Marc Raimondi

Marc Raimondi

Things I'll miss from summer 2010

August 23, 2010 , ι By MARC RAIMONDI

It’s about that time again.In the next few days, you’ll be noticing some changes around here. The stories and photos about basketball and streetball will fade away and the high-school football... Read on

It’s about that time again.
	 
In the next few days, you’ll be noticing some changes around here. The stories and photos about basketball and streetball will fade away and the high-school football previews will start up, making way for soccer and volleyball previews as well.
	 
The summer, as we know it, is coming to an end. It’s depressing for some and a new beginning for others. Another high-school season is dawning, with the prospective of new champions, new star players and new memorable moments.
	 
But first let me take a look back at the last few months as I break down the things I’ll miss from summer 2010:
	 
-- The atmosphere of streetball: I’ve covered countless games in my career, from MLB to the NFL to college basketball to high school. I’ve seen great, energetic crowds plenty of times. But nothing can compare to fans at places like Dyckman, Rucker Park, West 4th Street and the Tri-State Classic. The parks are so packed, at times, there’s no room to do anything but stand straight up and try to see what’s going on in the game. When a big, exciting play is made, sometimes people rush out onto the court in celebration – in the middle of the game. If streetball was the PSAL, school safety agents would get paid like CEOs.
	 
-- Getting to a 7 p.m. game at 8 o’clock and actually being early: Everything is casual when it comes to streetball, especially scheduling. I don’t know if there was one game this summer that I went to that started when it was supposed to start. That’s more than OK, because getting to places on time can be a struggle for me.
	 
-- The personalities: In a world where sports people are increasingly bland and give cliché answer after cliché answer, streetball is the antithesis of all that. People thrive on trash talk. Players call each other out regularly, kind of like how Adris (2 Hard 2 Guard) DeLeon challenged NBA star Brandon Jennings back in July in an interview with my boy Joe Staszewski. Everyone has something to say, from the emcees on down.
	 
-- Joe Pope’s nicknames: For my money, there isn’t a better streetball emcee in the business when it comes to humor. Pope has razor-sharp wit when it comes to giving someone he doesn’t know a nickname. He creates almost a verbal caricature of a player on a moment’s notice and they stick. Thankfully, I made it through this summer without getting one.
	 
Here’s a few more quick ones:
	 
-- The chemistry and analysis of Hoops in the Sun commentating duo Bobby C. and Uncle G-Stacks
	 
-- The smell of delicious Spanish food grilling at Dyckman
	 
-- The fashion sense and consideration of Pro City announcer Big Brawley Chisholm
	 
-- The bikini-clad ladies of Hoops in the Sun
	 
-- Everyone being referred to solely by their nicknames
	 
-- DeLeon’s incredible handle and quickness, Miguel (Miles High) Millien’s absurd leaping ability, Antawn (Anti-Freeze) Dobie’s sheer dominance and Junie Sanders’ unparalleled guile
	 
mraimondi@nypost.com

PRINT
EMAIL
SHARE
- Yahoo! Buzz
- Digg
- Reddit
- Fark It
- Newsvine
- StumbleUpon
- Twitter
- Facebook
RSS

Post Your Comments ⁄

(0) Comments

Operation Athlete Team Shootout girls basketball event set for next weekend

August 22, 2010 , ι By MARC RAIMONDI

The Operation Athlete Team Shootout girls basketball even will be next weekend at the Wayne PAL Sports Complex (1 PAL Sports Drive in Wayne, N.J.). The tournament, which has three age divisions, will feature some of the best high-school and AAU teams from the area, including Exodus NYC, Trenton Catholic and Neptune.
	 
