Bounce Mag 2009_iss21 by joshua xiang

FUTURE / EP IP HA N N Y / Su p e r H e r o S k i p T o M y L ou / S E R B I A / C HI BBS

ISSUE #21 / SUMMER ’09 WWW.BOUNCEMAG.COM

THE

PHENOM ISSUE

Kyrie Irving

" F J L P P D

F S P N ! F !PO

ISSUE 21 - SUMMER 2009

GAME PLAN

POSTING UP

The Jump Off.

Love and Respect for Will Bynum, Bounce Worldwide.

SHOOTAROUND Featuring “SKIP TO MY LOU” Teacher’s Corner; Flossary; Layup Line; Young World.

WE DO 22 HOW Malloy Nesmith’s “Back to the Future” move.

DOGMA 24 STREET The Death of American Streetball? BEYOND THE 26 PLAYGROUND Scott Perry’s rise from St. Cecilia to the Detroit Pistons.

THE WORLD 28 AROUND Marko Jaric’s Summer League Jones.

30 LET EM MARINATE "Phenom" footwear.

FEATURES 34 KYRIE IRVING The Son of Drederick Rises.

40 EPIPHANNY PRINCE The Natural goes pro and makes history.

46 KENNY ANDERSON The NYC one-man fast break speaks.

Pick Up Ball Paradise – LA’s Venice Beach Courts Photo: Kevin Couliau 7

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ISSUE 21 - SUMMER 2009

Sean “In Fin” Couch Editor in Chief, Online Editor

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editor@bouncemag.com BOUNCE MAGAZINE 291 Broadway #1204 NY, NY 10007

They call Monta Ellis the Mississippi Bullet because he does everything fast. He dropped 72 in a single game as a teenager. He blew by college to become a starting guard in the NBA. Now he puts gloss on his backyard moves and lets them shine with amazing speed and a smooth finish. Back home in Jackson, people are quick to praise the first Baller from Mississippi with a signature shoe. At 23, Monta Ellis is just getting started.

MONTA ELLIS ME8 MID

The Jump OfF A turntable and a basketball mid-court are remarkably similar. Both are circular with a point of jump off. The right song starts the party off right and a dance floor explodes with bodies ready to sweat. It’s the same on the playground, when the ball is put in flight for the tip-off by the ref. My jump off time was spent in Dyckman Park. The DJ’s were my father and my playground coach Evander Ford. Their rhythm was about pressing, running, and blowing opponents out, and now, with my first turn on the Bounce turntable as E-I-C, I’m applying my press. The “Phenom” Issue is dedicated to players that truly have created their own individual songs of praise from the mouths of the bleachers and parks around the world. We set it off with Rafer “Skip To My Lou” Alston’s super-hero-like exploits and how his style set the world on fire; we explore the made-in-the-park moves of Malloy “The Future” Nesmith, the young streetball phenom that rolled with Shaq and the big dogs of the rap game at the turn of the century. All rhythm, all the time is Kyrie Irving, fresh off a MVP performance at the Nike Global Games as a sixth man, constructed playground tough by his father, Drederick Irving. College coaches are singing his name as the best point guard in the country and the father and son duo nod their heads. Then, a hard stutter and cut to Epiphanny Prince, the girl who beat boys with game at eleven-years-old, scored 113 points in a high school game, and now puts the NCAA on notice that the women’s college game is changed forever. We also celebrate one of New York City’s finest guards, Kenny “Chibbs” Anderson, who had whole playground, AAU, and high school teams in fear because of his ability to go one-man-fastbreak. So to all the party-people ready to get this issue off right, let’s dance to the writer’s beat! Sean Couch EDITOR IN CHIEF Bounce: From The Playground

Photos: John Walder, TJ, and H Rumph Jr.

GAME PLAN

DIME ISSUE 51 - ON SALE NOW! 13

POSTING UP “I love what you guys do and stand for! I am a huge fan!!!” - Billy “White Jesus” Rieser Bounce Issue #20 CLASSIC! I REALLY like what you all are doing. Very authentic. Always On Point. In the magazine/print business that usually leads to longevity. Keep pushin'. Create Wisdom. 100. Scoop Jackson, Chicago, IL

I AM GLAD to read Bounce, and appreciate your watch on worldwide streetball. I'm also trying to be a pioneer in Hungary, to give and not ask from the sport. There aren't many sponsors, but we push hard, and have found some great talent. We never give up. God bless and take care. Kiri, Hungary

I LOVE what you guys do and stand for! I am a huge fan!!! Billy “White Jesus” Rieser, Chicago , IL

I LOVE the way the magazine is put together, the graphics and the lay-out are great! Leroy Herbert, Long Island, NY

ALI, great job! Jamaal Wilkes, Los Angeles, CA

Cover Story: Will Bynum I HAVE big time respect for Will Bynum. Coming out of Georgia Tech he didn’t get a fair look and even when he got into some trouble over in Israel he kept his head up. He should have been in the NBA straight out of school. I have a son who probably won’t be over 6’0” so Will’s story is big for him. Eugene Willians, Harlem, NY

BYNUM reminds me of myself. Everything isn’t easy and you have to work real hard to get it. I also liked the ”How We Do,” it’s especially good for younger players to use. Brawley Chisholm, Ball State Guard, Muncie, Indiana

THE NEW Digital issue on the website looks good! I enjoyed the Bynum Piece. Rob Hoffman, Long Island, NY

How We Do I PERSONALLY liked the article on Cyndra Couch. It is great to see an article on an up and coming female student/athlete who is demonstrating on how to break her girl down off the dribble. I always said that the best basketball to watch is females because they are so basic and simple when working on the game. They don’t need the shake and bake but just some good old fashion footwork with a good hard nose rip here and there. They really know how to play with a chip on their shoulder. Anyway, all my best to her and the beginning of her college career. Al Morales, Westchester, NY

Players to Watch I LIKE how you covered the upcoming players from all the areas around the country. I like how you're not selling out like some other magazines that are full of ads but no content. I’m waiting for the double edition Bounce. London Reyes, Westchester, NY

Native American

Back Edition Love AS I READ THE "Life Starts Today" part in the beginning of issue #18, I ﬂipped to the back like Bob said to check out the story on Conrad McCrae. It reminded me a lot of Jax [Atlanta rap artist], may he rest in peace. ‘Rad passed out playing ball, something I'm sure he loved; Jax passed on stage. Weird. I've been taking more time out to appreciate life lately myself. Señor Kaos, Atlanta, GA

THANK YOU, thank you, thank you for issue #18! The McNasty article especially moved me. When I lived on the Loisada, I hooped at NYU a lot. Conrad would come down with some HS buddies (a guard named “Tick” who went to a school in Florida, and an Indian dude who was the ball boy for Duke in their glory years). I remember Wendell Alexis would ball too, but you could just see how raw ‘Rad was in cementing shots against the glass. That was also when I got to play with the Future and another guard named Panama, who was pretty nice. Keep up the great work! Steve Kostyk, Rochester, NY

I CAN’T BELIEVE Bobbito is leaving!!! Anyway, I enjoyed the Native American Story, It showed another aspect of minority life and how basketball is part of it. Jah-Leah Ellis, Los Angeles, CA

Editor’s Note: Bob' still down with the crew, still eating cucumber's and DJ-ing. He's an Editor-at-Large now and his plan is to play more pick-up ball and watch me from the stands play in championship 40-and-over leagues.

SHOOTAROUND PRESENTS

“SKIP TO MY LOU”

A BLAZE WITH HANDLE AT RUCKER PARK

SHOOT AROUND

The official man of power with blazing handle RAFER “SKIP TO MY LOU” ALSTON INTRO: Sean “In Fin” Couch / INTERVIEW: Andrew “Whitey” Katz / ILLUSTRATION: Michael Kraiger

The bulletproof rep of Rafer “Skip to My Lou” Alston has been well-chronicled in the annals of playground basketball. With modern era commercial streetball now in its eleventh year, many feel that it’s on its ⇒nal leg. It’s up to us to explore the fantastic movement that Skip point-guarded and developed, and its domination of America ’s hoops sub-culture. While Michael Jordan represents professional basketball excellence, Skip to My Lou's playground genius put players of all ages into a "make a move" mode unlike anything seen since the arrival of "Pistol Pete" Maravich to the NBA in the '70s. His body language while handling the ball was an art form, in and of itself, on the ﬁrst AND 1 mix-tape; the skill was superhero-like, video-game advanced. His wild imagination gave the world a template of the expressive full body movements that many new jack guards embraced. The "Michael Jordan of Playground Ball" sat down with Bounce and explained how he became the master of his domain. BOUNCE: You’ve been called the ‘Michael Jordan of the Playground.’ How does that make you feel?

