how to play some real hoops.”
The Real Story
O ne of the great things about basketball is that it is a simple game. Players don’t need much to get a game going besides a hoop, a ball, and a place to play. Although Hud and Donut and the other players at Westwood Recreation Center play five-on-five, full court games, you don’t need ten players or even a full court. You can play one-on-one, two-on-two, or three-on-three. Or you can practice dribbling and shooting all by yourself. Players can also play a half-court game using just one basket.
Of course, games played on playgrounds or street courts are a bit different than those played by school teams in gymnasiums or by professional players in the NBA.Streetball players pick their own teams. Because there are no referees, players call their own fouls. And because there are no coaches, players are often freer to try tricky passes or fancy shots.
One of the most famous basketball playgrounds is Holcombe Rucker Park, also known as “The Rucker,” in New York City. The park is named after a city playground director who later became an English teacher in a city school. Holcombe Rucker believed in combining sports with education, and he helped the athletes at his playground with their reading skills and even with their homework.
In 1946, Rucker began the tradition of holding a semi-professional summer tournament in the Harlem section of New York City. The players who either participated in pickup games at the Rucker or played in the Rucker Tournament over the years comprise an All-Star list of the greatest names in basketball. They include:
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
—The leading scorer in the history of the NBA. Abdul-Jabbarattended Power Memorial High School in New York.
Wilt Chamberlain
— The only player ever to score 100 points in an NBA game and the leading rebounder in NBA history.
Nate “Tiny” Archibald
— The only player to lead the NBA in scoring and assists in the same season.
Bill Bradley—
An NBA All-Star and member of two NBA championship teams with the New York Knicks, Bradley was later elected as a United States senator from New Jersey.
Julius “Dr. J” Erving
— An eleven-time All-Star from Roosevelt, New York, Erving was known for his amazing jumping and dunking abilities.
The Rucker was also famous for its legendary local players. These players were kings of the playground pickup games but, for one reason or another, never made it big in either college or professional basketball. The players had fancy moves and colorful nicknames such as “Pee-Wee,” “The Professor,” “Booger,” and “Swee’ Pea.”
But perhaps the most legendary Rucker player was the one Mr. Sims remembered: Earl “The Goat” Manigault.
Manigault was born in Charleston, South Carolina, in 1944, but later moved to Harlem. He loved basketball and practiced the game constantly on the city’s street courts, including the one where Holcombe Rucker was the director. Because Manigault practiced with weights on his ankles, he became a legendary leaper. It was said that Manigault could jump and dunk the ball with his left hand, then catch the ball after it had gone through the net and dunk it again with his right hand, all without hanging on the rim.
There are several stories about why Manigault was called “The Goat.” According to one story, people often misunderstood when Manigault told them his name. They thought he was saying, “Earl Nanny Goat,” and the name stuck. Another story claims that “GOAT” stands for the “Greatest Of All Time.”
Even though Manigault played at Ruckerwith and against some of the great college and pro players of his day, he never made it as a college or pro player himself. Sadly, Manigault began taking and selling illegal drugs. He even went to prison for robbery because he needed money to support his drug habit.
Later, Manigault quit using drugs and started a basketball tournament in Harlem called “Walk Away From Drugs.” He
The Real Story
O ne of the great things about basketball is that it is a simple game. Players don’t need much to get a game going besides a hoop, a ball, and a place to play. Although Hud and Donut and the other players at Westwood Recreation Center play five-on-five, full court games, you don’t need ten players or even a full court. You can play one-on-one, two-on-two, or three-on-three. Or you can practice dribbling and shooting all by yourself. Players can also play a half-court game using just one basket.
Of course, games played on playgrounds or street courts are a bit different than those played by school teams in gymnasiums or by professional players in the NBA.Streetball players pick their own teams. Because there are no referees, players call their own fouls. And because there are no coaches, players are often freer to try tricky passes or fancy shots.
One of the most famous basketball playgrounds is Holcombe Rucker Park, also known as “The Rucker,” in New York City. The park is named after a city playground director who later became an English teacher in a city school. Holcombe Rucker believed in combining sports with education, and he helped the athletes at his playground with their reading skills and even with their homework.
In 1946, Rucker began the tradition of holding a semi-professional summer tournament in the Harlem section of New York City. The players who either participated in pickup games at the Rucker or played in the Rucker Tournament over the years comprise an All-Star list of the greatest names in basketball. They include:
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
—The leading scorer in the history of the NBA. Abdul-Jabbarattended Power Memorial High School in New York.
Wilt Chamberlain
— The only player ever to score 100 points in an NBA game and the leading rebounder in NBA history.
Nate “Tiny” Archibald
— The only player to lead the NBA in scoring and assists in the same season.
Bill Bradley—
An NBA All-Star and member of two NBA championship teams with the New York Knicks, Bradley was later elected as a United States senator from New Jersey.
Julius “Dr. J” Erving
— An eleven-time All-Star from Roosevelt, New York, Erving was known for his amazing jumping and dunking abilities.
The Rucker was also famous for its legendary local players. These players were kings of the playground pickup games but, for one reason or another, never made it big in either college or professional basketball. The players had fancy moves and colorful nicknames such as “Pee-Wee,” “The Professor,” “Booger,” and “Swee’ Pea.”
But perhaps the most legendary Rucker player was the one Mr. Sims remembered: Earl “The Goat” Manigault.
Manigault was born in Charleston, South Carolina, in 1944, but later moved to Harlem. He loved basketball and practiced the game constantly on the city’s street courts, including the one where Holcombe Rucker was the director. Because Manigault practiced with weights on his ankles, he became a legendary leaper. It was said that Manigault could jump and dunk the ball with his left hand, then catch the ball after it had gone through the net and dunk it again with his right hand, all without hanging on the rim.
There are several stories about why Manigault was called “The Goat.” According to one story, people often misunderstood when Manigault told them his name. They thought he was saying, “Earl Nanny Goat,” and the name stuck. Another story claims that “GOAT” stands for the “Greatest Of All Time.”
Even though Manigault played at Ruckerwith and against some of the great college and pro players of his day, he never made it as a college or pro player himself. Sadly, Manigault began taking and selling illegal drugs. He even went to prison for robbery because he needed money to support his drug habit.
Later, Manigault quit using drugs and started a basketball tournament in Harlem called “Walk Away From Drugs.” He
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