Rucker Park - Harlem USA
120 Years of NYC Basketball
From The Playground to The Garden
NYC: The Mecca of Basketball
On The Shoulders of Giants
Since the beginning, basketball, has kept pace with the growth and development of the city that surrounds it. The style of play, the flair and creativity, the energy, and the relentless will to succeed and be the best!
After Naismith gave birth to the game, New York wasted no time molding, innovating and creating basketball in its own image. Adding a powerful, driving desire to reach higher and be more. The "city game" had no choice, but to became a reflection of the vibrant metropolis that is New York City!
Follow the story from wooden hoops to breakaway rims!
The New York City Basketball History Project was created to tell the tale of those who played and influenced the game. From the Lower East Side of Manhattan, to Long Island, from Harlem to New Rochelle, Yonkers & Mt. Vernon. Queens to Staten Island, and from Brooklyn to The Bronx.
If you love The Game, this is one of the greatest stories ever told!
Lew Alcindor (Kareem Jabbar)
Dolph Schayes
Recognizing Acheivement At All Levels
Not only the players, coaches and referees who helped New York basketball to shine, but the schools, the outdoor playgrounds indoor community centers and neighborhood tournaments which helped the game and its players to develop. Places that often provided a safe haven for the youth of our city to grow, mature and socialize. Though some were lost along the way we honor them here and the sacred grounds, that were the foundations for higher education, successful careers for many, and for some, a launching pad to acheive greatness and their wildest dreams!
