Aiight:  

I've been all over the U.S. playin' ball and gettin' it done.  Let me tell y'all bout my partners from DeWitt Clinton.  You couldn't hang in certain circles unless you could play and all of us had a hard time stickin'  to the hoops program, but we still got respect.  I just want y'all to never forget my boy, Arnold Dugger... the flyest young cat to ever touch a ball.  Claremont Projects also had Oscar Spruill, who was solid... Mike Lawrence, with that sweet turn-around jumper, and a lil' Spanish boy we called Wii or Munchito, a blur with sick handles.  My guy Butch Lee started in the backcourt with Kim Malcolm and Steve "Bear" Sheppard played for Clinton.  They used to call me Utah, real name is Utaff, but most know me as Cisco now.  I remember Vernon Kintchen coming to class to talk with me one day about what it means to play for Clinton.  Hector Olivencia was the first big Spanish boy that I'd seen and my guy Nelson Perez was smooth as silk.  Kool Herk and "Hands" probably don't remember the Senior All-Star Game, but I was the slick, quick guard that made them look good.  Man when I tell my son about true playground legends, he can't comprehend.  I can remeber playing in the Clay Avenue Tournament one morning, jumping on the train, to get to the Whitney Young on 139th and Lenox.  Finish that game, catch the train to play in a tournament in Brooklyn at Kingston Park (K.P.) then jump back on the train to catch my Gulf & Western City-Wide Tournament in the projects on 112th Street off of Lenox Ave.  Then make the C.B.S. Tournament at Mullaly's on Jerome Avenue in the Bronx.  Can any of you remeber when Abe used to want to check if you were wearing your jock strap?  We didn't like it then and still don't like it as I think about it!  Billy Santos I'm still hoopin' a lil' bit... that's my guy off of Marcy Street, and while I'm thinking about it how about "Boobie" Eldridge (Taft) and lil' Mike Bright (Dodge)?  I played with Leroy Shaw when he scored 100 points in a tournament game at P.S. 64.  The whole court was the size of a half court, Ha Ha!  Ronnie Wright we had a good time working for Ed Warner, but I didn't know that you could play too.  Isn't that how it is sometimes.  I enjoyed playing for Flamin' King from 112th street in the "Goat" tournament, but Albert King busted our Azz one day.  The ride home was sweet in the drop red Eldorado.  Nothing will ever come close to my childhood hoopin' in New York.  Oh, I remember when Lash and Lonzo first started hoopin' when we all went to Wadleigh I.S. 88 in the pit.  We had a crazy partner named Charlie out of 114th street that loved to fight.  He could hoop a lil' but got cooked in Morningside Park.  If y'all out there don't worry... I'll never forget y'all.      

Peace, Utaff (Utah or Cisco Kid) Gordon

I played for Gil Reynolds and George Murden.  I recently heard that Gil Reynolds passed away and it lead me to search online for information about this giant of American Basketball.  While searching I stumbled upon your site.  now, I hung up my sneakers a couple decades ago but I played with and against the best that came out of Brooklyn.  I played against Al King when he was with the Eagles coached by Gil Reynolds.  I was with the Flyers Coached by George Murden.  These two coaches were fierce rivals.  I will get back to that in a moment.

Al King was the greatest legend to come out of Brooklyn at the time, late 70's.  He once blocked my shot, no pinned it, seven times in one game.  Gil was the referee and I thought many of them were goal tended.  Sam was my man and the best player I ever seen while growing up.  Vinnie Johnson was special too.  he wasn't that tall but could slam it on you and of course he had those "fix biker" legs that were like tree trunks.  Curtis Redding made the game look the easiest.  My major rival, although I doubt he would look at me that way was Earl Fuller.

But back to Gil and George.  When I heard that Gil died I felt like I lost a father figure.  Gil was a father figure for me and my brother.  George was also.  if it had not been for them I don't know what would have become of me.  As it is I was able to use many of the things they taught me to get a great education including my MBA from Columbia University.  If I had not channeled all that en energy into Brooklyn B-Ball I am almost sure I would have engaged in much more destructive behavior.  In many way I owe a great debt to those two Rocks from Brooklyn, Gil Reynolds R.I.P and George Murden.

I would love to hear from George Murden.  The number he left on the site does not accept any calls.  If he is our there it would mean a lot if he got in touch with me.

Great site btw.

- B.K. Smith

I would like to get in on some of the greatest basketball players that played the game. Talk about urban legends I am so upset that nobody has spoken of these guys. Some of the best point guards to play in the Rucker Park tournament out of all the players that I have seen on this list not many can compete with the sensational Artie Green AKA the Grass Hopper. Than his nemesis was the incredible point guard who shook up the Knicks training camp well known from the Colonial Projects on 159th St. His nickname fitting on the way he would shake the defender the human washing machine,,,,Carlton Greene. Than Arnold Dugger who was an incredible passer and dribbler. He had the best spin I have ever seen bar none. Than the younger new comer at that time was the magnificant Leroy Shaw,,,,you better ask somebody his pass game was crazy. Than shooters we had Alex Hooper , Nigel Wallace those two cats were shooters 4 sho.