Skip: I identify with people that played before me on the playgrounds. So many of them were so good. It’s the city’s game. That’s our game. That’s where we learn to get our conﬁdence from, where we develop a style of play that’s unique. We play with a lot of ﬂair and passion in our game. Who are those guys you looked up to?

Skip: I don’t know if you’ll remember these guys. One of them passed away – Karlton Hines. I looked up to Dancin’ Doogie and Master Rob. People would always tell me about Earl ‘The Goat’ Manigault, Fly and Joe Hammond. Some of the pro guys who came through made a big impact on me – Julius, Earl Monroe. All those guys battled on the playgrounds – they knew that’s where you gained your conﬁdence. That’s how you learned to deal with a lot of things. People don’t understand – the playground is hard. People talk trash right in your ear. They say so much to you. If you can deal with that, whatever they say in these NBA arenas doesn’t compare. What do you say to the idea that people need to ‘get the playground out of their game’ to succeed in college or pro ball?

from their game, they need to add on. It’s OK for those guys to keep their God-given talent. But if they’re lacking something, that’s where coaches need to come in and get them to understand how to put it together and become a complete player. Coaches who get guys who love to razzle-dazzle, with a lot of ﬂash-and-bang should get them to understand that they need to blend fundamentals together with that. Instead, sometimes they try to take their whole game away and just be fundamental. You can’t suppress God-given talent. Looking back on your career, can you say that one coach or mentor brought the best out in you?

Skip: Jerry Tarkanian allowed me to be a point guard. He didn’t want me to change my game. He wanted me to go out there, be a point guard and keep my turnovers down. He wanted me to work on my game. He never held me back though. Street basketball is alive in New York, but the legacy of the New York point guard seems to be dwindling. Do you agree, and is there any explanation why?

Skip: We’re taking a back seat to a lot of cities and states right now. But it’ll never die down. You’re talking about a legacy that’s been here since Bob Cousy. He’s a point guard from Queens , New York . It’s been going on since then and it’ll keep going on. I think the kids just need to play more. They’re not playing as much as they have been in the past. The magic of Skip on the street can only be seen on old video tape – is there a reason we haven’t seen you on the playground recently?

Skip: I just can’t do it anymore. I got kids now. It’s too much of my time in the summer. Now I coach my team. I’m one of the best coaches in the circuit! But you still think that the playground plays an important role?

Skip: Oh yeah. We need it. Some days when I’m in New York during the summer, I get up and just go to different parks to see the kids playing. They need it. And I love seeing them play like they need it.

Skip: I think that people need to remember what got them this far.. I always remember that it brought me to where I’m at today. I think it’s simple – you need to add on. Instead of doing a disservice to players by telling them what they need to remove

SHOOT AROUND

The TEACHER’S CORNER Legendary playground coach Ron Naclario knows all the ins and outs to Rafer “Skip To My Lou” Alston's rise to playground icon. Here are his words, recalling a 12, 14 and 18-year-old Skip on the NYC playgrounds.

1988 YOUNG SKIP age 12

1990

ADOLESCENT SKIP

age 14

1994

LATE TEEN SKIP

age 18

"He sat his ﬁrst game and just watched for a bit.

"At this point, he started to be able to physically

"He became the legend “Skip to my Lou.” Fans

It was his second game where he showed off his

hang with men, toying with them with the ball

didn’t even know his real name. He was the

handle and was effective. Skip was like the chicken

instead of playing tag out there. Rafer started

featured player everywhere he went. Coaches

in the Rocky movie; no one could catch up with

confronting defenders, putting on the magic act

didn’t care if he showed up at halftime—they just

him on the court. At that age, I thought everyone

and wrapping the ball around their legs, waist,

wanted him in the park. At six feet, he had the

had the nervous factor playing at the Rucker but

and heads. Guys started getting physical and he

cockiness to dominate. "

Rafer was fearless. I didn’t realize how good he

would just embarrass them."

was until I brought older kids up there and they

FLOSSARY

were scared of the crowd."

"Mind your bíz’ness" When the crowd or announcer tells a defender to stop double-teaming so that the offensive player can go one-on-one. When Skip toyed with him, McNasty’s teammates tried to double but the crowd yelled out, “mind you biz’ness, let Skip do his thing!”

Lay Up Line 1981 was the ⇒rst year I ever heard music being played during a lay-up line. I had a game in the Holcombe Rucker Memorial at Mt. Morris Park, Harlem, and the song coming off the portable record player on the scorer’s table was the Treacherous Three’s “The Body Rock” (Enjoy Records, 1980). I got amped! You couldn’t hear that on the radio, only in the park!

Here are some recent non-commercial joints I’d love to hear pre-game: Afrozen Orchestra feat. Chancellor Dedianga “Future Afrobeat” 7”, Soultronik Records, 2009 Gizelle Smith and the Mighty Mocambos “Working Woman Part 1” 7", Old Capital Records, 2009 Sharon Jones “I Just Dropped In To See What Condition My Condition Is In” 7”, Daptone Records, 2008 Stefania Rava “Send In The Clowns” 7", Dejavu Records, 2008 Laura Vane & The Vipertones “Man Of Your Word” 7”, Unique Records, 2009 If you like the above tunes, peep my compilation with DJ Rich Medina Connection: Modern Explorations in Afro & Latin Music on CD/LP/Digital (www.r2records.co.uk/theconnection/)and catch us at our HAPPY FEET party worldwide (www.bouncemag.com/www.richmedina.com) - Bobbito Garcia

Joe Jackson / Shoni Schimmel

YOUNG WORLD

VERBALS: Alejandro “Ali” Danois / VISUALS: Rick Schimmel & Eric Robinson

Phenom! That’s the word most often associated with these young point guards. They’ll become household names on the next level with their exciting swag and entertaining, scintillating ⇑oor games. They took a minute to talk about where they’re from and what they bring to the table.

JOE JACKSON - 5’11” Point Guard

SHONI SCHIMMEL - 5’10” Point Guard

White Station High School, Memphis, Tennessee, Class of 2010

Franklin High School, Portland, Oregon Class of 2010

“I started playing with my friends and older brother in the backyard when I was in the fourth grade and started going to the parks when I got a little older. We would go to Orange Mound Park and hoop around the neighborhood. I started playing organized ball in middle school. The Precinct, Mount Moriah, is an outdoor court in Memphis where everybody goes to play, as well as Glenview Park and Melrose Park.

The game of basketball is very important to Native Americans, a very big part of our community. My mom, grandmother and great-grandmother played ball and they used to talk about being allowed only two dribbles when they played.

At my size, I can make a lot of things happen - score, put it on the floor, create for other players and get to the basket. I’m very athletic and capable of dunking on people in traffic. I have different types of moves that people haven’t seen from a small guard. People compare me to Allen Iverson because I can fill it up. I’m working on leading a team and my jump shot because that’s the meal ticket. I’m also trying to master floaters and difficult shots. I’m playing for the Memphis Magic this summer and going to the Chris Paul and LeBron Nike camps, trying to add that leadership role to my game. For college, the top schools I’m considering right now are Memphis, Marquette, Tennessee, Kentucky, Villanova and a few others. In my city, we play hard. There’s a toughness to our game. Memphis is no joke. We ain’t scared of nothing.”

