photo: flickr.com

The Dunk! The Ram! The Slam! The Bong! Whatever you want to call it, it’s an art form, birthed on the playground, that has revolutionized the way the game is played. And in game 4 of the Western Conference playoff battle between the Houston Rockets and Pheonix Suns on May 5th, 1994, Kevin Maurice Johnson threw down one of the illest yokes of all-time. Read More »

photo: procorbis.com

In March of ‘81, Isiah Thomas became a college basketball legend. He was the one indispensable member of coach Bob Knight’s Indiana Hoosier squad that captured the Big 10 Championship en route to March Madness.

The team leader in scoring, steals and assists was not only the best pure guard in the country, he was the best the college game had seen since North Carolina’s amazing Phil Ford. Read More »

photo: photobucket.com

Whenever the discussion about the greatest point guards in the history of the game comes up, the usual suspects always get their due – Magic, Isiah, Tiny and the incomparable Mr. Oscar Robertson. But one man, “The Glove”, is often undeservedly forgotten. Read More »

photo: si.com — Senior Point Guard Craig Austrie

Got a chance to watch Saturday’s game between Gonzaga and UCONN. Gonzaga sat in a zone most of the first half and limited UCONN’s guards to 4 transition points and only 2 field-goals in the paint. When UCONN’s guards took the initiative and drove the gaps, they got to the line. Craig Austrie didn’t do much in the first half but one of the things that scouts look for is how guards react to a zone, create against bigger players, stay in control, and finish plays. Austrie ended up with 6 points, but at the end of the game he was the first option for a three in the crunch and plays the point for a still undefeated UCONN Husky team. While projected draft choices AJ Price (24pts) and Jerome Dyson (21pts) put the book bag on winning the game today, I believe Craig has NBA potential. Read More »

photo: viewimages.com

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.

Before he reached 5,000 points and 2,500 assists faster than anyone in NBA history except The Big O, the incomparable Mr. Oscar Robertson, and prior to the Nike commercials that raved about his “skeeels”, the playgrounds of the Windy City knew him as “Tim Bug.” Read More »

photo: si.com

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.

The time has come to pay homage to Tiny, the ultimate point guard.

As a skinny kid that always looked much younger than his actual age, Nathaniel “Tiny” Archibald insulated himself from the worst elements of the South Bronx with a ball and a hoop.

“We paid $109.00 a month rent and got the neighborhood for free,” he once said. “We were overcharged for both.” Read More »