Here’s the schedule:
	 
SATURDAY, AUG. 28
	 
Court One
	 
9am: NJ Sparks vs. Coaches Choice USA/Rising Stars 15
	 
10am: NJ Sparks vs. Lady Warriors 13
	 
11am: NJ Sparks vs. Exodus Gold 15
	 
12pm:Coaches Choice USA vs. Lady Warriors 13
	 
1pm:SJ Boro Blitz vs. Long Island Lightning 15
	 
2pm: NJ Sparks vs. Positive Direction 16/17
	 
3pm: Long Island Lightning vs. Triple Threat 15
	 
4pm: Red Hook Lady Ravens vs. Long Island Lightning 16/17
	 
5pm: Positive Direction vs. All NJ Elite 16/17
	 
6pm:Exodus Lady Falcons vs. Long Island Lightning 16/17
	 
Court Two
	 
9am: Coaches Choice USA vs. Lady Bulldogs 13
	 
10am: Trenton Catholic vs. All NJ Elite 16/17
	 
11am: Positive Direction vs. Lady Bulldogs 13
	 
12pm: Trenton Catholic vs. Exodus NYC 16/17
	 
1pm:Exodus Gold vs. Coaches Choice USA/Rising Stars 15
	 
2pm:Exodus NYC vs. Neptune 16/17
	 
3pm:Positive Direction vs. NJ Sparks 13
	 
4pm: Exodus Lady Falcons vs. SJ Boro Blitz 16/17
	 
5pm:Neptune vs. NJ Sparks 16/17
	 
6pm: Triple Threat vs. Red Hook Lady Ravens 16/17
	 
SUNDAY, Aug. 29
	 
Court One
	 
9am: NJ Sparks vs. SJ Boro Blitz 15
	 
10am: Positive Direction vs. Triple Threat 16/17
	 
11am: NJ Sparks vs. Long Island Lightning 15
	 
12pm: Trenton Catholic vs. Triple Threat 16/17
	 
1pm:Lady Warriors vs. Lady Bulldogs 13
	 
2pm:Exodus NYC vs. All NJ Elite 16/17
	 
3pm:Long Island Lightning vs. NJ Sparks 16/17
	 
4pm: Lady Warriors vs. Positive Direction 13
	 
5pm: Exodus Lady Falcons vs. Coaches Choice USA/Rising Stars 15
	 
6pm: Exodus Lions vs. Long Island Lightning 16/17
	 
Court Two
	 
9am: NJ Sparks vs. Coaches Choice USA 13
	 
10am:Neptune vs. Trenton Catholic 16/17
	 
11am:NJ Sparks vs. Lady Bulldogs 13
	 
12pm: Neptune vs. Exodus Lady Falcons 16/17
	 
1pm:Positive Direction vs. Coaches Choice USA 13
	 
2pm: Long Island Lightning vs. Exodus Lions 15
	 
3pm: SJ Boro Blitz vs. Coaches Choice USA/Rising Stars 15
	 
4pm:Red Hook Lady Ravens vs. Positive Direction 16/17
	 
5pm: NJ Sparks vs. Exodus NYC 16/17
	 
6pm:All NJ Elite vs. Red Hook Lady Ravens 16/17
	 
For driving directions, visit waynepal.org. For more information on how to get to the event, call John Stayley at 646-334-9248 and for further info on schedule, call Toro at 347-742-1180.
	 
mraimondi@nypost.com

PRINT
EMAIL
SHARE
- Yahoo! Buzz
- Digg
- Reddit
- Fark It
- Newsvine
- StumbleUpon
- Twitter
- Facebook
RSS

Post Your Comments ⁄

(0) Comments

Nike Tournament of Champions on tap Saturday

August 21, 2010 , ι By MARC RAIMONDI

The summer is coming to a close and what better way to cap it than having the best teams and players from New York City streetball go at it for supreme bragging rights?That’s exactly what will happen... Read on

The summer is coming to a close and what better way to cap it than having the best teams and players from New York City streetball go at it for supreme bragging rights?
	 
That’s exactly what will happen Saturday when the winners of the four Nike streetball leagues – Dyckman, Hoops in the Sun, West 4th and the Entertainers Basketball Classic at Rucker Park – square off in the Nike Tournament of Champions at Gauchos Gym in The Bronx. In the semifinals, Dyckman champ Takes No Prisoners meets Hoops in the Sun representative Bingo’s All-Stars and EBC titleholder Certified takes on West 4th rep Money Inc.
	 
