"The so-called legends of streetball are blown out of proportion. Who knows how good they really are when they play on the street and don't have game offensive and defensive stats? Just a bunch of overblown myths." The words of former Nets rebounding king Jason Williams really hit the nail on the head --- statistics rule the NBA, and streetwise gossip doesn't count.
Hey, does Abdul-Jabbar count as a street punk? Does a Chick Hearn interview count as a tip? When the Voice of the Lakers asked Jabbar, "Who's the best player you've ever played against?"
"Wilt Chamberlain." The extremely miserly "Skyhook" actually followed up with the rhetorical question, "In the NBA?"
"What about even outside the NBA?"
"That would have to be Earl McNicholte." "Skyhook" spat out a strange name.
McNicolte's last name was too long, too difficult, and too literal for the streets of New York to pronounce, even for his high school teachers, so it was truncated to "Coulter," and eventually just remembered as "Goat." When the "Goat" in New York calls the shots, omnipotent, "Goat" was split into "The Greatest Of All Time". The Greatest Of All Time. The word "Goat" was used by young men in street fights as a salutation for a two-handed slam dunk. "Can you dunk?" "Dunk? I can Goat!"
Middle-aged Goat
Born in 1944, Goat grew up in a single-parent home in New York City, and lacked a father to control him as a child. The streets. There, all sorts of terrible temptations were eating away at the young man's future every day. Perhaps because he didn't have any money in his pocket, the Goat didn't get into any bad habits as a teenager, and was lucky enough to get hooked on basketball. Almost every night, on the corner of 130th Street, a skinny black kid could be seen barely dunking a basketball. The court was dominated by high school, college, and even professional players during the day, so the kids practiced early in the morning and at night under the streetlights, hoping to grow in skill and height to someday challenge the adults. Some passers-by stopped to laugh at the "goat's" clumsy dunks ---- They didn't know that there were two heavy sandbags strapped into the "goat's" socks.
In 1962 when he joined Benjamin Franklin High School, "goat" height is insignificant 1 meters 85, and his jump height actually reached an incredible 50 inches --- 127 centimeters! Betting with people to grab the coins on the top edge of the rim was his specialty, until the whole neighborhood no longer dared to bet with him, "goat" came up with a trick ---- continuous reverse dunk, there are still some New Yorkers who remember the "goat" 36 consecutive dunks to win 60 dollars. The "Goat" is the first to win 60 dollars.
The "Goat," whose skills were as impressive as his jumping, was soon named to his high school's varsity team and played several games with Jabbar (who was still known as Lou Alcindor) at Power Memorial High School. The two quickly became ballplayers, teaming up to sweep the streets. Off the court, the city-famous but aloof Jabbar kept to himself, while the equally famous "Goat" made friends with a wide range of people and picked up a lot of bad habits. In his last year of high school, the school expelled "Goat" for smoking marijuana. Although "Goat" went to prison for drug use and robbery and eventually repented, he refused to admit that he had smoked marijuana in high school until his death.
Shot 1: 1964 Rock All-Star Game. "The Goat" with the ball fast break, 2 meters tall Syracuse University star Vann Harper and 2.03 meters center Phil Reed quickly back to the defense, the two stood side by side under the basket space, reaching out for a cover. The 1.85-meter tall "Goat" treated them as if they were nothing and jumped up. Harper and Reid jumped up to cover, only to see the "goat" higher and higher, and finally vigorously two-handed dunk - on the head of the two opponents 15 centimeters higher than their own. The stadium fell silent, then exploded with roars of approval as fans swarmed into the stadium and the game was interrupted.
Just as "The Goat" was about to be lost on the streets, Rock League founder Hockamby Rock found the young man and gave him the fatherly attention and discipline he had rarely received in his life. Eventually, Mr. Locker sent The Goat, through his own recommendation, to the prestigious basketball prep school ----, Lauren Berg Academy in Charlotte, North Carolina. Away from the big city for the first time, "The Goat" began to settle into his homework, his grades met NCAA standards, and basketball scholarships to North Carolina, Duke, Indiana and other prestigious schools followed. For the pressure of schoolwork, the Goat picked a lesser-known black college, John Smith's College.
