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Catching Air: AND 1 at San Antonio |
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Written by Administrator
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Thursday, 29 June 2006 |
 With about an hour and a half left before tip-off, a healthy rainbow beamed over the East Side of San Antonio. At the AT&T Center, aspiring street ballers of all ages battled the elements in an open run for a chance to become the next star of the And 1 Mix Tape Tour, the premier showcase of the ultimate marriage between hip-hop and hoops.
The unexpected rain prematurely halted the festivities outside and the diverse crowd quickly shifted its focus toward seeing their street-ball heroes live and up close. What started in the summer of 1999 as a promotional mix tape to sell more sneakers has quickly evolved into a traveling testament to urban ball - equally influenced by the Harlem Globetrotters and New York's Rucker Park - that has spawned video games, DVDs, and assorted apparel...
You couldn't help but notice the myriad of NBA jerseys on display. Obvious choices like the Spurs, Heat, and Bulls were abundant, but the Warriors, Bucks, and a host of throwbacks dedicated to the greats of the game were also represented. Inside the arena, the And 1 team captured an urban synergy best described as hip-hop marketing at its finest. The NBA (and particularly the Spurs) should take note of the effectiveness of a DJ rocking the crowd, especially when he actually knows something about the music he is playing and how best to utilize it.
As the teams warmed up and prepared for the contest, it was interesting to note that several of the And 1 players, including Hot Sauce (aka Philip Champion) and Main Event (aka Waliyy Dixon) were comfortably sporting diamond earrings, something NBA commissioner David Stern would never allow. The event kicked off with a mundane emcee battle in which two youngsters traded unintelligible rhymes with minimal effort. Duke Tango, the kinetic And 1 announcer whose skills on the mic put most NBA announcers to shame, served as ringmaster.
AO, aka Aaron Owen, who hails from North Philly, talked the most trash and, rocking a mohawk, had the best hair. Bad Santa, aka Kenny Bruner, had the coolest hat, reflecting his yuletide moniker and overall hustle. Half Man-Half Amazing, aka Anthony Heyward, seemed to be the rock of the squad, and sparked the crowd with a funky dance intro that was equal parts Ed Lover and Pee-Wee Herman.
Based on applause, Hot Sauce and the Professor are the most popular players on the tour and those who think the caucasian Prof is simply a tool to draw white folks are wrong. Most heads in the crowd publicly lamented his absence on the court.
Simply stated, the thunderous dunks that fuel the And 1 phenomenon are awe-inspiring, and unlike anything you will see in an NBA game, or at least a Spurs game. Purists will lament the often sloppy ball, with 3-pointers and slams dominating the game, and nary a mid-range jump shot in sight. The And 1 squad's neon green uniforms made the players look like walking Mountain Dew cans, and at one point Main Event commented on his teammate Hot Sauce's handles stating, "He double-dribbled three times," followed by a chuckle.
The San Antonio team played with flair and determination and entered halftime tied with the And 1 ballers. Following a so-so half-time performance by Remy Ma, the SA squad was on the bad end of a barrage of fierce slams, paced to Bun B's latest hit. The crowd roared as fans danced in their seats, making for perhaps the most raucous time ever on the Silver Stars' home court.
Twenty-three year old phenom The Air Up There stole the show, and expanded on the And 1 aesthetic after team And 1's victory.
"It's a real physical game," explained The Air, aka TJ Fontenette. "And 1 is about street ball. It's a showcase of different types of street ball from real different places. Street ball is not about tricks or nothing like that. Street ball is about originality of your game, being able to express your game in certain ways. It's not really about tricks, it's just how you contend on the court and how you take the game."
The native Texan was also proud to rep his state. "I'm from Hitchcock," beamed Fontenette. "It's small, but we have big hearts out there. It's all about love out there. We treat each other like family. Everybody out there, you might as well say we�re cousins. It's a great little town. Most people don't know about it but I'm about to put it on the map. You better believe it."
TownNews.com |
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