The main event of the day will be the streetball championship between the winners of both of those games. But in between, there will be some other hoops action.
	 
Starting off the day is a women’s game, pitting the West 4th champion and the Uptown Challenge representative. And after the two semifinals is the conclusion of the Battle of the Boroughs high-school tournament, which began last week during the World Basketball Festival. The Bronx will be the home team facing off against visiting Queens. Both teams are stacked with future Division I talent.
	 
It all goes down starting at noon Saturday at Gauchos Gym (478 Gerard Avenue) in the shadows of Yankee Stadium.
	 
mraimondi@nypost.com

PRINT
EMAIL
SHARE
- Yahoo! Buzz
- Digg
- Reddit
- Fark It
- Newsvine
- StumbleUpon
- Twitter
- Facebook
RSS

Post Your Comments ⁄

(0) Comments

Ivey, other NBA players to teach kids hoops in Hollis

August 19, 2010 , ι By MARC RAIMONDI

Want to get an NBA player to help you work on your basketball skills? If you’re between the ages of 8 and 13, this weekend you can.For the third straight year, former Cardozo star and current... Read on

Want to get an NBA player to help you work on your basketball skills? If you’re between the ages of 8 and 13, this weekend you can.
	 
For the third straight year, former Cardozo star and current Oklahoma City Thunder guard Royal Ivey is hosting his basketball skills clinic in Hollis. The event runs from Thursday to Saturday in Hollis Park, on Hollis Avenue between 204th and 205th Streets. Thursday’s session runs from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Friday and Saturday are 12 p.m. to 8 p.m.
	 
Along with Ivey, a few more notable names are expected to show up to lend a hand, including two of his fellow University of Texas alums: T.J. Ford, a guard for the Indiana Pacers, and D.J. Augustin, who plays for the Charlotte Bobcats. Cleveland Cavaliers guard Ramon Sessions and Philadelphia 76ers big man Marreese Speights will also be in attendance. Legendary high-school coaches Ron Naclerio (Cardozo) and Ted Gustus (Nazareth, Bishop Loughlin) will come by to share their wealth of knowledge as well.
	 
The best part about the clinic? It won’t cost a penny. The event, which was started by Ivey and his father Rod, is Ivey’s way of giving back to the community. It will feature basketball skills demonstrations and drills from the players and coaches in attendance and this year’s study skills workshop will have a sports career component created just for the clinic by the University of Texas athletic department.
	 
The turnout has been excellent the past two years and a parent would have to be crazy not to take this opportunity. There aren’t many free clinics like this around and make no mistake, Ivey gets absolutely no financial gain from this. In fact, almost everything that it takes to run the event comes out of his own pocket.
	 
For those not familiar with Ivey, he led Cardozo to the 1999 PSAL city title and went on to star at Texas, where he was the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year in 2003. When he graduated, he was the Longhorns’ all-time leader in games started. After playing this past season with the Philadelphia 76ers and Milwaukee Bucks, Ivey signed a free agent deal with the Thunder in July.
	 
mraimondi@nypost.com

PRINT
EMAIL
SHARE
- Yahoo! Buzz
- Digg
- Reddit
- Fark It
- Newsvine
- StumbleUpon
- Twitter
- Facebook
RSS

Post Your Comments ⁄

(1) Comments

Raimondi's observations from the World Basketball Festival at Rucker Park

August 14, 2010 , ι By MARC RAIMONDI

What a day it was for St. Ray’s. Coach Oliver Antigua couldn’t help but beam.St. Raymond rising junior Daniel Dingle dominated the first half and his classmate Kerwin Okoro did similar in the second... Read on

What a day it was for St. Ray’s. Coach Oliver Antigua couldn’t help but beam.
	 
St. Raymond rising junior Daniel Dingle dominated the first half and his classmate Kerwin Okoro did similar in the second to lead The Bronx to a 58-56 win against Brooklyn in the Nike World Basketball Festival’s Battle of the Boroughs semifinals Friday at Rucker Park. Okoro had three 3-pointers after halftime, including what would end up being the game-winner with 56 seconds left.
	 
