If you love basketball in it’s purest form and have ever had the pleasure of watching or playing a game on some of the many legendary outdoor courts of New York City, than you have been a witness to how true basketball was meant to be played.
With the NBA Playoffs in full swing and the warmer weather on the horizon, most basketball fans and inner city residents of any major city are beginning to hear the melodic “thump, thump” of a ball being dribbled at the local playground. It’s that time of year when either neighborhood youngsters of full fledged adult ballers head out to enjoy the competition of a pick-up game against friends or foes on the blacktop or asphalt for bragging rights or a chance at some serious dough.
Those who grew up in the Big Apple, specifically Manhattan, know all about the Summer streetball circuit, where some of the game’s best amateur players compete on a nightly basis. Games are played on some of the city’s legendary courts set in some of the meanest neighborhoods in all of the 5 boroughs.
If you are a fan of playground basketball, you will absolutely love this video which showcases some of the borough’s most well known courts like Goat Park on 99th and Amsterdam and The Cage on West 4th and 6th Avenue. The video also shows footage of some of NYC’s most iconic streetballers like Special FX, The Pirate, and Best Kept Secret, and even features a cameo by former NY Knicks player, John Starks. In addition, a few New York rap legends like Buckshot and KRS-One also make appearances in the feature.
It all began when streetball documentarian Kevin Couliau spent most of the past year taking pictures and video in an effort to capture the raw feel and grittiness of some of the most stunning backdrops in the world of urban streetball, starting in the world famous “Mecca of Basketball”, New York City. From there, K1X Studios in Germany enlisted the help of legendary hip hop icons Pete Rock and Red Café to come up with a jazz influenced musical masterpiece to be played over Couliau’s images and video to create what I would describe as a visual love letter to New York basketball. I guarantee that you will be singing the song’s hook for the rest of the day and will have you longing for some of Sam’s Famous Pizza on 119th and Lexington.
Check out “The Heart And Soul Of New York City”:
Allen Moll is an avid NBA and College Basketball fan who watches and studies games religiously and coaches youth basketball in his native Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania. Allen is a regular columnist for thehoopdoctors.com, Bleacherreport.com, UpperDeckblog.com, and his own site, Hoops Haven.