I grew up on the Umatilla Indian Reservation in Oregon and started playing in tournaments when I was four. I always played with my older brother and his friends growing up, which gave me an advantage because guys are a lot stronger. When I was in middle school, I noticed that I was becoming pretty good. I play with a lot of ﬂair and that comes from playing a lot of one-on-one against my brother and watching the AND 1 mix tapes when we were younger. In the sixth grade, I started traveling with my mom’s AAU team. We’d also play in Indian tournaments, which are enjoyable because there’s a lot of run-and-gun, up and down freestyle elements. In August, I’ll be in Tokyo, Japan with an All Star team of some of the top players in the country. It’s my ﬁrst time going overseas and I’m really excited. My strengths are passing and shooting. I really enjoy making a beautiful pass. Right now, I’m working on my defense and driving to the basket. I also spend a lot of time just working on my long range shooting. Stanford, UCLA, Duke, Louisville and Rutgers are some of the schools that are recruiting me.” 21

HOW WE DO

THE BEHIND-THE- BACK -SPIN-TO-THE-DOUBLECROSS-PULL-UP

A.K.A. the “BACK-TO-THE-FUTURE” VERBALS: Sean “In-Fin” Couch / VISUALS: John Walder

South Bronx native Malloy Nesmith took the playground by storm in the mid-80’s with his quick handles, wild-style moves and penchant for dancing with the ball and then jetting on his defender. The ill repertoire earned him the nickname "Boogie." At EBC, Duke Tango anointed him "The Future," saying “The moves he’s doing here, you’re going to see in the NBA in the future.” Nesmith, an original AND 1 mix-tape signee, was the ﬁrst modern street player to get a modeling deal with Sean John and Lugz. His fame as a hood celeb and game-changing player caught the eye of Shaq, who at the time was working with Ne-

smith's boy's - Lord Tariq and Peter Gunz. After a short intro, Future got signed to Shaq's Dunk.net portal as its ofﬁcial "Man of Streetball." In the summer of '09, the 40-year-old Nesmith is still coming to the bricks strong in A-list leagues like the Tri-State Classic, where he dropped 46 and 43 points. At EBC this summer, he rained 34. The move on display was spontaneously created when a kid started riffing and talking trash. “When someone talks junk, it brings the move out,” said Future. “I don’t practice my moves.”

Demonstrated at 75 Park in the Bronx, Nesmith is coming “Back-to-the-Future” Approaching the opponent in the open court, start going behind your back with your right hand while on your toes.

2 As you’re going behind your back, you also start a 360-degree spin. Catch the ball with your left hand as you come out of it, keeping your 3 head up and straight.

Cross quickly to your right hand and then get to the elbow area of the foul line.

Stop suddenly in a straddle position with your right foot and right shoulder pointed to the sideline - your body momentum is going right – and cross low and quick at your ankles to your left hand and create space.

Now located in the middle of the ⇑oor, take an extended foul shot and knock down the jumpshot.

2 1

4 5

6 GOOD MONEY.

STREET DOGMA

THE DEATH OF AMERICAN STREETBALL? VERBALS: Sean “In-Fin” Couch / COLLAGE : Daniel Weise

Written under the inspiration of Common’s song “1-9-9-9” featuring Sadat X.

2-0-0-9. Tattoo it on your dome a la Steph Starbury and mark it as the death of the AND 1 national basketball tour. The movement is of⇒cially cancelled, ten years after the Skip tape changed the nation’s mentality. Duke Tango, former EBC and AND 1 MC, recently told me that streetball tours are “…pretty much over at the big arenas. Overseas looks like the next move.” Joe Vecsey, who grew up on the circuit with AND 1, Ball4Real, and Ball4Life agreed by saying, “It’s pretty much over here. I can’t really see anything happening on the domestic tour level. Maybe an outdoor permanent home for streetball in a major city could bring it back.”

The compilation was a pure masterpiece of ball handling wizardry and underground sound. Mix-tape host Set Free and his business partner “Q” understood the power of music, with “Q” saying the mix-tape “…captured the energy of the DJ on video.”

With the head ofﬁcially chopped off, the body is still active in the form of the BALL UP Tour that is viewed as a side attraction to the DUB Magazine Car Show. While many point to the economy as the thieving stick-up kid, the real culprit is the lack of new star power that sustains the interest of the general public.

In other words, it had the “place-to-be-party-effect” that everyone was thirsting for – a mesmerizing must see for a young music-driven generation that loved the creativity and the diss mixed like a record.

A blip of originality came in 2006 when “Air Up There” did the 720-degree dunk to a half-filled Houston arena. AND 1 called it, “The Second Revolution,” figuring it would be the jump off to bigger and better things. But the effort, although spectacular, wasn’t the bandwagon effect they hoped for. Everything started going down hill with the break up of the squad in early 2007. However, the AND 1 movement is still one of the most important events in grassroots basketball history and one of the best word-of-mouth marketing campaigns ever conceived. I still remember the first time I heard about the “Skip” tape. I was chillin’ in Atlanta, sitting in a house with Kobe Bryant and some other ballers. Kobe said, “Yo, have you seen this?” It was the unedited version, and it had pros shaking their heads and jumping out of chairs at every Skip move, pass, and bucket. When the edited version took shape in ’99, the buzz was already solid, the players in place and the market ripe to experience Rucker Park set to a dance track.

Youngsters were now glued in their seats in a way never seen before, yearning to rock the new ball style, but not grounded enough in the fundamentals to really grow and possibly supercede it. While the burst of creativity created serious excitement, the majority of mix-tape disciples developed dead feet and sloppy ball handling technique. One cloudy day this spring, I was watching a game of “Outs” – an elimination game of “21”– in a park uptown and got depressed. Outs is a game to get scrubs off the court. The first player to seven points eliminates everyone who doesn’t score. Back in ’85, the game was a Darwinian survival-of-the-fittest affair in my park. We were programmed to not come off the court. If we needed to dribble through twenty guys to get to the rim, we did it. Defense came in waves and mostly everyone played it. In the game I saw that cloudy day, ten kids stood under the rim. One guy was playing defense about five feet from the ballhandler because he didn’t want to get embarrassed. I thought about saying to the kid “D-Up!” But I just kept it movin’ and caught the train.

THE [AND 1 MOVEMENT] WAS A MESMERIZING MUST SEE FOR A YOUNG MUSIC-DRIVEN GENERATION THAT LOVED THE CREATIVITY AND THE DISS MIXED LIKE A RECORD. I lamented in my mind - Defense: The after-thought of a generation. I got home and thought about Mix-Tape #4 when Hot Sauce was dribbling in front of the mirror, practicing moves for entertainment purposes. A disclaimer should have flashed across the screen saying that Sauce had, “learned the fundamentals first by running fulls on the asphalt and at rec centers.” I remembered my super-tough project games with Shane “Dribbling Machine” up in Edenwald Projects in the Bronx in the late ‘80s, and how well-trained he was in the fundamentals. I thought to myself, “It’s truly over.” But then, the Harlem Globetrotters popped into my mind. The same thing was said about them in 1991 when they filed for bankruptcy. Present owner Manny Jackson led them into the black by identifying their market – kids who love the circus and the parents that love to take them. And now in 2009, they have over 250 domestic appearances, two travel teams, and a worldwide presence. The Trotters example provides hope that the Streetball touring phenomenon can experience a resurrection. If tour organizers use the still interested overseas market to produce some open runs and spot a Ricky Rubio-type talent that can master the streetball entertainment style, they can possibly bring him over to America to mesmerize. AND 1, the leader of this movement, is planning a European tour next year. A new group - the S.K.Y. Streetball Syndicate - is putting together a trip to Bermuda in 2010, while the Street Basketball Association is touring with a ten-man roster consisting of five NBA-retirees and five Streetball legends in Belgium and Germany. It remains to be seen if BALL UP can become the mercurial force that AND 1 once was. Bringing back a movement that now is part of mainstream American basketball history could be the next big story in the unfolding business that is Streetball.

BEYOND THE PLAYGROUND

SCOTT PERRY From the proving ground of St Cecilia’s, Scott Perry has risen near the top of the Sports Biz. VERBALS: Alejandro “Ali” Danois / ILLUSTRATION: Daniel Weise

Scott Perry is living the dream. As the Detroit Pistons’ Vice President of Basketball Operations, he’s an integral part of the organization’s recent run of excellence, serving as General Manager Joe Dumars’ right hand man. Before ever showing an early hint of athletic promise, Perry was already af⇒liated with a revered Motown sports institution – his own father. Lowell Perry, a former pro football player, went on to become - among his many accomplishments - the NFL’s first black assistant coach and CBS Television’s first African-American football analyst. But Scott’s standing as one of the NBA’s most respected business executives was not a byproduct of inheritance. He scrapped, clawed and battled in the legendary St. Cecilia’s gym as one of the city’s top young players. During and after his stellar college career at Oregon and Wayne State, he returned to shine in Ceciliaville’s ultra-competitive college and pro-am league. After 12 years as a D-I assistant and head coach, Perry started working as a pro scout in 2000. Now, he’s a hiccup away from becoming an NBA General Manager. He sat in his Auburn Hills, Michigan office to explain how a little kid from Detroit grew up to make power moves on the business side of the game.

Carlos Briggs and BJ Armstrong in there, three in the college division and two in the pro-am. What lessons did you learn that still resonate today?

SP: You better come prepared to play, unless you want to get hurt or embarrassed. You had to learn how to stick your nose in there to ﬁght and compete. If you didn’t, you couldn’t play at St. Cecilia’s. After getting your degree, you were working in a bank and coaching high school at night. How did you make the jump to college coaching?

