Playing way above the rim

Written by Erin Podolsky

Tuesday, 31 July 2007

Call it Bizarro Pistons -- 10 guys, five on the floor at a time, delivering nonstop Achilles-eating crossovers and death-defying dunks. Defense? Unlikely. Offense? Oh yes. And if you're anything more than a casual basketball fan, you already know the score. This is the And 1 Mix Tape Tour, a streetball entertainment franchise that features players with names like Hot Sauce and the Professor, pumps out annual best-selling DVDs, gets plenty of play on ESPN and even spawned a video game for XBox and PlayStation 2. The tour has moved outdoors this year, going back to its blacktop roots after 4 years in the gym... "We really did it for two reasons," says And 1 brand marketing manager Taylor Duffy. "Streetball was born in an outside environment, and that's where the authentic game is played. And from an And 1 brand standpoint, we really wanted to emphasize our authenticity as a streetball brand." Rather than visiting 25 or 30 cities as in summers past, the tour this year is coming to only 10 markets, including Detroit on Saturday. Also changed is the format: Holding no open runs for local players, the And 1 team will play a local All-Star summer league team in each city. Joining the And 1 team this year is Jamal (Springs) Nelson, a tremendous 6-foot-2 leaper who went to Detroit Cody but never played college ball. The 24-year-old came to And 1's attention in last year's City Slam competition, during which he dropped dunk after ridiculous dunk -- going between the legs, jumping over a 64-inch high bar, sticking windmills that would mercilessly taunt Don Quioxte. Needless to say, he won, and eventually he was signed to a 2-year contract. "I earned it," says Nelson. "We're putting on a show, but at the same time, we're winning, too." And how does Nelson feel about playing pro ball in front of a hometown crowd? "It's going to be different, playing at home and I'm on this team," he says. "At the end of the game, I'll have people I knew coming up asking for autographs. It's going to be funny. Real funny. I can't wait to see that." Freep.com No one has commented on this article. Please login or register to post comments. J! Reactions • General Site License Copyright © 2006 S. A. DeCaro

 

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