AND1 Live Tour
The AND1 Live Tour, formerly known as the AND1 Mixtape Tour, is a traveling basketball competition and exhibition presented by B-Ball and Company and the basketball apparel manufacturer AND1.[1] A group of streetball players, along with Emcee Rell and B-Ball and Company CEO Linda Hill, travel from town to town and challenge teams composed of local talent. Games tend to be characterized by isolation one-on-one ball handling moves and acrobatic slam dunks and alley-oops.
The tour was televised in half-hour "Streetball" segments on ESPN2, and were compiled into highlight reels, offered under the mark AND1 Mixtape, which were sold on DVD. AND1 has released 10 volumes. The first mixtape was AND1 Mixtape Volume 1 (1998) and the most recent is AND1 Mixtape X (2008). The AND1 team has toured the world, meeting success against most international teams and scoring wins over adversaries from places as diverse as Chile and Angola, remaining undefeated outside the United States until they lost to the debuting Puerto Rico Streetballers in 2012.[2]
Controversy
AND1's calling card and large reason for success are the flashy moves that rely on a more lenient set of rules than in regulation basketball. This has led to comparisons with the Harlem Globetrotters and has caused some journalists to criticize the tour.[3] Supporters of the tour have responded by backing up AND1's credibility and the players' legitimate skill. The AND1 players maintain that they are serious basketball players who play against the seven best local players from each city.[1] Many of the current and former AND1 Mixtape Tour players have played in college and in professional organizations such as the CBL, ABA, NBDL, NBA or overseas.[1][4]
AND1 Live Streetballers
Official MC of the Tour: Emcee Rell
- Philip Champion a.k.a. Hotsauce from Atlanta, Georgia
- Dennis Chism a.k.a. Spyda from Atlanta, Georgia
- Jerome Holman a.k.a. Circus from Brooklyn, New York
- Robert Martin (basketball) a.k.a. 50 from Atlanta, Georgia
- Brandon LaCue a.k.a. Werm from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
- Hugh Jones a.k.a. Baby Shack from Washington D.C.
- Marvin Collins a.k.a. Highrizer from Atlanta, Georgia
- Paul Otim a.k.a. Polo from Atlanta, Georgia
- Guy Dupuy a.k.a. Easy J from Nice, France
- Grayson Boucher a.k.a. The Professor from Keizer, Oregon
- Rafer Alston a.k.a. Skip to My Lou, from Bronx, New York.
- Shane Alexander aka Shane Buzzy Little Rock, Arkansas
- Larry Williams (basketball) aka The Bone Collector from Tyler, Texas
AND1 Mixtape Volumes
- AND1 Mixtape Vol. 1 – The "Skip Mixtape", mainly focused on Rafer Alston.
- AND1 Mixtape Vol. 2 – All games on this tape were filmed in New York City and Linden, New Jersey.
- AND1 Mixtape Vol. 3 – This tape was given to people who bought a pair of AND1 shoes.
- AND1 Mixtape Vol. 4 – Volume 4 was the first tape documenting the AND1 Mixtape Tour, which visited Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington D. C. and New York City.
- AND1 Mixtape Vol. 5 – Volume 5 was the return of Alston, after he had been playing Division I basketball at Fresno State University for three years.
- AND1 Mixtape Vol. 6 – Volume 6 toured Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, and New York City.
- AND1 Mixtape Vol. 7 – Every game in this volume was played in NBA arenas, and Grayson Boucher was discovered in the Open Run in Portland, Oregon Open Run. The tape also featured a brief appearance from retired basketball player Shaquille O'Neal.
- AND1 Mixtape Vol. 8: Back on the Block – Back on the Block featured a lot of "Crash the Court" footage, in which the AND1 team plays against local teams in public streetball locations.
- AND1 Mixtape Vol. 9: Area Codes – This volume shows the hometown and home court of every member of the AND1 team, including Philadelphia with Aaron Owens and Los Angeles with Kenny Brunner.
- AND1 Mixtape X: The United Streets of America – AND1 Mixtape X marked a decade of AND1, with footage from the United Streets Of America tour, which featured former Boston Celtics Player Carlos Arroyo.
References
- ^ a b c "AND1 Mixtape Tour History". streetballin.net. Archived from the original on March 7, 2009. Retrieved June 12, 2009.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ Raul Sosa (2012-07-27). "AND1 & PR Streetball Put On a Show!". BoricuaBallers.com. Archived from the original on 2015-10-16. Retrieved 2012-07-31.
- ^ Bryant, Jerel (November 19, 2004). "AND 1's mixed up". The Yale Herald. Yale University. Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved June 12, 2009.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ "AND1 Players". best-basketball-tips.com. Archived from the original on 5 June 2009. Retrieved June 12, 2009.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help)