Streetball in recent years has typically come to mean a few things: one-on-one play, elaborate dribbling maneuvers, showboating and the traditional basketball rule book tossed into the nearest garbage can. The Ball4Real Tour, a spinoff of the successful And1 Mixtape Tour, hopes to change that perception when it comes to Cox Arena today.
“We're not really looking for the tricks or gimmicks,†said Ryan Williams, who goes by the moniker “Special Fx†on the court. “First and foremost it is about basketball; we want to see who can ball for real.â€
But fans can still expect to see a show, just mixed in with more traditional basketball. TJ “Mr. 720†Fontenette completed a 720-degree dunk in a game last year in Houston. Jamar “Pharmacist†Davis is known for taking off an opponent's jersey while maintaining his dribble...
After about a year, Dime 2 - The Election is finally online and ready to be downloaded. The DVD was never shipped out, but all 12 parts are now available for download. Click the read more link to download it now!
After the NBA ‘chip is decided in the next couple weeks, we’ve all got a whole summer in front of us known as the dreaded “offseason.†If you’re lucky enough to live in a hoops hotbed like New York, Chicago, L.A., or B-more, though, there’s a ton of playground ball to give you your b-ball fix. Being based in NYC, the Dime crew is looking at the Top 5 streetball tournaments in the city. If you’re in the area over the next few months, definitely make a point to check them out.
5. West 4th Basketball League (Greenwich Village): Played at the famous “Cage,†West 4th still holds its luster after many years. With an unusually-short court, games tend to be played at a frenetic pace, so don’t blink or you might get flushed on...
Bobbito Garcia \\ Yes, playground legend, former And 1 Tour member, and my basketball buddy/adversary Tim “Headache†Gittens is medio-Boricua (Half Puerto Rican), and **** proud of it! We went on the PR Streetball Tour together in ‘05, and today at the “White Park†in Spanish Harlem, him and I, along with high-jumping JFK (another Boricua) teamed up again and took on Ray Rivera’s Puerto Rican Pride squad. PR Pro League legends Wes Correa (who averaged 38 on the Jordan led US team in the Pan Am games in ‘84) and Corky Ortiz also joined in the fun. The Parade is tomorrow, but the entertainment kicked off this afternoon - Bounce Magazine.
To all of you who have been wondering where Headache has been for the last few years - no, he's not dead. Yet. Apparently he's still on the scene doing his thing. However, if you remember correctly, it were legal issues that kicked Gittens off the AND1 squad a while back. If you want to know what happened with that whole controversy, there's more info available on Headache vs. AND 1 - In Court.
As we’ve told you before, the mainstream streetball summer scene — previously dominated by AND 1 in recent years — has a new player in the Ball 4 Real tour. Made up of some of AND 1’s original (Main Event, AO) and newer (Spyda, Circus) members, the upstart B4R tour is a natural rival for the established AND 1 squad. Of course, the question we’ve been getting a lot is, which team is better? In a five-on-five game of real ball, we broke down the matchups:
POINT GUARD: Circus (B4R) vs. Bad Santa (AND 1)
If you didn’t already know, Bad Santa is Kenny Brunner, the former high school All-American and Georgetown point guard. Santa gets the scoring edge here, but Circus is a better passer. And with the weapons Circus has around him, he can rack up 20 assists … in the first half. Still, Santa is a problem trying to keep out of the lane and has a lot more experience from playing everywhere from the Big East to NBA summer leagues to pro leagues in a variety of countries...
Yesterday, right after we told you about the Ball 4 Real tour’s kickoff tomorrow in Seattle, we got word of their latest signee - High Rizer. We’ve known Rizer for a few years now, after meeting him during the taping of the first season of ESPN’s “City Slam,†when he damn near pulled a basket down in a regional dunk contest in his hometown of Atlanta. We got up with Rizer yesterday to talk about the upcoming tour and how his life has changed with his newfound celeb status.
Dime: How did you learn that you would be playing on the Ball 4 Real tour?