SP: Ricky Byrdsong got hired as the coach at the University of Detroit and some people told him that I was a young guy that he should consider for his staff. I was hired at the age of 24 and was one of the youngest full time assistant D-I coaches in the country. I knew that if I wanted to reach my goal of working on the business side of pro sports, I needed to get in at some level.

When did you start playing at the legendary St. Cecilia’s gym?

SP: I went to their summer camp before ninth grade. When I was in high school, I played with and against the top guys in the Detroit area like Roy Tarpley, Sam Vincent and “The Judge”, Antoine Joubert. But I grew up watching guys like George Gervin and Dave Bing in that gym when I was a kid. What are your favorite memories of playing at The Saint?

SP: I never scored 50 or anything like that, but I had some good games. I won ﬁve championships playing with guys like Greg Kelser,

You worked your way up to assistant coaching gigs at Cal and Michigan before becoming the head coach at Eastern Kentucky. How did you make the transition to an NBA front ofﬁce?

SP: While in the college ranks, I always had my eye on working in the NBA. I’d known Joe Dumars a little bit from around town when I was at Michigan. We ran into each other after he got the G.M. job with the Pistons and he told me he was going to be making some changes in the scouting department. He said he’d been around the pros for so long that he needed somebody who had a handle on the college game. I was fortunate and blessed that he hired me as a scout.

Detroit skyline image courtesy of nickstaroba.com / Scott Perry image courtesy of detroit pistons public relations department

How did you go from there to becoming the Vice President of Bas-

How rewarding was it to be a part of the management team that

ketball Operations, basically the #2 man right below the G.M.?

brought the trophy back to Detroit?

SP: After my ﬁrst year, I was promoted to Director of College Scouting. Then I was promoted to Director of Player Personnel, where I became involved in the free agency process as well. In 2007, I went to the Seattle Supersonics as the Assistant G.M. I spent a season there and came back when I was offered this position.

SP: I grew up in Detroit, went to a lot of Pistons games as a kid, watched and then played against those guys in the summer at St. Cecilia’s. That was my team. To have a small part in helping to rebuild the organization has been very rewarding. What do you look for in scouting a college kid or free agent?

What made you so successful?

SP: Being fresh out of the college game, I tried to recruit guys in high school like Kevin Garnett, Tracy McGrady, Lamar Odom and Chauncey Billups. I also recruited and coached pro guys in college like Maurice Taylor and Tractor Trailor at Michigan. I sat in some of their homes or coached against them or saw them in AAU tournaments. I had a good handle on personnel which helped me bring something to the table.

SP: He has to have talent and toughness. He’s a team guy who’s driven by winning. You look for a guy who feels like he has something to prove and plays with a chip on his shoulder. Chauncey Billups is a prime example. We were his ﬁfth team and he became Mr. Big Shot here. Rip Hamilton and Ben Wallace were similar. As a scout, you have to be in tune and keenly aware of the culture and environment you have in your organization. Most people see a talented player and say, “Hey, that guy can play!” But that doesn’t mean that he can play here.

AROUND THE WORLD

A Serbian Goes Playground

MARKO JARIC’S SUMMER IN THE CITY VERBALS: Trevor Kapp / VISUALS: Erin Edwards

You know the song “Good Life” by Kanye West? Well, that’s how it’s been for Marko Jaric over the past few years. In 2002, the 6’7” point guard led Yugoslavia to a ⇒rst-place ⇒nish in the World Championship games in Indianapolis, shooting 52% from downtown throughout the tournament. Four years later, he contributed to the L.A. Clippers ⇒rst playoff appearance since ’97, where they defeated Denver in the ⇒rst round. Oh, and this past February, the guy married Brazilian supermodel Adriana Lima. So it seems like he would be content to just lay low, right? But that’s not the case. The Memphis Grizzly was grinding all summer at the Nike Pro City tournament in NYC, helping lead the Dyckman team to a 6-1 first place regular season finish. Editor’s Note: Marko is the first NBA Player from Europe to play a full season of Summer League Ball in New York.

Last Summer, Marko was not ready for the comp and got embarrassed. Jaric is the only player to win back-to-back Italian League titles with two different teams, but all that means nothing to Pro-City veterans who bring that “I’ll-bust-your-behindattitude” each night. However, in ’09, he’s been NBA-Smooth, posting a 20-plus scoring average with superior point guard skills. Marko took a few minutes to talk about his summer and why he’d rather play against some of NYC’s best, as opposed to working out by himself. BOUNCE: How many years have you played at Pro City?

MJ: This is my second year. Before, I lived in Los Angeles. But I moved to New York and I love it here. It’s closer to Europe so I go back and forth. I enjoy playing with a lot of good play-

ers here. In the mornings, I work hard on my conditioning. Everything I do in the morning, I put into games up here to try to improve. Do you play in any other tournaments in the city or just Pro-City?

MJ: Just here. Last summer, you got booed by the Pro-City fans. This summer, you’ve looked more comfortable. Do you think that’s accurate?

MJ: Last year I played one, two games. I had no idea what I was coming to. This year I came to play. How does the competition here compare to the competition in an NBA game?

MJ: It’s a lot more based on offense than defense here. Second of all, there’s much more isolation. You’re playing more one-on-one and there aren’t really tall guys here. It’s more of a guard's league. Is there anyone you’ve matched up with at Pro City who could play in the NBA?

MJ: Deﬁnitely. There’s not a big difference between NBA players or the guys who play overseas. It’s a small difference. You have 5,000 guys who can run a 10-second sprint that’s 100 meters but only two can run it in 9.99. The difference isn’t very big. There are a lot of talented guys at Pro City. These are guys who sometimes you say, “How is he not in the NBA?” So I

2009

SUMMER PHENOM

ISSUE!

Marko got the nickname "Polo" at Pro-City and played all 7 regular season games.

just try to give advice to the guys and tell them, “Hey, there’s not a big difference between you and NBA players. You need to work on the little things that maybe can help you make a step forward.” Why do you play during the summer instead of working out individually?

MJ: I just love basketball. I work every morning with my trainer but during the evening, I just love this. Honestly, I can’t wait to play. That’s why I play basketball, for the love of the game. Do you think playing in Pro City makes you tougher or is it more just something you do for fun?

Do you ever play in tournaments back in Serbia?

MJ: No, I never play there. There are no tournaments there. What are you trying to work on this summer?

MJ: I wanna focus on my ball handling. I’m a 6’7” point guard and I want to have a handle like I’m six feet. How do you ﬁnd that balance between working on your game and trying to win games here?

MJ: I know that if I play better as an individual, the team’s gonna win. I was never a player who was gonna score 35 points. I’ve always just loved to win.

MJ: I do it for a combination of both. I’m from Europe and I left my country when I was 17. I went to Greece and played in their league. Then I played in the Italian league. Then I came to the NBA—totally different world. Here, this is New York playground. This is something else and I just want to adapt to this. I like that and I have fun.

FIRST PHENOM / SUPER PRO-KED THIS MODEL WAS THE FIRST BRAND NAME JOINTS I EVER OWNED (AND TRANSITIONED ME OUT OF WEARING SKIPPIES) BACK IN 1975.

LET'EM

MARINATE

PHENOM ON ICE / PRO-KED ROYAL FLASH

VERBALS AND VISUALS: BOBBITO GARCIA

SEAN ASKED ME TO SHOWCASE FUTURE AND PAST “PHENOMS!” HERE WE GO . . .

I COPPED THESE DEADSTOCK ROYAL FLASHES (ORIGINALLY RELEASED IN 1979) CIRCA 1990 THEN FEATURED THEM IN MY BOOK. IT INSPIRED PRO-KEDS TO RE-RELEASE THE MODEL. (NEXT PAGE, PLEASE . . .)

FALL RELEASE PHENOM / PRO-KED BOBBITO ROYAL FLASH THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY ROYAL FLASH, DESIGNED IN COLLABORATION WITH ME, DROPPING OCTOBER, AND FOREVER THE VERY BEST BALL KICKS FOR FUNCTION AND FRESHNESS THAT PRO-KEDS EVER PUT OUT! WORD UP!

FUTURE PHENOM / CONVERSE WADE UNDENIABLE

CONVERSE MADE THESE 1 OF 1 I.D. PROMOS FOR ME, AND NOW THAT WADE IS WITH BRAND JORDAN, I’M NOT SURE THE UNDENIABLE IS STILL COMING OUT—I HOPE SO!

