I was super tough in transition, ask former NBA All-Star Mark Jackson about his “D” against me at King Towers back in the day…

“The business.” It’s a term used when a player starts to flame broil his opponent on offense. Many players left like “cooked beef” from our gym back in the day, grilled and handled with a spatula by NBA pros, but real appreciative of having a place to test their skill. I truly remember how the comp helped a city get its rep as the breeding ground of the NBA hardcore player that willed their respective teams to the championship round. I miss that charcoaled flavor. During this All-Star Weekend, I reminisce about men like Mark Jackson, Kenny Smith, Anthony Mason, and Tony Campbell, all NBA All-Stars and championship round players who made NYC’s Jim Couch Foundation Open Gym a Pro Experience… Read More »

As I type I’m catching severe cramps in my toes as if I was 14 years old all over again and just coming home from playing for five hours at the Goat. Instead, I’ve just finished two intense games, the first at the Pelham Fritz 38 and Over League and the second at the Sunday Basketball League.

At PFBL, I was delighted to be greeted during a ball out of bounds retrieve by none other than the original “Dream” a.k.a. Dean “The Dream” Meminger. “What’s up Bobbito? Looking good!” Here’s a former NY Knick NBA Champion, Rich HS and Marquette U. All-American, telling me I’m playing well?

I have moments like these that I have to shake myself out of a dream only to realize it’s reality. I came out the gate hitting my first four shots, all from deep three, and finished the game with 22 points and 12 assists. This was against players on the other squad like “Master Rob” Hockett, the only EBC @ Rucker Park alum to ever have won a chip as a player and a coach. “The Great One,” as he’s also called my PFBL announcer AG, was also a JUCO All-American, D1 player at U of New Orleans, and a Harlem Globetrotter … Steve Burtt Sr. was also on the opposing squad, yes THAT Steve a.k.a. “All Day,” the all-time leading scorer at Iona College, the Rucker and King Towers legend, the former NBA and overseas check collector for going to the bajaa with abandon . . .

Me, on the other hand, had no props coming up. Read More »