Unfortunately, "Goat" did not "survive" in college, and the coach took care of the starting position that should have belonged to him to the upperclassmen. "The Goat dropped out of school and returned to New York City, where he learned that Mr. Rock had died. Without a guide, he spent his days on the streets and soon became addicted to heroin. 1969, Jabbar became the NBA's top draft pick, signing a million-dollar contract, while "The Goat" went to prison, where he spent 16 months in New York City's Greenhaven Jail.
The 69-70 season saw the Knicks win their first NBA championship, and after writer Axilan mentioned the "Goat's" legacy on the streets of New York in his book "Basketball City," NBA teams finally began to take notice of him.
The Knicks were released from prison in the summer of 1970, and the "Goat" was released from jail. After his release from prison in the summer of 1970, "The Goat" was offered a tryout with the Utah Jazz, and even got a chance to play in a preseason game with his old friend Jabbar. Unfortunately, drugs and prison nearly destroyed Goat's body, and he was cut by the Jazz midway through the season without waiting to play against Jabbar.
Shot 2: In the summer of 1967, "The Goat" played in Rock Park against Erdrich Weber, who was named to the All-American High School Team and was known as the "Springer of Steel". In a fast break, "Goat" with the ball straight to the basket, saw Webber from the back to catch up, so deliberately slowed down the speed, reaching out to greet Webber. When Webber and he jumped at the same time, "Goat" grabbed the ball in his right hand, hanging low over his waist, and when he saw that he was going to rise to the highest point, his arm suddenly made a lightning stroke through 270 degrees in the air, and smashed the ball into the rim from Webber's head. Forgive me if I can't reproduce the scene in my humble words, but Hammond "The Destroyer" said, "That's the best dunk I've ever seen in my life."
Dragging his body in pieces, the "Goat" returned to the streets, and at only 25 years old, he stumbled and panted on the court, with none of his old style. Gradually, the king retreated.
Not long after, the Goat followed the example of his benefactor, Hokambi Rock, and gave back to the community by starting the Goat League on 99th Street. The Goat League was the home of the brothers Bernard King and Albert King, and later the Rocket Spurs' double champion Mario Elie.
Sadly, the Goat never quite escaped the white powder's grip, and in the summer of 1977, he inexplicably canceled his league's opening day and drove to the Bronx with a group of friends. A few hours later, he was in handcuffs - for an attempted $6 million robbery. This time, 24 months in the slammer.
After his release, "The Goat" seemed genuinely cowed by the streets and moved his family far away from New York. It didn't take long for fans who couldn't get over him to bring him back to New York and put him back at the helm of the "Goat League". This time, he did not disappoint, and the league is still standing on the streets of New York.
On May 15, 1998, the Goat died of heart failure. New York City named the basketball court at 99th Street and Amsterdam Avenue "Goat Park" in honor of his efforts to promote basketball. [iOrange 2003/10/28]
Ah, I forgot to mention "Goat"! I can't believe I forgot to mention the Goat's registered trademark, the New York legend of legends ---- "Double Dunk". Many longtime fans in New York swear they've seen the "Goat" double dunk in person, or in an official street game. Legend has it that "The Goat" jumped under the basket with his team trailing by three points before the end of the game, dunked, then caught the ball in the air and dunked again, and then arrogantly said that it was going to count as a four-point play. Does anyone care how many points a double dunk counts for? This kind of performance has been completely beyond the scope of the earth's basketball, belonging to another time and space. NBA "Flyers" descendants of the annual dunk contest to think of new tricks, not no one thought of "Double Dunk", but ----- you have to say! NBA basket netting is too long, the ball falls slowly ....) @^%$#*$(Q@!!!!!