What's good Hooper. Gotta respect that three point shot of yours my dude. What about Pookie Wilson he was so dangerous in every way he is past but never forgotten. They say god bless the dead well God will not need to bless this player with game cause he deff was bringing his with him. Thank you for all the memories Pookie.

Rob Jackson ,,,,Harlem 159th St

I used to play with a white dude named Joe, some called him *&^$% Joe, or White Machine.  He was the only white dude playing ball in Harlem in the early 1970s.  He got the name White Machine because he DID NOT MISS.  He played Pro Rucker with Earl Monroe, Clyde Frazier and Doctor J.  The coach was a dude from Madison Square Garden we called Butch.

Joe was a Polish dude from Alphabet City and he used to play ball in Stuyvesant Town where I lived.  He was good friends with another white dude named Henry who played a year at Nevada, Las Vegas before he busted his ankle summer of 1976 or 1977.  Henry was the best pure shooter I ever saw.  He played in the Pro Rucker with Doc, Clyde and Joe.

Joe could shoot.  Did not miss, had range and his shot was effortless.  I heard he had a full scholarship to St. Johns University to play but that summer before his freshman year both parents died in a plane crash.

Joe played with Goat and all the legends and he was invited to play in a memorial game for Goat after his death in 1998.  He said Abdul-Jabbar and others agreed to play but there were a few of the old timers who were in pretty bad shape and they decided not to play the game.  Would have been nice to see them all gathered even if they didn't play.

Still think Nike should do something to honor these legends who mentored, and schooled some of the more famous NBA legends.

Last time I saw Joe, shortly after Earl Manigault's (Goat) death in 1998, he was sitting alone on a bench in Tompkins Square Park, watching a bunch of youngsters running up and down, playing a full court game. 

I bet none of those youngsters knew they were in the presence of one of the greatest ballplayers in NYC history.  He played ball just for fun with some of the greatest ballplayers ever to play in NYC and the NBA.  Yeah, and he started playing ball on some of the same playgrounds as these youngsters.

- CWH, NYC

After reading about all the great players I fell some were definitely left out from the South Bronx.

The following were all great playground legends and deserve recognition as well.  Jeff Cherry, Pete Albea, Jimmy and Andre Faison, Richie Adams, Andre McGlocklin, Bugsy (don’t know his real name, but was left handed and had an unbelievable jump shot), Spot, Mark Hall, Muggy Muggy, Dennis “Dog”, Black, Mike Leaf, Mugsy, and Babe.

All of the above mention left there mark on tournaments all throughout the Tri-State area.

- Jack, Bronx, NY

Greetings people,

You guys are bringing up some names that I haven't heard in many years, but remember very well. Names like Ed "Booger" Smith, Cheese Johnson, Jerry "Ice" Reynolds, Troy Truesdale, Wendell Ramsey, Chris Brooks Etc. I remeber guys like "Imp".  He was a member of a team called "The LA All Stars."  They were one of the best teams ever assembled and won many big tournaments.

There were two Spanish brothers from back in the days that used to do a whole lot of damage on the courts.  As a matter of fact these were the first Latinos that I knew of that played basketball so well because most Latinos were into baseball, handball and paddleball back in the day.  Their names were Sonny and Guzzie.  These two always played in the backcourt together and knew each others game so well that they were almost impossible to stop.  Oh, I forgot that even before Sonny and Guzzie there was a Latino brother named Rubin Alvarez from Lincoln Projects in Harlem.  He played with me at All Saints Elementary school in Harlem. Rubin was the star of the team and the highest scorer.  We used to call him "Rube."  I haven't seen him in many year and always wondered what happened to him and how he's doing.

Basketball back then was more exciting and competitive than it is today because guys really loved the game.  And every neighborhood in New York had an over abundance of good players.  My friends and I used to travel throughout New York and New Jersey looking for new competition.  And even though things were pretty rough and violent there always seemed to be a respect and love for the game that allowed ballers to travel anywhere to play and new allegiances were made.  Once I played in an area and came back around a second time I always got picked to play because I played team ball, had great defense, had many moves and wasn't afraid to take it to the rack.  It was fun being picked in parks where the players weren't familiar with your game because you were like a secret weapon.

Lastly I'd like to make mention of an intramural team that I played with at Cheyney State University.  Ballers from New York formed the "New York Crushers" because although some of the best ball players at Cheyney were from New York Coach John Cheyney (Temple) never picked us except for Raymond Diaz from St. Raymond High School.  We crushed teams by 20, 30, 40 and some  times more than 50 points.  Our only real competition was a team from Philly "The Popper Stoppers."  Some of our players were "Stretch" (Bronx), Captain Sky (Dewitt Clinton), "Valentine" (Brooklyn) , Arnel Lebby (me).  They used to call me "The baby Butch Lee", Cornell (King Towers), and Chilly B (Brooklyn).

Peace and let's keep the memories flowin!  - Arnell Lebby

This is Mookie . . .  Don't forget about Ed "Booger" Smith