Rucker Park

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Rucker Park with Frederick Douglass Boulevard in the Background on the left

Rucker Park is a basketball court in the Harlem neighborhood of the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is located at 155th Street and Frederick Douglass Boulevard across the street from the former Polo Grounds site.^[1]^[2] Many who played at the park in the Rucker Tournament achieved a level of fame for their abilities, and several have gone on to play in the NBA.

Rucker Park was featured in the TNT television film On Hallowed Ground: Streetball Champions of Rucker Park, which aired in 2000 and won a Sports Emmy Award.

1 History
2 Notable players
3 References
4 External links

History [edit]

The court is named after Harlem teacher and playground director for the New York City Parks Department Holcombe L. Rucker, who started a basketball tournament in 1950 in order to help less fortunate kids stay off the streets and aim for college careers.^[1]^[3] The players in the Rucker Tournament featured slam dunks, crossover dribbles, and bravado that excited the crowd, a playing style then-foreign to the National Basketball Association (NBA).^[4]

The original court Rucker used to start his tournament is actually on 7th Avenue between 128th and 129th Street in New York.^{[citation needed]}

Notable players [edit]

Although many professional basketball players have played at the court after gaining prominence, many others developed their basketball skills at Rucker prior to becoming notable in the sport. These players include:

References [edit]

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d History in the Making at Rucker's Park
^ http://www.ebcsports.com
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g Nunyo, DeMasio (August 21, 1995). "Carrying On an Asphalt Legacy". The New York Times. Retrieved October 6, 2007.
^ Pomerantz, Gary M. (2005). Wilt, 1962: The Night of 100 Points and the Dawn of a New Era. New York: Crown. p. 123–4. ISBN 1-4000-5160-6.
^ Steve, Popper (January 18, 2003). "Nets Win, but Challenging Trip Awaits". The New York Times. Retrieved October 7, 2007. "With the Rucker Park legend Rafer Alston now the biggest attraction for Toronto, the Nets' only moments of suspense came when they attempted to compile their own mix of highlights."
^ ^a ^b ^c Zengerie, Jason (April 15, 2009). "Empty Garden: Why did New York stop growing basketball stars?". The New Republic. Retrieved June 28, 2010.
^ "Connie Hawkins: Thoughts on Wilt". Retrieved 2009-07-03.
^ ^a ^b ^c Mallozzi, Vincent M. (June 24, 2007). "His Eyes Have Seen the Glory of Rucker Park". The New York Times. Retrieved June 28, 2010.
^ . June 24, 2007 http://www.basketball.org/courts/new-york/rucker-park/. Retrieved June 28, 2010. Missing or empty |title= (help)
^ Jamaal Tinsley Interview, Inside Hoops, January 7, 2005. Accessed October 7, 2007. "InsideHoops.com: In your high school years, out of the gym, which parks were you playing at? Jamaal Tinsley: Everywhere. West 4th. 68th, the Pro-Am tournament. Rucker. Soul in the Hole. That's it, mainly, in New York City."

External links [edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Rucker Park

Coordinates: 40°49′46″N 73°56′11″W / 40.829564°N 73.936465°W / 40.829564; -73.936465

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