Pieces of Lenny Cooke
Name: Lenny Cooke
Position: guard
Height: 5'98"
Weight: 93 kilograms
Born: April 29, 1982, Brooklyn, New York
July 9, 2001 By CNNSI: A year ago, unknown Lenny Cook conquered an entire ABCD high school camp in just four days to claim the title of co-MVP of the All-Star Game in the non-graduate division... At this year's camp, Cook, who has already made a name for himself across the country, will be a target for other young players... "I practiced hard because I knew people would be coming at me this year and I didn't want to ruin my reputation." ... North Carolina, Cincinnati, Miami, St. John's and Ohio State have all joined the enrollment battle for Cook, yet the young man who once laid down the gauntlet to Kobe Bryant said, "Kobe did it (high school straight to the NBA), so why can't I?" ...
July 9, 2001 By North Carolina Insider Stepping onto the basketball court, Lenny Cook is up to any challenge. Today, his opponent was Carmelo Anthony. The two went back-and-forth in ... Anthony blocked Cook successfully and spoke out, Cook immediately returned the favor with a superb aerial over Anthony's head... In the end, Cook scored 20 points to lead his team to victory... "It doesn't matter if I play high school next year or not, as long as my grades are good enough, they (North Carolina) will give me a scholarship." Cook said after the game...
June 28, 2001 TheInsiders reports that Lenny Cook watched this year's draft to cheer on New York hometown boy (and former talented high school player) Omar Cook. In the end Omar Cook fell to the 2nd round and didn't get a guaranteed contract. Lenny said, "Watching that happen, I had to think about it, but I actually thought about it... I know I'm going to train well." ... The night before the draft they were high school students, the next day they were millionaires...
September 27, 2001 TheInsiders reports that Cook plans to take the SAT to prepare for college... Many colleges fear Cook will go straight to the NBA... "Everybody says he should go to the NBA, except for him (Cook) himself... He has that potential, but nobody can guarantee anything..." ...
May 2002 Yachts Web site reports Cook on today's scrimmage with the Yachts: "Unluckily for me, I went into today's scrimmage with an injured foot, and I couldn't do a lot of things... I shot pretty well in a couple of scrimmages .... (I play like) Kobe, Mike Grady and Darrells Miles... (If I make it to the NBA), I'm not going to rush to be a superstar, I'm just going to try to help my team win."
May 6, 2002 By PRNA: Lenny Cook, 20, who averaged 30 points and 15 rebounds per game in high school, announced today at Junior's Restaurant in New York that he will forgo his college enrollment and go straight to the 2002 NBA draft...
May 2002 ESPN reports that among those attending Lenny Cook's press conference was Swiftboat star Elton Brand. Cook says he realized he had enlisted the advice of Brand and Marbury, among others: "I've heard from all of them that the NBA coaches and scouts love me." ...
After the 2002 draft TheInsiders.com forum:
Post - "Hmmm, where is Lenny Cook now?"
Reply-"Picked by the Glenbos in the 11th round of the NBDL draft."
Reply- "I also heard he was picked by the NBDL but has been cut. Coach said it would take too long to develop him."
Reply- "He was on the Supersonics and went to sell oranges on the side of the road after he got fired. Every big high school star from now on should take a good look at him!"
Reply- "Cook was in our Philippine league! 49 points and 17 rebounds in his first game!"
Reply- "Cook is awesome, I can't believe I got to see him play in person in the Philippines. He's definitely NBA material."
Reply- "He's a 20/20/5 level player right now with the Shanghai Oriental Sharks in the CBA. Shanghai was crying out loud when they signed him."
January 7, 2004 hoopCHINA forum: "Cook played Zhejiang in the first game, scored sixteen points and six boards in ten minutes, but showed a little bit of fidgety on the court, played less than a section of six fouls to graduate. The second game to play eighty-one, scored forty-one points, to find the feeling. After that, it was out of control, scoring, rebounding, MVP... In the next most impressive shot is that he faced the defender continuous variable speed cross over shaking the head of the seven eight, and then very beautiful no look pass to the basket unguarded teammates, really shaking easy to pass beautiful ... ... But Cooke's talent will be wasted if he plays in China, or any other low-level league..."
