gallons of fear through the hearts of even the most accomplished big men. Read More »
With March Madness only a month away, I’m already fiendin’ like Gator in Jungle Fever (”Look Mama, I made this dance up for you.”) So as the current college crop prepares their playground swag for the big dance, I needed to quench my thirst and take a look back, with some added video highlights for your viewing pleasure.
They hijacked the world, took it by storm and forever altered the landscape of the college game. The Fab Five signaled the merging of hip hop sensibilities and hoops, from fashion to swagger to attitude. They took the anti-establishment mystique much further than their Hoya Paranoia predecessors of Patrick Ewing and Big John Thompson in the early to mid ’80s. In addition, they did something that had never been done before: five 18-year-old freshman starters that led their school to the national championship game.Read More »
He stood 6′8″ carrying a chiseled 240 pounds. By the time he left the Unversity of Kentucky for the NBA, the world knew him as the “Monster Mash.”
During the intense game action that went down between the lines, whether it was on asphalt strewn with broken glass, Rupp Arena or on the NBA stage, he was always a textbook example of versatility. Pulling up from 23 feet to bang a three, dominating in the post, snatching rebounds or running the show in the open court, the man could do it all. And then some. Read More »
During this holiday season, I’ll be dipping into the archives to offer up some updated goodies in the form of some of the most delectable “The Playground Gave Us…” joints from ‘08.
You had to know that this one was coming!
Jacques Dominique Wilkins exemplified the playground in its purest essence. His above the rim pyrotechnics made folks fall out of their seats as they wondered if their eyes had the capacity to lie!Read More »
