Come through Vancouver’s Kits Beach this time of year and you will find that two things are guaranteed. One, you are sure to see an abundance of beautiful Canadian young ladies donning Miami-style bikinis. And two, you will find some hard-nosed pickup on the beach’s chain-netted courts. Reminiscent of Cali’s Venice Beach, Kits features some of the city’s sickest and most boisterous street ballers. Read More »

Summer hoops in Vancouver doesn’t stop as soon as the Dolphin Basketball Classic ends. Every August for the past half-decade, my man Steve Lee has organized Hoopfest. Sure, it’s not outdoors like Dolphin, but it attracts the same usual suspects: Randy Nohr, Bol Kong, Joey Haywood aka King Handles, Aman Heran and Neb Alesic. Read More »

In all of the basketball I have watched in my lifetime, only two players have made me want to show up early to a game, just so that I could watch the layup line. The first was Paul McPherson at the 2000 Rocky Mountain Revue in Utah. The second was Nate Robinson at the 2005 Vegas Summer League. Blessed with 40-plus-inch verticals and insane creativity, both were sure to treat the crowd to mini-dunk contests during each pregame warmup.

After watching the 24th annual Dolphin Basketball Classic over the weekend, I’m proud to add a third person to my prestigeous, yet insignificant list. Read More »

photo: Superman doing his best Sidney Crosby.

Maybe there is something to Dwight Howard’s nickname after all. Not only is the man an automatic double-double who can probably dunk the top of the backboard, but he can also switch it up like Bo Jackson. In Vancouver yesterday to promote the upcoming release of NBA Live 10, Superman showed off his entire sports repertoire by playing a little tennis, soccer and hockey. Yes, hockey. Read More »

One of the most historic and premier outdoor basketball tournaments in the world is just 45 days away. The Dolphin Park Classic in Vancouver, Canada is in its 24th year and gets bigger and better each time around. Read More »

photo: At the 14th Street Y. Left to right: Yuta, Old Man Johnnie, Me, Bobbito and Sean Kennedy.

Everyone knows that New York City is the mecca of basketball. The history and tradition speaks for itself: The Garden, the Knicks, Rucker Park, Kenny Anderson, Stephon Marbury, Pearl Washington, Joe Hammond, the Red Storm – the list is endless. If you golf, you dream of teeing up on Pebble Beach. If you ball, you dream of playing in NYC.

I got my chance last week as I ditched rainy Vancouver for a little vacation to the 212. In between visiting family and sightseeing, I was able to meet up with Bobbito, who kindly invited me for a Monday afternoon run inside the 14th Street Y in Manhattan. It might not have been Rucker, West 4th or the Garden (Coney Island version), but considering the cold fall weather and the fact I am terribly out of shape – this will do. Read More »