“I wanted to win,” said Antigua, who was cheering from the stands. “You’re pulling for your borough. I’m proud of those kids. Dingle hit a big 3. Kerwin made a huge 3. They both made free throws. … Those are our two key guys and for them to be out here showcasing their skills at this huge, legendary place it was great. For us to get the win, they’re a big part of it, I’m excited. It’s a good day.”
	 
St. Ray’s is going to be downright scary next year with those two. Dingle and Okoro already established themselves as beasts down low as sophomores. Now the two of them can pop out and drain 3s? Yikes.
	 
“Last year’s experience, they want more,” Antigua said of making it to the CHSAA intersectional semifinals. “They’re hungry as a group. They’re really changing their bodies, they’re putting the work in. I’m really happy. I can’t wait.”
	 
The offers and interest are starting to pour in, too. Okoro has offers from St. John’s, Rutgers and Iowa State and interest from Villanova, Pittsburgh, UConn, Marquette, Seton Hall, Providence, Kentucky, Washington, USC, Virginia and Virginia Tech. Dingle says he has interest from Tennessee, Oklahoma, Alabama, Houston and a few other SEC and Pac-10 schools.
	 
“I can’t wait until November, December comes,” Okoro said. “The whole team is ecstatic.”
	 
Here are some other observations from the day at Rucker Park:
	 
-- It was a good day for hard-nosed, undersized point guards. Robeson’s Darrel Lucky had 12 points for Brooklyn in the loss to The Bronx, former All Hallows star Rashawn Stores looked good for The Bronx and Christ the King’s Corey Edwards, playing for the NYC all-stars, looked no worse for wear coming back from his foot injury.
	 
This was my first look at the 5-foot-10 Lucky and the kid can flat-out play. He’s fast, can get to the rim and his pullup jumper is deadly.
	 
“Kids dream about playing in Rucker Park,” Lucky said. “I played on the biggest stage. The atmosphere is crazy. I got to show my talent. I loved it.”
	 
-- Jefferson would have been very, very good this year if Thaddeus Hall didn’t decide to depart for Word of God (N.C.). Put Hall, who missed a lot of time due to grades this past winter, on a team with Davontay Grace, Shamel Williams, Edson Avila and Tyquan Goodlett (who is transferring from St. Anthony’s in Jersey City) and that’s a problem. All of those guys played Friday in the Battle of the Boroughs and all had their moments.
	 
-- The highlight of the Bronx-Brooklyn game might have been famed streetball announcer Joe Pope on the mic. Rosters? He doesn’t need no stinking rosters. Everyone has a nickname with Pope. Kamari Murphy was “Lloyd Banks” because of his likeness to the rapper. Goodlett was “J.J. from Good Times.” Lucky was “Coffee Mugs for Ears.” Joey DeLaRosa, playing with dark shades, was “Ray Charles.” Dingle was “Stewie from Family Guy.”
	 
No one is safe with Pope in the building. He asked a short ref if he came to the game in a car seat and ripped on Antigua for the gel in his hair. The crowd was rolling.
	 
mraimondi@nypost.com

PRINT
EMAIL
SHARE
- Yahoo! Buzz
- Digg
- Reddit
- Fark It
- Newsvine
- StumbleUpon
- Twitter
- Facebook
RSS

Post Your Comments ⁄

(0) Comments

Pearl, Wright highlight coaches clinic at LuHi

August 12, 2010 , ι By MARC RAIMONDI

Four top men’s college basketball coaches will be part of a clinic next month just outside the city.Tennessee’s Bruce Pearl, Villanova’s Jay Wright, Fordham’s Tom Pecora and LIU’s Jim Ferry will be... Read on

PRINT
EMAIL
SHARE
- Yahoo! Buzz
- Digg
- Reddit
- Fark It
- Newsvine
- StumbleUpon
- Twitter
- Facebook
RSS

Post Your Comments ⁄

(0) Comments

Raimondi's observations from Saturday's Nike/USJN National Championship

July 25, 2010 , ι By MARC RAIMONDI

DISTRICT HEIGHTS, Md. – The girls basketball marathon is finally over.The Capital Sports Complex, home to the main games at the Nike/USJN National Championship on Saturday, is like a hoops bonanza.... Read on

DISTRICT HEIGHTS, Md. – The girls basketball marathon is finally over.
	 
