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Eager Chicagoans take a shot at Team And 1 |
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Written by Administrator
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Friday, 04 August 2006 |
 Pro basketball is played indoors, with strict rules and on hardwood courts. Streetball has reinvented this traditional form, allowing players to bend the rules and perform trick shots, ankle-breaking cross-overs and innovative dunks. It might not have the feel of the NBA, but its free-form structure creates highlights fans love.
Last weekend, the And 1 Mix Tape Tour stopped at the United Center. The event pitted street legends Team And 1 against Team Chicago, a squad of young hopefuls. On the day of the game, And 1 held a tryout to see who would play on Team Chicago. The tryout included two rounds of pickup games, a dunk contest and the Goarmy.com challenge. The top four ballers who survived this gauntlet were chosen to move on to the United Center.
For four Chicago natives, playing against Team And 1 was not just a game; it was an opportunity for financial support, exposure and experience. If one of the four impressed the And 1 players enough, he would be selected to travel with the team and continue to play on the opposing side. If he continues to prove himself as the tour crosses America, he will receive an And 1 contract, making him a part of the streetball crew. Here is a chronicle of their saga July 15...
6 a.m. - Back on track
For Tavell Cobbins, Saturdays are not for sleeping in; they're for playing six hours of pickup basketball. After waking up at 6, Tavell rushed over to Kennedy-King College, where he played until noon. He returned home to shower, but his hoops day was just beginning. Four hours later, the 6-4 resident of K-Town took to the And 1 courts in front of the United Center.
Tavell's childhood was not an easy one. He was 8 when he stopped living with his mother and 12 when his father died. Now 20, Tavell has lived for eight years with Guy Hill, who officially adopted him in 1999.
"DCFS [the Department of Children and Family Services] was supposed to send me off to a group house in 1998, but Guy Hill saw things in me that a lot of people didn't see,'' Tavell said. "He has meant a lot to me because he put me on a positive track and put me back in school.''
Tavell dropped out of high school in January 2004. He was a touted athlete at Curie High School, winning a sophomore city championship in 2002. He was mentioned in the same breath as Los Angeles Clippers guard Shaun Livingston. He described dropping out as "the stupidest decision of my life.''
"If I would have continued to stay in school, [the University of Arizona] would have hopefully offered me a scholarship,'' he said.
Tavell has overcome a lot to get back on track. In the fall of 2004, he returned to high school at the Westside Holistic Family Center.
"If I had to achieve my dream of playing basketball, I needed to go back to school,'' he said.
He also plays for the Cease Fire team, where he is known as "Showtyme.'' According to its Web site, "Cease Fire is a strategic community-based effort to stop shootings and killings through street-level outreach, public education and community mobilization.'' Tavell works for Cease Fire and understands its value to inner-city kids.
"[Cease Fire] keeps us out of the streets and playing basketball and helps kids get into school,'' he said.
Tavell and his teammates took to the court July 15 sporting red Cease Fire T-shirts. He not only was representing himself and his basketball future, but Cease Fire's organization and mission.
8 a.m. - Creativity
Deshaunn Northern had other things on his mind when he woke up July 15. After hauling his 6-6, 205-pound body out of bed, the 26-year-old headed over to see his new "baby.''
The maroon 2000 Chrysler LHS that he had his eye on sat patiently as Deshaunn spent three hours negotiating with the dealer. Though the dealer knocked the price down to a more affordable amount, Deshaunn had to leave the lot empty-handed. He would make a second trip three days later.
Deshaunn grew up in Englewood, where he gained his respect from basketball, not from the gang violence and crime that are common in the area.
"It is hard living in Chicago sometimes, but you get a lot of respect if you play basketball,'' he said.
Deshaunn now lives in Riverdale with his parents and splits time between being a student and a worker for the Carl Buddig meat packing company. In the fall, he will enter his fifth year at Wilberforce College, where he is studying communications -- some skills to fall back on if his basketball dreams don't pan out.
"I hope to become a journalist or advertising manager,'' he said. "I want to have a job where I can just have my laptop with me while I'm at work or on the road. I like to read and type, so I want a job where I can expose my creativity.''
On the court, where Deshaunn is known as "Slank,'' his creativity is apparent. He has won seven dunk contests in the last five years but has little experience outside of some tournaments. Regardless, he is determined to make the Chicago Rockstars, an American Basketball Association team, where he will gain exposure from NBA and overseas teams.
9:30 a.m. - The celebrity
Under the scorching rays of the sun and with the And 1 game only hours away, Bobby Smith ran that morning. Bobby, 25, has been through his share of trials and tribulations. His mother died when he was three months old. His grandmother took on the responsibility of raising him, his brother and his sister. When their grandmother died in 1995, his sister took him in.
"[My sister] was more ready to prepare me,'' said Bobby, who lives in Englewood with his wife and three children. "When my grandma died and uncle died, it took a big toll on my life.''
Bobby moved to Indiana with his sister so the family could stay close, and he used basketball to escape his troubles. Playing recreationally on the streets and in AAU tournaments, he removed himself from the violence of Englewood and earned his nickname "Stand Em Up.''
Bobby's game is more refined than the normal street style. He played two years at Villanova but was suspended midway through his sophomore year for a violation of team rules and transferred to Robert Morris College in Chicago. At Robert Morris, Bobby led the team to the NAIA Division II national championship game and won player of the year honors. He was drafted by the Fayetteville (N.C.) Patriots of the National Basketball Development League but forfeited the opportunity because of family issues. More recently, he played in the ABA with the Kansas City Knights.