FURTHER FUTURE PHENOM / UNDER ARMOUR B-BALL PROTOTYPE

UA SLID ME THESE PUERTO RICO BUTTERS TO TEST WEAR, HOWEVER THE BRAND MAY NOT LAUNCH THEIR B-BALL FOOTWEAR LINE UNTIL 2011!!!

FOREVER PHENOM / CONVERSE WEAPON

CONVERSE LET ME I.D. THE ICONIC WEAPON AND SO I PUT THE NICKNAME “JUAN STOCKTON” THAT I EARNED AT THE HAM-FISH TOURNAMENT IN L.E.S. WHERE I’VE PLAYED 17 CONSECUTIVE SEASONS SINCE 1993.

SNEAKER COMPANIES: CONTACT BOBBITO@BOUNCEMAG.COM FOR REVIEW CONSIDERATION

RELEASED IN ‘98, THIS VINCE CARTER SIGNATURE BLEW OUT OF STORES. THEY WERE THE LAST B-BALL FORGOTTEN PHENOM / PUMA CELL ORIGIN PERFORMANCE SHOES PUMA WOULD MAKE THAT MATTERED. I KEPT THIS PAIR ON ICE SINCE.

weight: 175lb

"ICE"

PHENOM

ISSUE!

MY FATHER'S NICKNAME IS

Photo: Davide De Pas

2009 SUMMER GAME RATING: "JUST BLAZE 2010"

THE BLUE PRINT CONSTRUCTING KYRIE IRVING A son follows the plan of a father and rises to Stardom VERBALS: Sean "In Fin" Couch

Height 6'2"

REDERICK IRVING, A 6’4” GUARD FROM THE BRONX’S MITCHELL HOUSING PROJECTS, KNOWS HOW A MIC CAN MAKE OR BREAK YOU. THE GAME ANNOUNCERS IN THE

PARK DIDN’T HAVE A NICKNAME FOR THE BOSTON UNIVERSITY ALLAMERICAN WHEN HE RETURNED TO RUCKER IN 1997 READY TO CHALLENGE THE YOUNGER STARS OF THE ERA. THE MAN WHO GOT THE NICKNAME, “ICE,” FROM HIS GAUCHO BIDDIE COACH AT 11-YEARS-OLD, STEPPED ON THE COURT THAT DAY READY, WITH THE MEMORY IN HIS HEART OF HIS WIFE ELIZABETH, WHO PASSED AWAY A YEAR EARLIER, AND HIS SUDDENLY MOTHERLESS CHILDREN, FOUR-YEAR-OLD KYRIE AND FIVE-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER ASIA, ON THE SIDELINE. article Irving on the attack that day was a sequence of pure skill. He went for 60 points with all the new jacks who didn’t know the deal suddenly asking who they were playing against. What they didn’t understand was that playground royalty was in front of them. Drederick was an official eight-year-old “garbage can baller” – a pre-requisite for NYC project-bred pre-teen players who get squeezed off the main courts of the playground. As a 10-year-old, he and Rod Strickland, a schoolmate since the second grade, became members of the first Gaucho biddie team; they grew up to become a fearsome playground and AAU unit, collecting chips. As a 16-year-old junior, Drederick transferred to the Bronx’s Stevenson HS searching for better competition. The move earned him a 4-year ride ride to Boston University in 1984 and a frame of reference for his son when the same circumstance would arise 26 years later. At BU he was an immediate factor, earning All-Rookie honors his first year and leading the team in scoring his sophomore and junior years. During his senior year, Irving thrust Boston U into the national spotlight when they went to the NCAA tournament for the second time in 29 years. The three-year All-NEC Conference shooting guard left the school as the alltime leading scorer with 1,931 points, receiving a try-out with the Boston Celtics. Thinking he was done after getting cut, Drederick accepted a job on Wall Street, but after a call from his agent, he went

out and showcased his talent at the Seattle Pro-Am league and signed with the Australian Pro League’s Bulleen Boomers. He averaged 38 points over a two-year period and instead of extending his overseas career, the calculating Irving instead opted for a Wall Street big money career, wanting to be closer to family. Things were going well – the birth of his daughter Asia and a year later his son Kyrie was born – but tragedy struck in 1996 when his wife Elizabeth suddenly passed away. Irving, suddenly the single father, had the solution - his love for the playground game. It became the way to raise his kids and give his son Kyrie, the blueprint to becoming an exceptional player. “When Kyrie was a kid we did a lot a traveling with the Gauchos, Team Odom, and Newark Rams,” Drederick said. “He’s been around tournaments with mics. He’s been around the playground environment. He traveled to my games since a kid and watched me play. If your going to compete at the highest level you have to compete there at an early age.” Kyrie got a chance to watch his father become his personal live training tape. Father Irving crushed comp, and his nickname game grew. At the Gun Hill Tournament he was called “First Step,” at Rucker “The Go-to Guy,” and another given on the street was “The Professional.” It’s that last nickname that has been spoken about quietly about his son, Kyrie, a rising senior from North Jersey that has been compared to NBA-assist legend Rod Strickland. It started at an early age.

Kyrie, MVP of 2009 Nike Summer Global Games, has defender twisted. Photo : Kelly Kline

photo “My son dribbled a basketball at 13-months in rhythm, hit his first regulation shot as a four-year-old, and made a left-handed lay up at six,” Irving said proudly. “I made an agreement with my son to coach him from 5th to 8th grade to teach him the important fundamentals – team defense, weak side help, and cutting. No one was going to do that better than me.” Kyrie started playing with local community league teams and developed a following at the Zoo Crew tournament in Newark. Soon, the park buzzed when they knew he was going to appear. When 9th grade rolled around, his father steered him to the academically strong Montclair-Kimberly Academy where he scored 1,000 points in two years, leading his school to their first ever Prep B title. But, like his father years ago, he too wanted more competition and after checking all the top programs in the area, the family decided on Kevin Boyle’s St. Patrick’s program. In his first year, Kyrie made first-team All-State, second-team ESPN All-American averaging 17pts, 5 boards, 4 assists, and 2 steals a game, leading his team to a State Championship with St. Pats ending up ranked #3 in the country. His rep as a phenom is blazing hot coming off a MVP performance at the Nike Global Games, where he averaged 21 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 steals a game, and a selection to the Elite 24 game at Rucker Park. Kyrie's confidence in his ability has been

validated by his selection to the Deron Williams and LeBron James Skills Academy’s this summer. His father’s statement that Coach K told him, 'Kyrie is playing like the number one guard in the country right now,' is the hotness that feeds the hype machine of projected talent and recruitment battles. Still, the younger Irving remains grounded, immersed in his father’s plan of building him into a player that has game that speaks for itself. With his skills growing every day, the blueprint designed by his father has galvanized into a strong basketball foundation that has a dad dreaming of bigger and better things for his loyal son. TELL ME ABOUT YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR DAD?

As I got older my relationship with my dad has turned from father and son to best friend and brotherly. I tell him everything, whether it’s girls or ball, I could have got caught up in negative stuff. My father protected me. My relationship with him is on par with my sister Asia. SO WHAT IS IT LIKE HAVING A PLAYGROUND LEGEND FOR A FATHER?

It’s something to live up to. His name is out there on the east coast. Every time I go out, I’m a New Yorker and I’m Drederick Irving’s son. I wanna take it to another level.

Drederick "Ice" Irving catches a body at Boston University.

Photos courtesy of The Irving Family

“EVERYTIME I GO OUT, I’M DREDERICK IRVING’S SON… I WANNA TAKE IT TO ANOTHER LEVEL.”

Photo : Kelly Kline

“ I FINISHED OUT THE SUMMER AVERAGING 25 AT THE SUPER SHOWCASE IN ORLANDO, AND 30 AT THE NATIONALS IN ORLANDO. I WAS TRYING TO DESTROY EVERYBODY.” pull quote HOW HAS YOUR FATHER INFUENCED YOU?

ARE YOU A KILLER, A FACILITATOR OR A GAME CHANGER?

He’s showed me how to work hard on and off the court, he’s the best father. He makes sure everything’s set and taken care of.

A combination of all of them. WHEN DO YOU GET INTO THE KILLER MODE?

HAS ANYONE EVER TOLD YOU THAT YOU PLAY LIKE ROD STRICKLAND?

I heard that a few times. I‘ve heard I’m a combination of my father and him. When I was little, I watched my father all the time. When I was ten-years-old my dad started showing me lay ups that he and Uncle Rod did.

