Thursday, June 23, 2005
By ED BALINT Repository staff writer
AKRON —— A sweaty shirt slung across his shoulder, Stephen Moore waited for the StreetBall “Believe to Achieve” World Tour tryout to start.
Leaning against a tree, Moore caught his breath. Soft-spoken and easygoing, the 21-year-old Jackson Township resident already had shown off his skills during an informal scrimmage Wednesday afternoon at Hawkins Park on the city’s west side.
He put on an aerial show, slashing through the lane and dunking the basketball with rim-rattling power. Moore’s two-handed tomahawk slam — after bouncing the ball off the backboard — drew lavish praise from DJ Chill, who manned the microphone and hyped the action from the sideline.
“Oh man, he’s got some hops!” the Cleveland disc jockey hollered.
Moore wanted to earn a spot on the quickly assembled team that will face the StreetBall World Tour squad featuring streetball legend and star Randy “White Chocolate” Gill at 6 tonight at the Canton Memorial Civic Center.
Dubbed “streetball greats,” other players, including “The Future,” are expected to join Gill. A handful of players from the Ohio Aviators — the American Basketball Association team set to begin its season at Memorial Civic Center later this year — are expected to play on the opposing team, along with area players selected at Wednesday’s tryout.
Moore was ready. He risked being late for his job as a cook at Papa Bears Pizza Oven Italian Restaurant in Jackson Township. Or missing his shift altogether.
“This is worth it,” Moore said. “Everything’s an opportunity.”
Streetball has street cred.
It may not be the National Basketball Association. But professional streetball is growing in popularity. Emerging earlier this decade, streetball — especially the AND 1 tour — have gained notoriety.
The AND 1 tour is televised on ESPN. A video game also is on the way.
Streetball is slick and entertaining. Boisterous sideline DJs provide humorous play-by-play commentary. Fundamentals are not the point; neither is defense.
Acrobatic dunks, fancy dribbling and a plethora of trick plays transform the sport into high-energy, stunt basketball. Think Harlem Globetrotters meet hip-hop.
“Out here you can use plays, but it’s not going to work,” Moore said. “Everything’s instincts on the streets.”
The urban flavor carried over to tryouts, which started late because enough players hadn’t shown up. By about 4 p.m., around 50 players were testing their hoop skills. Spectators also crowded the court.
It was as if a circus had rolled into town and staked a tent at the park. Concession stands sold smoothies, hot dogs, candy and popcorn. Rap music blasted from the speakers.
Keith McLeod, a former McKinley High School star who played last season with the NBA’s Utah Jazz, watched the action. McLeod said he stopped by at the invitation of his cousin, Tia Blackmon. Blackmon, a student at the University of Akron, helped promote the event.
“Just like the streetballers watch the NBA, the NBA watches streetballers,” said McLeod, who also played at Bowling Green State University.
McLeod, 25, has never played professional streetball. And right now isn’t the time to start. He’s a free agent in the NBA and hasn’t signed with a team yet. He doesn’t want to risk injury.
“We all come from playing on the playgrounds,” McLeod said. “Guys who play streetball could probably play in the league, but due to circumstances, they didn’t get their shot. Some NBA players (participate in professional) streetball.”
Moore was determined to make his mark.
“It’s mainly to have fun,” he said of the tryout, “but everybody’s looking to be discovered. I’m just hoping somebody kind of sees us, but (players) are mainly out here to play basketball.”
After moving back to Stark County from Atlanta, Moore said he played sparingly his senior year at Jackson High School. Moore said he then played on the junior varsity team at Walsh University.
He knows a few trick plays, including “off da heazy,” where a player bounces the ball off an opponent’s head and continues the play.
Moore’s basketball pursuits were put on hold when he hurt his knee.
“It was, ‘Oh, no, this pretty much can’t be happening,’ ” Moore recalled, but it turned out not to be serious.
“That was a sign to me that I’m supposed to do something with my life in basketball or track,” said Moore, who competed in track at Jackson and Walsh.
Trying out for the Kent State University basketball team is his next goal. And he dreams of making the NBA.
“It’s not even the fame and the riches,” Moore said. “I just like playing for people.”.
Canton Respository