Snippet from 2002 ESPN Tom Farrey article:
Cooke scored "genius" on an IQ test for "matrix thinking," but his current high school classes are almost entirely remedial... remedial classes for underachievers...
Cook came down the hall, wearing a leather jacket, a brand-new Yankees baseball cap and shiny new Nike shoes...
Cook's home is in one of the worst neighborhoods in the worst part of town... A large hole in the floor is covered with a cloth, and rainwater ruins the place by running down it to the hooker's house downstairs...
The cell phone rang and it was Kobe's dad, Joe Bryant...
"I think about (being in the NBA) every day in class and imagine being a millionaire in two years..."
"He (Cook) is a celebrity. Because of what? Because he's done something? So far he's done nothing." Indeed, Cook is a poor man standing on the edge of great wealth and a rich man standing on the edge of abject poverty...
January 9, 2004 Sports Weekly: Indeed, it was Cook who first came to Shanghai as a secret weapon. After a burst of sweeping shots, Cook did take down quite a few masters, including Bayi, but as time lengthened, his fatal weakness of being too unique was exposed more and more obviously... Liu Wei has also expressed his disgust at this kind of performance by the two foreigners, "They are sometimes too lonely, they just know how to play alone, how many balls are broken in this way!"
Father of New York streetball" Hockamby Rock
Hockamby Rock did not play a single game of professional basketball. "But if it wasn't for him, not to mention New York streetball, even the NBA wouldn't be where it is today." Street superstar Pee Wee Kirkland said.
Born into a poor black family in New York on March 2, 1926, Hockamby Rock was raised by his grandmother. He was a star linebacker on the varsity team at Benjamin Franklin High School in East Harlem, but dropped out and enlisted in the Army to fight on the front lines of World War II.When the war ended in 1946, Locker was demobilized and returned to still-poor Harlem.
Hokambi Rock
The young Rock had a strong motivation. Less than a year after demobilization, he received his high school diploma and then began attending night classes at the City University of New York. In just three years, Locke completed a four-year undergraduate program and was awarded a bachelor's degree. After graduation, he got a job as a cultural instructor for the city, teaching English at Harlem's Junior High School 139, while working part-time as a basketball coach at a public ****sport center on the corner of 134th Street and 8th Avenue. There, Locke organized a basketball league with different age groups. His goal was to use the game of basketball to attract children and young people away from street violence and crime of all kinds. Most of the players, like Rock, come from poor families, and through basketball Rock teaches these kids a lot about being a human being and encourages them to work hard and get out of their poor lives.
Charles Turner was one of those kids back then, and one game decades ago changed his entire life. "We were heckling on the court that day, making all the fancy plays we could, and we were down 30 points at halftime." Turner recalled, "We were just kids and the game was just like making a game." At halftime, Hokambi Locke walked up to the team, his eyes sweeping over each player, "Every week, every day, I teach you how to practice, how to play. But what do you all do on the field?" Tears of disappointment welled up from Rock's eyes as he stared at his young players.
"We were all stunned." Turner recalled, "We were all bad kids who hung out on the streets, but none of us had ever seen a grown man cry." Locke didn't say another word. "He didn't have to say anything," Turner said, "and we never forgot the dignity of the game, our own dignity, after that."
Turner's team returned to the court, fought for every rebound, didn't dare let up on defense, and instead ended up outscoring its opponent by 30 points.
Charles Turner still lives in Harlem, and he and the group of teammates from that year have always had immense respect for Rock. "Earl Meinicourt, I wanted to kick his ass." Turner's old teammate, Morris, who was in his early 60s, had no respect for the great Goat, "Mr. Locke wasn't some fat old man sweeping the streets. He's the city's guidance counselor! He's put thousands of kids through college and dragged many more through the prison gates."
A few years ago, HBO made a biopic of streetball legend Earl "The Goat" Meinicault that caused quite a stir in the United States. In the movie, Hockamby Locker was portrayed as a pot-bellied but wise-cracking janitor.