When we play in that big game, my game goes up to another level. If I see another great player, I want to go at him. That’s when my versatilty comes in. I can change a game on both sides of the ball. I love locking great players up. WHO’S RECRUTING YOU? AND IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER TO THINK ANYONE IS IN THE LEAD.

WHAT TOURNAMENTS HAVE YOU PLAYED IN ON THE PLAYGROUND?

Texas AM, Seton Hall, Kentucky, Duke, Georgia Tech, Virginia, Villanova, and Florida UCLA.

Played in Bronx’s UDC, Nike Swoosh, Gun Hill, and the Zoo Crew in Newark.

AAU HIGH?

52 against Icelandic National Team. WHAT WAS THAT LIKE?

I love the big lights, putting on a show. Outside, I go hard. When I was in eighth grade, a lot of people would come and watch me play.

TELL ABOUT THIS YEAR ON THE AAU CIRCUIT?

When I was in eighth grade I won Nike Swoosh with a team called Next Generation. I had three 30+ games. We played against tough teams like the Metro Hawks and Dyckman.

One my goals was to average 30 and at least 5 assist everytime I touched the ﬂoor. I’m running with the New Jersey Roadrunners this season. I played at the Pittsburgh Jam fest in the spring and averaged 35. I ﬁnished out the summer averaging 25 at the super showcase in Orlando, and 30 at the nationals in Orlando. I was trying to destroy everybody. I came close to my goal.

HOW DID YOU FEEL WHEN YOU GOT SELECTED TO THE ELITE 24 GAME?

HOW DID YOU RATE AT THE SKILLS CAMPS AND THE NBA HIGH SCHOOL CAMP?

One of my goals was to be selected for the Elite 24. It’s deﬁnitely an honor. I’m going to take advantage of it. Around this time last year, my name wasn’t talked about with the best players in the cournty, so I’m just enjoying it.

Overall I did pretty well. The NBA camp and all the ranked kids were there. It showed me how good other people are. Harrison Barnes is the number one player in our class . . . From Iowa! It showed me how many good players are around the country.

PLAYGROUND HIGH?

DESCRIBE YOUR GAME IN ONE WORD.

Versatile. I can play the one or two. I can do what the coach asks me to do. I try to be a leader on the ﬂoor.

RUCKER PARK ELITE 24, YOU GOT THE BALL, WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN?

DID YOUR FATHER’S PLAN FOR YOU SEEM SOLID AT ALL TIMES?

I’m not sure; everything is instinctive. I’m going to try to catch a few dunks to get the crowd into it and show my athleticism. People sleep on my ahtleticsm some times, but I like to put on a show.

He predicted everything that happened. I used to look at him like he was crazy. He was saying ‘You have to do certain things to get what you want. When we work out in the back there are people working out just as hard as you and you have to get that extra edge.’

END

2009 SUMMER PHENOM

ISSUE!

THE NATURAL

BROOKLYN’S EPIPHANNY PRINCE BLAZES A NEW TRAIL Verbals: Alejandro “Ali” Danois

The old adage, “The pen is mightier than the sword,” is deﬁnitely true. In other words, it only takes a simple thought - a few words placed in the proper sequence to create a galvanizing force that destroys, far worse than any single weapon ever could.

In the case of Epiphanny Prince, one statement, uttered more than a decade ago, lit a raging internal fire that continues to burn strong. “My cousin told me, ‘A girl could never beat a boy,’” said Prince, recounting her early one-on-one battles where she came up on the losing end. “I was determined to prove him wrong.” Her desire planted the seeds that would blossom into one of the greatest phenoms, male or female, to ever rise out of New York ’s concrete crucible. She led her High School team to fourstraight New York City PSAL championships, set the national high school single-game scoring record, and led Rutgers University to the NCAA women’s final as a freshman. From the get-go, the Brooklyn native was a natural talent. “I loved the game,” said Prince. “Everywhere I went, I had a ball in my hands.” With a slew of male cousins that all played, young Epiphanny became a fixture at the P.S. 67 playground in Fort Greene, Brooklyn. Although the game might have been new to her, competition wasn’t.

“I used to be in a dance group with six other girls from my neighborhood,” said Epiphanny. “We used to perform at talent shows, doing hip-hop, R&B and reggae routines. And we used to win.” So when her cousin started spewing that diarrhea of the lip about male superiority on the court, she set out to silence her ﬁrst critic. “When he said that, it just made me want to play more, so I could get better and show him,” she said. At the age of 11, she immersed herself in games of 3-on-3 in Fort Greene Projects and at the Navy Yard Boys and Girls Club. When she wasn’t playing, she was studying. “I would watch the guys in the neighborhood at the park and try to imitate their moves,” said Prince. Within a few months of taking up the game in earnest, she silenced her trash-talking cousin, defeating him one-on-one.

Prince's amazing future looks bright. Evan Sung Photography 41

Epiphanny once accompanied a friend to Dean Street Park to watch one of his games in the Conrad tourney. When Marchand found out that she was the girl he’d been hearing about, he tossed her a jersey. “We suited her up and she was every bit of what they said she was,” said Marchand. “She was the only girl playing with boys and she went to work! She had poise and really didn’t say a word. But she knew where to go on the court and how to put that ball in the basket.” Marchand, along with other coaches and spectators, marveled at her creativity and the ease with which she broke down defenders while attacking the hoop. “We were like ‘Yo! Did you just see that?’” said Marchand. “She was using both hands, was very advanced, had no fear of any boy and a sense of angles that kids just don’t have, let alone an 11-year-old girl.” As the only young lady on her elementary school team at P.S. 287, she felt a little awkward when the coach implored her to be selfish. The louder the applause grew when she scored, the more she tried to appease her teammates with passes that led to easy lay ups. But her coach was having none of that. “My coach was telling me not to pass the ball to them,” said Epiphanny with a slight laugh. “He just wanted me to score. That’s when I knew I was getting pretty good.” At Junior High School #113, she headlined both the boys and girls squad, in addition to running AAU with the Douglas Panthers program in Manhattan. “People in Brooklyn had been telling me about her before she even started playing for the Panthers,” said Robert “Apache” Paschall, the founder and driving force of the Exodus girls AAU program. “Her godfather told her that she was going to be a next-level-type player and that it was time for her to come out on the road with Exodus to experience a whole different side of the game.” Although reticent to leave home, Epiphanny showed no butterflies during her initial foray into the highly competitive travel circuit. As an eighth-grader playing with high school upperclassmen, she started on Exodus’ most talented team. “She could go to the basket in uncanny ways,” said Apache. “She’d score 30 or 40 a game without ever taking a jump shot.” At the end of her first summer with the Exodus program, before entering her freshman year at Murray Bergtraum HS,

Photo courtesy of Rutger's University Athletics

“When she was about 11-years-old, I started hearing about her,” said Anton Marchand, the Director of the Conrad McRae Youth Basketball League. “Some of the boys would tell me, ‘Yo! I got this girl on my team and she’s NICE!!’”

Photo : Damion Reed

A girl could never beat a boyâ&#x20AC;Ś I was determined to prove [that] wrong.â&#x20AC;?

Prince is the ﬁrst woman to voluntarily leave school early to play overseas.

Apache sat down with Epiphanny for his standard, end of season discussion. “I’ve seen a million guards from NY that can handle the ball and get to the basket,” he told her. “What’s gonna make you different is, you have to get a jumper. You gotta be able to hit the in-between shot and the 3-ball. You’re gonna be a great player regardless. But that’s what’s gonna make you special.” “The next year, she came back with a legit jump shot,” said Apache. Noticing the proud and pleasantly surprised expression on her coach’s face as her jimmy’s splashed through the net, Prince looked him square in the eye and calmly stated, “I listened. I listen to everything you say.” “That’s when I knew she was different,” said Apache. That summer, before her sophomore year at Bergtraum, a powerful Georgia Metros team, led by future UCONN All-American Maya Moore, was slapping around the Exodus team at the Boo Williams tournament in Virginia. At the half, Exodus trailed by 25 as Prince took only four shots. Furious, Apache lit into his players. Knowing that all of the top women’s college coaches were in the stands, he then turned his attention to his star point guard. “And when are YOU gonna play like the Piph we know?” he asked angrily.

