Gersh Park is Home to One of NYC's Elite Streetball Tournaments
Kemba "EZ-Pass" Walker of the NBA's Charlotte Bobcats has been making his rounds through NYC's major summer leagues including Brooklyn's East New York Classic.
As a kid I would watch NBA games and—albeit irrationally—think to myself, "I could have done better than that," and I'd wish I only had the opportunity to prove that I was at least as good as some of the players in the league. Gersh provided this very opportunity for King of Crossover's Eian Davis, a.k.a. "11 pounds, 11 ounces," b.k.a. "Eddy Kane." Davis is an electrifying guard whose court vision and no-look passes are just as dangerous as his ability to finish over even the most astute defenders. He's quick, crafty, and confident in his game.
Eian "Eddy Kane" Davis has no fear, regardless of who he is matched up with, when he laces up his kicks and takes the court. He dropped 26 points in a game where he was matched up against Kemba Walker.
Arndray Blatche of the Brooklyn Nets came out and supported Gersh from the sidelines as he took in the high-energy atmosphere.
When reflecting on the game where he was matched up against Walker, Davis affirmed, "It's nothing. I don't care about names. I came out here to play." Davis finished with a team-high 26 points compared to Walker's pedestrian 9 points. Meanwhile, Lance Stephenson led all scorers with 36 points including one dunk in particular where he tossed the ball around a defender and off the backboard, which he then caught and threw down with apparent frustration much to the crowd's delight.
After the game, Lance "Born Ready" Stephenson stuck around to sign some autographs for kids from his hometown, Brooklyn.
Dedicated fans appreciated the effort out on the floor and when they didn't, they let the players and officials hear all about it.
While he probably did not score as much as he would have liked to, Kemba "EZ-Pass" Walker did not leave without exciting the crowd with moves like this slashing drive and finish over the outstretched arms of the defense.
"Born Ready" danced and plowed his way into the lane where he usually emerged with a bucket, a foul, or both.
This game transcended the action on the court and embodied the best of the ethos of streetball. The fans were engaged in the game from beginning to end, stayed through the end of the game, and lined up along fences and trees several yards beyond the court. The presence of three NBA players, two of whom played, demonstrated the support and mutual respect between professional basketball players and aspiring ballers.
"Eddy Kane" drives to the bucket for an emphatic lay up.
Commissioner and founder, Damian Pitts has built up an awesome atmosphere and league for ballers and fans alike to look forward to and he was a gracious host to me during my first visit out there. I look forward to spending more time at Gersh this summer and creating more images there. Like them on facebook at ENY Memorial Classic and get more information about schedules.