"Earl was a consultant on that movie." Turner was also upset, "We all love this Earl guy, but he had Mr. Locke made like that, and that's not okay!" Perhaps Turner's anger was warranted, as time passed, Mr. Locke's image was becoming more and more blurred in the public's eyes, and already a number of newspapers and magazines were confusingly portraying him as a fat old man of low status.
"Playing for Mr. Locke, you had to learn to answer his questions with 'yes sir' or 'no sir.'" Turner recalled, "To get on the field? It all had to be done before Mr. Rock could look at your resume."
In the summer of 1946, Locke hosted an outdoor basketball tournament at 138th Street and 5th Avenue. It started a **** with four teams and one referee - Locke himself. At the same time Locke began organizing his own teams to play against youth teams from other parts of New York. Unfortunately, the city government did not give Rock any of the support he needed. He had to pay for his own whistles, and sometimes even borrowed balls from kids on the street.
Then Rock met a "street mogul" named John Hunter. Hunt's money came mostly from gambling, but he did give Huckabee Locke a lot of help. When the boys didn't have money to buy sneakers or jerseys, Hunter was willing to bleed money. He also chipped in to help the players rent cars for away games, making a point of caring for them until the gas tank was filled before each departure.
A game at Rock Park in the '70s
And just like that, more and more kids began to enjoy basketball under Rock's care. "No matter what, Mr. Rock would take us to the games." Morris recalls, "We played against the black kids in the Bronx, against the Irish kids in town, and the Italian kids. It really didn't matter who it was, if they wanted to play, we went."
In December 1947, Hockamby Locker married his girlfriend, Mary Green. Two years later, the league moved to St. Nicholas House Field at 128th Street and 7th Avenue. Locke's office moved there as well, a green bench and a steel-framed desk lamp, where Locke worked more than ten hours a day. Thousands of dark-skinned young men from poor families came to his office, some for the basketball games, many more just to hear some of Mr. Locke's exhortations about their lives. One of Mr. Locke's catchphrases was "one man teaching one man," which later became the name of a Harlem youth group.
In the '40s and '50s, black players suffered many injustices. Rock helped many, many young players get on the right track in basketball and away from the evils of the streets with his counseling and letters of recommendation. Basketball in New York gradually developed its own unique style - tough, intense and strong players' self-esteem, in contrast to Indiana's emphasis on precision shooting and California's emphasis on skill. With Rock's help, a large number of black players entered the university, including Thomas Sanders in the Celtics eight consecutive championship team, Northern Illinois University star Ralph Buckshot and the "goat" and so on. Meanwhile, a group of New York-area colleges, such as Long Island University and St. John's College, began to dominate the collegiate ranks, thanks to the importation of many talented black players.
In the 1949-1950 college season, the City University of New York won the NCAA and NIT double crowns, and the team's MVP, Ed Warner, became a national basketball icon, with the Celtics expressing great interest in him. When Warner's future looked bright, a sudden gambling scandal ruined his dreams, and not only did he fail to enter the NBA draft, but he was thrown in jail for six months. After his release, Warner became synonymous with shame in the neighborhood, and even the kids who asked for his autograph were reluctant to play with him. Just when Warner was feeling desperate, Rock found him.
"Hockamby said to me," recalled Warner, who is over 70, "Ed, I think you did a bad thing, too. But people make mistakes, and I think I can give you another chance. You come back, tell the kids you made a mistake, tell them not to be like you, tell them you're working hard to correct yourself. Look, I'm organizing a league, why don't you come help?"
Warner took Rock's advice and joined his league, then got a job in the Eastern Basketball League before becoming a counselor for the New York Elementary School Athletic League. "I wasn't a big sinner, and no one ever taught me how to behave." Warner recalled, "If I had met Hokambi earlier, everything would have been different."
In 1953, Rock's basketball league had both a high school and a college-level section. By 1954, Rock's dream had come true -- his "pro-level" league was complete. During the summer, players from the NBA and other leagues came to New York, and teams from New Jersey, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C., traveled to New York to try their hand. But the city still refused to help him, even to build some courtside seats for the fans. Regardless of the hustle, Locker's league became more and more famous, with NBA scouts, college coaches ...... All sorts of personalities flocked to Rock's court.