Her legend leapt out of the summertime annals and into the national sporting consciousness during her senior year of high school when she scored 113 points in a single game, shooting a bizarro 54 out of 60 from the ﬁeld. Her tally broke the legendary Cheryl Miller’s previous girls’ record of 105. The summer before her freshman year at Rutgers, Marchand gave birth to the Rose Classic, which has since blossomed into one of the premier female tournaments in the city. “We started the Rose Classic simply to give her something to play in around the neighborhood,” said Marchand. During one Rose Classic game she led only three players on the court to compete against ﬁve. “She still carried them and was able to split every double team,” said Marchand. “She made every play, with the same temperament as always. She was incredible. And her team won the game.” As a freshman at Rutgers in ’06-’07, Epiphanny was an integral part in the Scarlet Knights advancing through the Final Four to reach the national championship game. While in Jersey, where her close-knit family could attend all of her home games, Prince complemented her offensive tools by absorbing the defensive principles of coach C. Vivian Stringer.

In the second half, Prince put on an exhibition that’s still held in reverence on the summer circuit.

“Coach Stringer told me during the recruiting process that she would make me a much better defensive player,” said Prince. “And she did. At ﬁrst, I was lost when she’d use certain defensive terms. But she was teaching me things about the game that I didn’t know. And she was teaching me how to be a leader.”

“She put on a Kenny Anderson display,” said Apache. “Ten minutes in, the score was tied. It was a see-saw battle and we lost a close game, but she had 30 in the second-half and everybody in that sold out gym was on their feet.”

After recently completing her All-American junior season, where she put up 19.5 points per game, Epiphanny shocked the sports culture when she announced that she would forego her ﬁnal season at Rutgers to turn pro.

Evan Sung Photography

With the shorties at the Conrad McCrae tournament in Brooklyn

Because the WNBA will not draft a player until they’re 22 or a college graduate, she’ll have to debut as a professional overseas while waiting for her WNBA opportunity next season. Although she’s not the first female college player to turn pro with eligibility remaining, she will be the first to voluntarily leave school early to play overseas. Epiphanny’s path could open doors for women of similar stature down the road. As she awaits her six-figure European deal, her days are spent in a Brooklyn high school gym, going through strenuous workouts with a personal trainer. In addition to strength work with resistance bands, conditioning, defensive footwork, plyometrics and full court/short burst dribble moves, she’s also perfecting her use of the glass on pull-up jumpers.

criminal justice and African-American studies. On weekends, she plays in the women’s West 4th Street League. “People see this phenomenal player, but they don’t realize how smart she is,” said Apache. “Everything she does, she thinks through. 80% of her camp was initially against it. We weren’t on some ‘Get Money!!!’ stuff. But she has a carefully thought out plan, in terms of her career goals and commitment to obtaining her degree. I’ve seen the evolution from a young girl to a woman. She’s prepared for the pro game. It’s time. Physically and mentally, she was ready for this challenge a year ago.” So go ahead, if you wish, and tell her she can’t. Just don’t be surprised when “The Natural” shows you she can.

“Even though she’s an advanced scorer, she has to add every shot to the arsenal because she’s going to be playing against bigger, stronger and faster players now,” said Marchand. She’s also taking summer school classes, forging ahead to complete the degree requirements in her double major of

2009

ISSUE!

Verbals: Alejandro “Ali” Danois

Photo: Elie Seckbach, AP

SUMMER PHENOM

ARLY ON AN AUGUST EVENING IN 1987, AS A BLANKET OF HUMIDITY RESTED COMFORTABLY ATOP THE NYC SKYLINE, THE LEVIEN GYM ON THE CAMPUS OF COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY BECAME THE EPICENTER OF THE AMATEUR BASKETBALL UNIVERSE. IT WAS HARLEM WEEK, THE DAILY NEWS GOLDEN HOOPS TOURNAMENT WAS SET TO TIP OFF AND THE QUIET STREETS RUNNING THROUGH THE IVY LEAGUE ENCLAVE AT HARLEM’S SOUTHERNMOST END WERE TRANSFORMED.

Sidewalks normally teeming with acne faced ivy-league kids were overrun with B-boys and B-girls, old timers and hustlers, ballers and wannabees, legends and little kids, all of whom came out to see “The Anointed One.” Inside the gym, Tiny Archibald surveyed the action from a seat at the scorer’s table. The talent level at the Golden Hoops was high, with a cast of characters that included Bobby Hurley, Terry Dehere, Luther Wright and Jerry Walker with the Jersey Road Runners. Arnold “The A-Train” Bernard, Andre McCullough, Dave Edwards and Karlton “Dunkin” Hines suited up for (what was then known as) the Bronx Gauchos. Malik Sealy, Adrian “Red” Autrey and Brian Reese were down with the Riverside Church Hawks. But Riverside’s and the tournament’s irrefutable marquee attraction was the #1 high school baller in the land, the razor-thin, 6’1” Kenny Anderson. Some knew him as “Kenny Ice,” the name bequeathed to him as a kid while tearing up Harlem ’s youth basketball world. Others knew him as “Kenny The Kid” or “Ken-Do,” NYC’s most revered and celebrated school boy star since the inimitable Kareem Abdul Jabbar. Already a certified legend on the streets, college scouts began flocking to his games in the sixth grade. With his image on prominent display in the NY sports sections since the age of 14, most people simply referred to him as Kenny, no last name necessary. Among those from his Queens neighborhood, he was addressed by his childhood nickname, Chibbs. Throughout the Golden Hoops, he ran his usual superb floor game, giving out more assists than welfare. The teenage phenom had the full arsenal on display: extraordinary quickness, night goggle vision, remarkable poise and a mid-range & pullup game that some pros would have sold their souls for.

Kenny was the first NYC player since Kareem to be named a three-time Parade All-American and All-City for four years. He later embarked on the best season for a freshman guard in the history of college ball (not even Magic or Isiah’s first year credentials compare) while leading Georgia Tech, and it’s Lethal Weapon III offense, to the Final Four. As a sophomore, he averaged 27 before teaming up with Drazen Petrovic and Derrick Coleman to brighten up the dark, dank and dreary Meadowlands with the New Jersey Nets, who selected him #2 overall in the ’91 NBA draft. If one snapshot can encapsulate his god-given genius, it would have to be when he sprinted down the left wing to corral a loose ball against Duke. Handling at full speed, he screeched on the breaks just short of Hurley’s good defensive positioning, whipped the rock behind his back, through his legs, then behind his back again before squeezing off a delicious leaner in the lane. Today, Chibbs is making good on a promise he made to his mother, completing his bachelor’s degree requirements. When not studying, he volunteers at St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He’s eyeing a return to the game, hopefully as a college or pro coach. He once told Phil Taylor of Sports Illustrated in ’94, “I want to make sure that when they talk about me on the playgrounds, they have something good to say.” Well, the playgrounds are still humming, nearly twenty years after his departure. Kenny sat down to talk about the days when the King of Queens ruled over the entire five boroughs.

Photo courtesy of Georgia Tech Athletic Department

WHERE DID YOU GROW UP IN QUEENS AND WHEN DO YOU REMEMBER FIRST GOING TO THE PARKS? I grew up in South Jamaica, by I.S. 8. While my mother was working, my sister Danielle would watch me. She’d always say, ‘C’mon, let’s go to the park.’ She’d be on the benches talking to her friends and I was fascinated with watching the older dudes play. I would walk right on the court and almost get run over a few times. I always wanted the ball. I would cry for it and was always dribbling it. I moved to Lefrak City when I was 8 or 9 years old and I would go to the parks there and play. WHAT WAS YOUR INTRO TO ORGANIZED BALL? I played C.Y.O. off of Queens Boulevard. I was killin’ those kids, but I never passed the ball to anybody. I was a bad teammate. I’d score 40, but I really didn’t understand the game.

SO WHEN DID THAT UNDERSTANDING CREEP IN? When I met my mentor, Vincent Smith, Kenny Smith’s older brother in 1979. They lived a couple of buildings from me in Lefrak and became like my second family. He saw me playing in the parks. I could always beat my man and no one could steal the ball from me. I had God-given talent, but Vince put everything together for me in terms of how to be a point guard. HOW? We did different drills and started incorporating some moves. What he did for his brother, he did for me. We started working out at Lost Battalion Hall on Queens Boulevard. I practically lived there. We’d go after school and stay ‘til 11:00pm. I would do my homework in a little ofﬁce before coming out to play. I started working on my jumper. I added the Jimmy to my

“ Everybody around my way knew me by that name [Chibbs]. I was telling people, ‘Yo, look, I’m in the paper.’ And they’d be like, ‘Man, stop lyin’! You ain’t in no paper.’ I was like, ‘Here, look! This is me; my real name is Kenneth.

