Streetball tour may turn heads - Ball 4 Real 2007

Written by Jon Naito, P-I Reporter

Tuesday, 05 June 2007

As streetball standards go, Aaron Owens' handle is appallingly mundane. The personable Philadelphia native goes by "AO.""No tricks, no gimmicks," Owens said. "That's my style." "Spyda" completes one of his signature inverted dunks for Myah Williams, 11, left, and Arell Hennings, 12, as the Ball4Real Streetball Tour visits the Rotary Boys and Girls Club in Seattle. When you got game like AO, a flashy nickname isn't necessary. As streetball stars go, he's one of the brightest, as evidenced by the Pied Piper effect he had Thursday afternoon on the kids at the Rotary Boys and Girls Club. Owens and several other members of the Ball4Real Streetball Tour stopped by the club as part of the community outreach they will incorporate on their 30-city streetball tour, which kicks off at 7:30 p.m. Friday at KeyArena. "We're the best streetball players around," said Dennis "Spyda" Chism. "We're popular because of that, but also because we get out and interact with our fans. We want them to know us and get the chance to meet us. Plus, the style of ball we play is what kids these days want to see. They're next." The players spoke to an excited audience of children, and a few of the kids got the opportunity to play half-court games of three-on-three with them, most of whom are household names thanks to a run on the AND1 Mixtape Tour, which was the subject of a documentary-style television show on ESPN the past several years. This winter a group of AND1 players seceded and formed their own tour, Ball4Real, which features many of the players who became stars on their previous circuit. The players have ownership of the fledging tour and hope to create a new brand that will build upon the unexpected popularity of streetball launched from the AND1 Tour. "Anyone that tells you they thought this would happen to streetball is lying," Owens said. "But the TV exposure helped us a lot. The audience got to see how we were living and our passion for basketball. This is a long way from 2000 and the three-city tour we were on then." The Ball4Real Tour is similar in structure to the AND1 Tour. There are 10 to 12 full-time Ball4Real team members coached by Steve "All Day" Burtt, a former NBA player and a New York City streetball legend. In addition, there are two spots for players who can play their way onto the tour in each city. At each stop, the team will play against a group of players chosen earlier in the day in an open tryout, like the one that will be held in Seattle at 3:30 p.m. Friday during a block party in front of KeyArena. Afterward, Burtt, opposing coach Shane "The Dribbling Machine" Woney and player representative Anthony "Half Man, Half Amazing" Heyward, decide whether a player deserves to make the bus or if one deserves to be sent home. In late August, when the tour wraps up in New York, one player will earn a $100,000 contract to become a full-time member of the tour. "The thing about streetball is that it's basketball, but with different motivations," Owens said. "I'm sure Tony Parker doesn't hate Deron Williams. But a guy in Seattle, when I roll into town and say I'm the best streetball player around, well, he's got to rep for his city. That's a challenge you stand up to." BALL4REAL WORLD TOUR When: 7:30 Friday Where: KeyArena Tickets: $10-30, KeyArena box office or Ticketmaster.com

 

< Prev