Rocky's became a carnival for New York fans, and even candy vendors knew Rocky's was the best place to do business. On game days, people surrounded the field, and those who stood outside could only guess what was going on by the shouts of the crowd in front of them, if they didn't climb to the branches of trees.
The games grew in popularity, but Hockamby Locke's credo remained the same -- he wanted to help the poor people in his neighborhood through basketball. Rock's league was never a moneymaker, but a playground for fans and a stage for players to showcase their talents. Rock's work ethic was always the same. "Mr. Locke didn't think it was enough to come to the court every day, spend ten hours or so tending to the game, and then go home." Stanley Hill, a follower of Locker, said, "If any of us needed his help, he would be there, he taught us the truth, and helped us in every way he could. The last thing he wanted was for someone to be swallowed up by the evil of the streets."
In 1965, the city finally agreed to move his league to the corner of 155th Street and 8th Avenue, where Rock Park now stands. The court became a stage for the best basketball players in the world at the time to perform, the great Chamberlain among them. On days when there were no games, businessmen, politicians ...... All kinds of people still gather in the park, and for them there is no better place to socialize than the Rock. Still, there is not a single advertising plaque to be seen in the park.
While the game flourished, years of hard work and smoking ate away at Rock's health, and in March 1965, at the age of 38, Hockamby Rock died of lung cancer, leaving behind a wife, Mary, and three children.
Now Rock Park
"Hockamby Rock was a warrior who dedicated his life to bringing dignity and joy to poor Harlem." This is how the Amsterdam newspaper mourned Rock's passing.
On July 13, 1969, the site of the Rock League was officially named Rock Park by New York Mayor John Lindsay, and on July 26, 1970, Rock Park, along with the surrounding area, was named Hockamby Rocker Plaza.
---Joe "The Destroyer" Hammond
(1) Introduction
One October afternoon in 1994, Harlem, New York. Across the street from the eerily dilapidated Paul Building, a slightly hunched-over old man was hobbling into the basketball court, a baseball cap, a dirty turtleneck sweater, and a pair of tattered blue jeans. Clearly, he looks more like an old beggar than some king of streetball right now.
"Hey, old man! Are you blind or something?" The questioner was a somewhat angry postulant who held the basketball under his armpit and pointed one hand at the clear sky overhead and said, "We're playing ball! Get your sorry ass out of here!"
Several other young men came up and sized up the stranger ---- a tall, skinny black man with light skin and a short beard. He was seen walking to the sideline of the field, gently setting down the plastic trash bag on his back, turning and walking back to the center of the field, his eyes on the empty bleachers on either side of him, as if drawing on some kind of power -- in his recollection, the rabid fans were shouting over and over again, "We want Joe! We want Joe!" ......
Former street hero, now hardly a bully
"I'm short a few bucks." He said softly, "One of you fight me."
"Don't waste our time." A young man said. "Go play somewhere else." Another young man called out.
The stranger's tired eyes surveyed the court floor. "Doesn't anyone want my bill?" He asked.
"Then flash your bill!" A young man said.
"Only people who lose the game flash their money." The stranger said.
"Cut the crap." The young man with the ball said, "You don't want the money, just give it to me."
"How about twenty dollars?" The stranger asked.
"Okay, start."
"Your ball." The stranger said, copying the ball from the young man's hand, grabbing it with one hand, shaking it a few times, and tucking it back into his chest,
"Trust me, little brother, this is my home court."
"Go on, Rob, do him!" A few of the other young men shouted.
"Yeah, Robo, show me what you got." The stranger said, leaning his body slightly forward across the free throw line and posting up his opponent.