High Rizer: I got a call from my manager and I was all for it. I was good money. Word probably could’ve gotten around (after City Slam) but this has been my best summer so far.
Dime: What does High Rizer bring to the tour in terms of game and personality?
High Riser: I’m one of the best dunkers in the world - I’ve earned that title. I’m exciting. I play on pure adrenaline. It’s awesome playing for the kids, playing for the fans, because if it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t be here. I’m going to give them a show. I’m easy going. I interact with the kids. I’m always smiling. I’m like a big kid. I’ve got a lot to bring to the table and I’m happy to be here...
The Notic: Uncut & Unreleased
And1 vs. ATL All-Stars
Streetball in recent years has typically come to mean a few things: one-on-one play, elaborate dribbling maneuvers, showboating and the traditional basketball rule book tossed into the nearest garbage can. The Ball4Real Tour, a spinoff of the successful And1 Mixtape Tour, hopes to change that perception when it comes to Cox Arena today.
After about a year, Dime 2 - The Election is finally online and ready to be downloaded. The DVD was never shipped out, but all 12 parts are now available for download. Click the read more link to download it now!
After the NBA ‘chip is decided in the next couple weeks, we’ve all got a whole summer in front of us known as the dreaded “offseason.†If you’re lucky enough to live in a hoops hotbed like New York, Chicago, L.A., or B-more, though, there’s a ton of playground ball to give you your b-ball fix. Being based in NYC, the Dime crew is looking at the Top 5 streetball tournaments in the city. If you’re in the area over the next few months, definitely make a point to check them out. 
Bobbito Garcia \\ Yes, playground legend, former And 1 Tour member, and my basketball buddy/adversary Tim “Headache†Gittens is medio-Boricua (Half Puerto Rican), and **** proud of it! We went on the PR Streetball Tour together in ‘05, and today at the “White Park†in Spanish Harlem, him and I, along with high-jumping JFK (another Boricua) teamed up again and took on Ray Rivera’s Puerto Rican Pride squad. PR Pro League legends Wes Correa (who averaged 38 on the Jordan led US team in the Pan Am games in ‘84) and Corky Ortiz also joined in the fun. The Parade is tomorrow, but the entertainment kicked off this afternoon - Bounce Magazine.
The AND 1 dynasty no longer reigns supreme. Ten players from the pioneering squad have bolted to form their own Ball4Real Tour, including Spyda, Main Event, AO, Shane The Dribbling Machine, 50, High Octane, Air Up There, Circus, Pharmacist, Special FX and Half Man Half Amazing. I’ll Be Right Back long overdue for being signed to AND 1 and Main Event protégé Killa Kirby also are on the new tour, called Ball4Real, and the players have an ownership stake in the project. The new group says it will hit 30 cities this summer, 20 colleges this fall, plus 25 international events. Meanwhile, AND 1 says it is going back outside to the playground this summer, touring 10 major cities with remaining players Professor, Hot Sauce, Helicopter, Baby Shack, Bad Santa, The Assassin, Escalade, Go Get It, 8th Wonder, Springs and Silk. AND 1 also says it has 20 international events lined up. “We’ve assembled the best AND 1 team ever,†says the company’s marketing director, Mark Woolsey...
As we’ve told you before, the mainstream streetball summer scene — previously dominated by AND 1 in recent years — has a new player in the Ball 4 Real tour. Made up of some of AND 1’s original (Main Event, AO) and newer (Spyda, Circus) members, the upstart B4R tour is a natural rival for the established AND 1 squad. Of course, the question we’ve been getting a lot is, which team is better? In a five-on-five game of real ball, we broke down the matchups:
Yesterday, right after we told you about the Ball 4 Real tour’s kickoff tomorrow in Seattle, we got word of their latest signee - High Rizer. We’ve known Rizer for a few years now, after meeting him during the taping of the first season of ESPN’s “City Slam,†when he damn near pulled a basket down in a regional dunk contest in his hometown of Atlanta. We got up with Rizer yesterday to talk about the upcoming tour and how his life has changed with his newfound celeb status.
