photo: orangehoops.org

The Dish aka The Assist. It’s my favorite part of the game because it’s the most philanthropic. While most casual observers appreciate the dudes that can get buckets, my informal education as a New York City playground point guard stipulated that I acknowledge, comprehend and cherish the brilliance of the pass that led to the basket, as well as players with an innate ability to make others better.

And very few players mastered the dish like the 6′1″ Sherman Douglas, who will go down in history as one of the best Alley-Oop practicioners the game has ever seen. Read More »

photo: media.highschoolplaybook.com

Basketball, broken down to its simplest compound, is about scoring more buckets than the team you’re playing against. The Semi-Automatic refers to players who leave bodies in their wake with their innate ability to get buckets. And no player in the history of the college game was more offensively blessed, or prolific, than the incomparable Pete Maravich, aka The Pistol. Read More »

photo: thestartingfive.net

“I’m sorry Chris Jackson, You are for real!” -The Ali re-mix of the OutKast classic, Ms. Jackson

Every generation can lay claim to that one transcendant talent, a shooting star that scorched everything in his path en route to ascending the ladder of LEGEND. For some, their reign at the crescendo was long. For others, the view from the mountaintop was all too brief. For Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, the artist formerly known as Chris Jackson, his extraordinary spontaneous combustion during two remarkable seasons at L.S.U. was enough to tickle the memories of those who witnessed his exploits for a lifetime.

With an arsenal that included an impeccable handle, more shakes than a fervent Beyonce dance routine, a bananas vertical leap, an underrated assist game that was overshadowed by his prolific scoring, lightning hands that thieved like Bernard Madoff and a hiccup-quick release on a jimmy that was as dependable as Oprah, Mahmoud sizzled retinas. Read More »