The sidelines came together, the trash talk started, and the game began. The young man feinted a jumper and drove quickly to the basket for what looked to be a bounding layup. But just as the shot was taken, the stranger reached out and touched the basketball, then leaped high, grabbed the ball, and landed with a slight pause near the right baseline. He still had his round pompadour, exactly the same as when he battled Dr. J more than 20 years ago. On the first offensive opportunity, the stranger poked his head forward as if to initiate a layup. The young man's feet shifted and he lost his defensive position. The stranger looked at his opponent, smiled softly, and raised his hand to shoot. The basketball arced perfectly, seeming to stop in the air for dozens of minutes before it went through the net, "Swish-".
"Fuck!" A young man on the sidelines called out.
The game continued as the Strangers gradually pulled away. A reverse layup, a small hook, a left-handed pick-and-roll, followed by three consecutive free-throw line jumpers. A moment later, it was 12-0. The young men watching the game seemed to smell the moldy odor of whichever apartment they were in, and their expressions were embarrassed. Finally, the stranger was down to one point to end the game. As he jumped up for the deciding shot, a voice roared away from beyond the courtside iron fence, "Hey! Joe Hammond! Don't embarrass the kid, don't take his money."
"The Destroyer" at The Rock
The young man froze for a moment, realizing he had just been teased by a basketball ghost. He bowed his head and pressed his hands to his knees. "Are you Joe Hammond?" The kid asked. He reached into his right sock and pulled out a crumpled twenty-dollar bill, "Here's what you won, no underestimation intended."
Mention the name Joe Hammond on the streets of New York, or the old man who used to hang out in his old turf with a garbage bag on his back, and a smile shows on the faces of many -- those who saw him play in the 1970s ...... Flying dunks, pinpoint hitting long-range shots and those incredible scoring records. Back then, he sold all sorts of white powders and was flush with cash, brushing aside the $50,000-a-year salary and purple-and-gold jerseys the Lakers sent his way.
"Those were my good days." Hammond walked off to pick up his garbage bag, "I had everything, I could do everything. I thought I could be like that all my life ...... Uh, I'm supposed to see my daughter today ...... " Hammond looks a little dazed as he remembers his past.
(2) Teenage Fame
In January 1963, a winter snowstorm covered all of New York City, leaving the streets empty of games.
In Cooper Junior High School, located at 120th Street and Madison Avenue, teacher and basketball coach Donna Adams was sitting behind her desk, watching her students nervously take their exams, the only sound in the classroom being the rustling of pencils rubbing against manuscript paper. Suddenly, there was a strange rattling noise from downstairs.
"Slurp ...... Slurp... Slurp..."
Adams stood up, told the students to continue their exams, and walked over to the window to see what was going on.
"I looked down from the window and there he was again." Adams recalled, "was shoveling snow off the field."
It was 13-year-old Joe Hammond, who had dropped out of school. His mother had died at an early age, and his father had moved around to make ends meet. Every night, he slept in the hall of his grandmother's house with many of his cousins. During the day, he slipped from court to court, playing when there was a game, with blisters all over his hands and Pro Keds sneakers (an inexpensive basketball shoe popular among blacks in the '60s and '70s) on his feet that were wrapped in duct tape. Every day, Hammond played until long after the sun went down. When God tried to cover the court with snow, he brought a broom or shovel to work against him.
"Joe only stayed in 7th grade a **** for 27 days. He was pretty much a homeless kid." Said Howie Evans, athletic director at the Wagner Center in Harlem then, mentor to the Destroyer, and now sports editor of the Amsterdam News, "At 11 or 12 years old, he was hooked on basketball and spent all day hanging out at those courts. Whenever there was a place, he started practicing shooting for hours. Watching the adults play on one side and practicing on his own on the other, Joe learned a lot very quickly."
"At thirteen, Joe already understood the game beyond most adults. I trained thousands of kids before him and never saw anyone who could play like him." Evans recalls, "He had exceptional ball handling skills and quickly pulled away from kids his age. It's hard for you to see a kid who can command four other teammates on the court, especially when he doesn't have the ball. But Joe could do that. He would get mad sometimes because his teammates wouldn't pass or cut when they were supposed to. I had to pull him aside and tell him that those kids couldn't understand what he already understood."
Evans and other neighborhood residents took turns bringing Hammond home, giving him food, clothes and more, and Hammond never