Bobby is a well-known name on the And 1 circuit. He was trying out to gain his spot on Team Chicago for the third consecutive year.
"Bobby's a celebrity around here,'' a fellow Team Chicago player said.
When asked whether he would enjoy squaring off against Team And 1, Bobby said: "Yeah. They're looking to square off against me also. I'm basically like their rivalry.''
2:45 p.m. - Mr. Enthusiasm
The weather on July 15 was immaculate. For Keith Hampton, it was a perfect day for volleyball. While playing at North Avenue Beach, his phone rang. On the other end was a friend who asked, "Yo, are you going to open run today?''
Keith's blissful afternoon was interrupted, and he hung up the phone in a hurry. Originally from Memphis, Tenn., Keith, 23, moved to the North Side when he was 19. The 6-6, 220-pound forward has been playing basketball since he was 8. He played at Florida State for two years before transferring to Saint Xavier in Chicago. In his senior year, he was an honorable-mention NAIA All-America selection.
In college, he became known as "Da Truth'' because his style resembles that of Boston Celtics star Paul Pierce, who has the same nickname. With his inexhaustible enthusiasm and infectious smile, Keith speaks avidly about the traditional style of his game.
"I don't really have an And 1 game; I'm pretty much a regular player,'' he said.
After college, Keith attended NBA workouts with the Memphis Grizzlies, Denver Nuggets, San Antonio Spurs, New Jersey Nets and Bulls but didn't land a job. Still, he remained optimistic and spent last season playing for Estudiantes Madrid in Spain. Currently, Keith is trying out for NBDL teams. The NBDL offers a better chance for exposure because it's the minor league of the NBA.
"Scouts can give you that one-on-one attention,'' Keith said. "They will come to your game every day, and you could get a call for a two-day contract or a 10-day contract and work your way up to an NBA contract.''
4:54 p.m. - Open run
The first round of the tryout featured several five-on-five games of five to eight minutes each, where the top players easily stood out and were sent on to the next round. Shane Woney, aka "The Dribbling Machine,'' acted as Willy Wonka as he handed out pink bracelets, a player's ticket to the second round. After more than a dozen first-round scrimmages, it was in the final game that the best ballers were highlighted.
Smith might not have been the flashiest guy in the game, but he proved why he was once the NAIA player of the year.
"All these guys are coming out here trying to do a trick, but that's not what I'm looking for,'' said And 1 veteran Anthony Heyward, who is known as "Half Man-Half Amazing.'' "I want to see if they can play ball first.''
Smith's play was noticed by the judges, and he was given the second-round pass to the United Center. After the scrimmages, the dunk contest was a true crowd-pleaser. Though no dunks broke any new ground, Cobbins' and Northern's athleticism earned them spots on Team Chicago. It was Northern's third consecutive selection.
The final round was the Goarmy.com challenge, a test of physical endurance. A player is timed on how long it takes him to complete an obstacle course of jumping, push-ups, shooting, passing, pull-ups and, finally, a layup. Hampton's time put him in the building.
9:54 p.m. - And the winner is ...
Six hours earlier, the lucky four were among the masses, baking under the sun and waiting to register. Three hours earlier, they were selected to take on the street legends after a grueling medley of contests. Ten minutes earlier, they wondered whether any of them would make it to the And 1 bus.
Now, three players re-entered the locker room. Smith stood alone in the hall and waited for the ESPN cameras to film him. The three other players were not unhappy with the result by any means. They knew they would leave the arena with tremendous gains.
"I come out here to have fun and get the drive -- it's my motivation,'' Northern said. "Coming in here and playing with [the And 1 players] is a good way to stay in that atmosphere with professional players. I'll definitely be out here next year -- and the year after that. If I make it to the NBA, I'll still come to play in the And 1 game and get the ball bounced off my head.''
Cobbins spoke like a sage.
"I feel that when you're playing against people like [Team And 1], don't get mesmerized by them,'' he said. "Just play as hard as you can, and you'll earn a lot of respect from your peers and fans and everybody.''
As for the new addition to the tour, Smith set his eyes on the road ahead.
"[Tonight] I wanted to get on the bus, but I can't wait to get to the next city to win,'' Smith said. "You'll see a lot more of 'Stand Em Up' coming forth. Being on the bus right now is a great experience, and I'm going to take the best chance at this opportunity and make it worthwhile.''
"How long he's going to stay on the bus is up to him,'' Woney said. "He showed a lot tonight, but in his elimination game next time, he's got to do what he's been doing. As long as he's consistent, he'll put a lot of pressure on the other players.''
Smith said he sees And 1 as a steppingstone to the NBA and a way to provide for his family.
"As far as dreams go, the NBA was always my first dream,'' Smith said. "I'm 25 years old, and I don't feel like my basketball [career] is at an end; it's just beginning. Right now, because there are so many leagues, I'll take the best opportunity out there -- anything that I can do to take care of my family. When I'm concentrating on basketball, [my wife] doesn't have to be worrying about me in the Englewood area.''
Smith left the United Center with one thing on his mind -- Cleveland, the stop this weekend on the And 1 tour.
"I see a lot of better things coming toward me,'' he said.
HUNTER ATKINS
SunTimes.com
...thanks to Andy Mckinney for the find |
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