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handles and my mid-range game got tight. That’s when it all came together. Vince would put me against the older guys. I got pushed around but they could never take the ball from me. They made it physical for me and I had to adjust to the difﬁculty in getting my shot off. WHO WERE THE OLDER GUYS, LIKE KENNY SMITH, THAT YOU LOOKED UP TO AROUND THE CITY? Kenny Patterson, Boo Harvey, Pearl Washington, Walter Berry. I used to hear about those guys and I was like, ‘Aw man, I want to do what they’re doing, but I want to do it better.’ WHEN YOU WERE A LITTLE KID, BEFROE YOU PLAYED WITH THE RIVERSIDE CHURCH AAU PROGRAM, DIDN’T YOU PLAY FOR A CREW IN HARLEM CALLED THE TS BUCKS? YO!!!! That’s crazy that you know that. You’re right! I played with them in different tournaments and that’s how I got my exposure outside of Queens. Those guys helped me a great deal. Everybody was like, ‘Yo, this kid from Queens is coming up to Harlem, just killin’ ‘em.’ WHAT WAS IT ABOUT PLAYING IN HARLEM? We were little kids, but the parks were packed. EVERY PARK! King Towers, Each One Teach One at Rucker Park, Boys of Yesteryear, Colonel Young Park, The Chick All-Stars. The TS Bucks really exposed me to all that Harlem World stuff. That’s still one of my favorite basketball memories. If you were nice, you got a nickname. They used to call me ‘Kenny Ice.’ It was crazy! AND EVENTUALLY, YOU MADE THE MOVE TO THE RIVERSIDE CHURCH. The TS Bucks did what they could, but Riverside and the Gauchos were more powerful. They were traveling all the time and kids were getting sweat suits and sneakers. And you didn’t have to pay when you went out of town. Everybody wanted to play for those teams to get exposure outside of NYC. WHEN DID YOU START THINKING THAT YOUR SKILLS COULD TAKE YOU AROUND THE WORLD AND DO BIG THINGS FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILY? When we beat Tolentine in the City Championships during my freshman year at Archbishop Molloy. I was 14. And I never started that year or played the ﬁrst quarter. I’d check in at the start of the second quarter but I wouldn’t come out after that. That night changed my whole career. We won and I took over in overtime. I had like 24 points and won MVP. As a freshman! That’s when I said, ‘Man, I know I can do this.’ Sports Illustrated put me in the magazine as the best 9th grader in the country.

YOUR MOM WOULD HEAR FROM PEOPLE THAT YOU WERE REAL GOOD, BUT SHE DIDN’T KNOW THE EXTENT FOR A WHILE…? She had a lot of pressure on her trying to pay the rent and put food on the table. She worked hard, sometimes as a bartender and waitress on the side to keep things together. She was tired and didn’t have time to come to my games. But she would hear about what I was doing. I used to tell her all the time and she’d just laugh and say, ‘Oh boy, whatever!’ One of the ﬁrst articles about me was in the Daily News. The title was Anderson: Another Pearl. One of her friends gave her a copy. She started coming to some games after that and it made her real proud. YOUR NICKNAME IS CHIBBS. HOW DID THAT COME ABOUT? When I was a week old, my mother started calling me Cheeks, and eventually, it turned into Chibbs. Everybody around my way knew me by that name. I was telling people, ‘Yo, look, I’m in the paper.’ And they’d be like, ‘Man, stop lyin! You ain’t in no paper.’ I was like, ‘Here, look! This is me. My real name is Kenneth.’ SO NOBOBDY AROUND YOUR WAY KNEW YOUR REAL NAME? Nah. I didn’t even know my real name until we went to register for kindergarten. My mom was ﬁlling out forms and they called me ‘Kenneth.’ I was like, ‘Who’s Kenneth?’ Everybody in Queens and in Lefrak calls me Chibbs, even today. THE GOLDEN HOOPS WAS SOME INCREDIBLE BALL. WHAT DO YOU RECALL ABOUT THOSE DAYS? That was one of the most exciting times in my life because it was Harlem Week. The gym at Columbia University was packed. I matched up against Arnold Bernard. It was hot! There were great tournaments back then for teenagers. And the Mecca really supported high school basketball and its young players. YOUR GAME, EVEN EARLY ON, WAS SLINKY AND SMOOTH. HOW DID IT FEEL WHEN YOU’D CRACK SOMEBODY WITH THE HANDLES? I really didn’t get excited about dropping dudes until I got to college. I wasn’t like ‘Ooooh, Ooooh, Aaaah’ on myself like the crowd was.

“ I was rated d as the h top player in the country and everybody was lookin’ at me like, ‘Look at this lil’ guy.’ And even though I was only 6’1”, 165 pounds, I was feared.” p

Arnold Bernard with the Gauchos and Danny Tirado were nice. NY was full of point guards with game, like Jamal Walker and Andre McCullough, who didn’t get as much attention. WHO WERE YOUR FAVORITE SUMMERTIME TEAMMATES, DUDES THAT YOU PLAYED WITH WHO UNDERSTOOD THE GAME ON YOUR LEVEL?

Malik Sealy! That was my man. Then you had Conrad McRae and Karlton Hines. They all passed away, God rest their souls. Another favorite was Jamal Mashburn. When I ran with the Gauchos, it was me, Jamal, Conrad, Karlton and Andre McCullough. We killed everybody that summer. HOW WAS IT HAVING TINY ARCHIBALD AS YOUR COACH WHEN YOU GOT BIZMARK AT THE BOSTON SHOOTOUT?

Man!!! You’re bringing back memories. I was playing for my idol! I dropped 51 on the Los Angeles team. Then I had 41 against Louisiana. Tiny was mad cool. He put in some isolation plays for me and said, ‘Yo, you can get by these guys whenever you want. Just go run the team and do your thing.’ That gave me some incredible conﬁdence. WHAT ABOUT THE EMPIRE STATE GAMES? Oooooh! I killed in that too. I think we won three years in a row. I scored 47 in one championship game. WHAT DO YOU RECALL FROM THE NIKE ALL-AMERICAN CAMP AT PRINCETON, NJ WHEN YOU TOOK MVP? Me and Bobby Hurley went at it. That was the best. Allan Houston and Jimmy Jackson were there too. That was the ﬁercest camp I’d ever been to, the top hundred players in the land, the best from every city. I was rated as the top player in the country and everybody was lookin’ at me like, ‘Look at this lil’ guy.’ And even though I was only 6’1”, 165 pounds, I was feared. I was a hard-nosed kid, growing up and playing on the New York streets, getting pushed around on the playgrounds. I was ready for something like that. 50

WHO WAS THAT ONE INCREDIBLE TALENT THAT YOU PLAYED WITH THAT, IF THEY’D AVOIDED THE PITFALLS, YOUR’RE CERTAIN WOULD’VE GONE DOWN AS ONE OF THE GREATEST EVER? Oh, everybody that played with him knows. That’s SweePea! Lloyd Daniels. I just shake my head and laugh when I think about his talent. He still made it to the league after everything he’d been through. Imagine if he was solely focused on the game, never did drugs and never got shot. He was like Magic, but with an automatic 30-foot jumper. You could not guard him. It’s unfortunate that he didn’t have the foundation and everybody wanted to exploit him. THE DEMONS THAT WREAKED HAVOC ON LLOYD ALSO CAME AFTER YOU TOO. WHAT ALLOWED YOU TO SHAKE THEM OFF LIKE YOU SHOOK HURLEY WITH THE CRAZY DRIBBLE MOVE ON THE FAST BREAK IN COLLEGE?

My network was pretty tight. I had Vincent, Coach Curran and my friend Pierre Turner, who was a lawyer. We stayed in the gym and they made me do my schoolwork. Somebody caught me at the right time. I had the right people with me. And I listened to them. SO DID THE NEW YORK PLAYGROUND EXPERIENCE PREPARE YOU TO PUT IT ON DUDES AT EVERY LEVEL?

No question at all! Certain environments that you grow up in prepare you mentally and physically for how you think of yourself and get after it. Coming up through the playgrounds gave me a sense of conﬁdence and self-esteem. There’s an attitude you get from that and it prepares you to handle anything.

Photo: Elie Seckbach, AP

WHO WERE THE POINT GUARDS YOU WOULD BATTLE AGAINST IN THE PARKS AND TOURNEY’S DURING THE SUMMERS?

HI /LO THE END OF REGULATION / DROP TOP 52

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