Nike's Team New York Draws Closer to Finalizing Roster
"Captain" Kirk Williams takes flight for one of his many dunks on the night.
Local streetballers with nicknames like "Problem," "Megatron," "Grown Man Stuff," "The Cab Driver," and "Great Adventure," to name a few, will be battling for national supremacy as they aspire to represent New York City in Nike's Tournament of Champions in August.
Delroy James, former Rhode Island Ram, had a sensational start to the game with strong drives to the basket that made even the city's best players look helpless at times.
The atmosphere of streetball tournaments like at Gersh Park, home of the East New York Memorial Classic, are among my favorite places to shoot. The action on the court is truly exhilarating, the fans are as much a part of the action as the officials, people are climbing fences and sitting in trees to get a good view, and the announcers control the tempo like point guards on the court.
Fans at Gersh Park are just as much a part of the action as the players and officials.
This one was a magical event that followed Gersh's first annual All-Star Game, so the night was full of highlights and lasting memories.
The selection committee has some very tough decisions to make. On one hand, they could draw ten names of the twenty candidates out of a hat and come up with a roster strong enough to dominate the streetball circuit. On the other hand, they will inevitably cut ten of New York City's best ballers, an experience that those players may have never had in their respective careers.
Here are a few of the images I captured of the action. To read more about the exhibition and its implications, check out my post over at the Tri-State Classic website.