The Capital Sports Complex, home to the main games at the Nike/USJN National Championship on Saturday, is like a hoops bonanza. It makes Island Garden look like St. Michael Academy. There are 10 courts on the premises with very little spacing between some of them – basketball as far as the eyes can see.
	 
It really is the perfect place for a tournament like this and no inch of hardwood went to waste, let me tell you. Here’s some thoughts from a long day of roundball:
	 
-- I intended to be in the gym as early as 9 a.m. – I really did. But for people who know me, that is a titanic task. Add in working until almost 4 a.m. and that’s a recipe for sleeping in. Luckily, with all the games and teams, I really didn’t miss anything when I got to the Capital Sports Complex at 11.
	 
-- At about 1 p.m., the future of New York City girls basketball was apparent on two courts not far from each other. On one was Bishop Ford rising sophomore Aliyah Lewis, an explosive point guard for Ring City’s 15s. A few yards away was soon-to-be Christ the King freshman Sierra Calhoun, who is every bit as good as advertised. Within a few minutes of watching her play for the first time, she drained two 3s and made a few fearless forays into the paint.
	 
But what impressed me most about CK star Omar Calhoun’s younger sister was her attitude. She was down to Earth, relaxed and confident in her words during a postgame interview. Those are incredible traits for someone so young. Her parents – both former basketball players themselves – did a fine job raising her.
	 
-- New Heights White fell in a heartbreaker to the Arizona Warriors on Saturday morning and if coach Rock Rosa’s team would have won it would have made the playoffs out of the toughest pool in the tournament. But the goal at the start of the summer was accomplished. Almost every player on the roster has college interest.
	 
Bergtraum rising senior Cori Coleman has looks from Rider, Canisius, NJIT, Loyola, Bethune-Cookman and New Haven; Bergtraum rising senior Ashley Gomez has Rhode Island, Canisius, Monmouth, Delaware, Hofstra, Manhattan and New Haven; Cardinal Spellman rising senior Tia Scott has St. Francis, Rhode Island and Marymount; and Riverdale rising senior Chelsea Baez had Niagara, George Washington, Fordham, Manhattan, Northeastern, New Haven and Salisbury.
	 
-- To me, outside of Bria Smith, South Shore’s Jasmine Odom could be the best rising senior in New York City. She showed flashes of that playing for New Heights Blue this weekend. Odom almost led the team on a valiant comeback against Gauchos 16 Black in the playoffs. South Shore coach Anwar Gladden, who was down here watching, says she has Cincinnati, Manhattan, Albany, Providence and LIU interested.
	 
For my money, if her head is on straight she’s as good as anyone in the city. So far, so good in the week or so that she’s been playing with New Heights and coach Adia Revell.
	 
“She’s been great,” Revell said. “She listens. She’s not disrespectful. … She was the extra guard that we needed to compete. The games that we lost were because we didn’t have that one extra guard who can go when necessary.”
	 
-- It was great seeing the Manhattan Center coaching staff down here with Long Island Lightning Dingle. When I walked over to see the team play in its playoff opener during a timeout, head coach Jaywana Bradley was in the middle of one of her trademark foot stomps. Things like that make me long for winter and the school season. But I can appreciate the Jaywana foot stomp in any climate or location.
	 
-- It’s so hard to eat healthy and regularly at these tournaments. My breakfast was Chick-Fil-A chicken nuggets at the Capital Sports Complex. My lunch? Chick-Fil-A chicken nuggets. Hey, those were some good nuggets.
	 
mraimondi@nypost.com

PRINT
EMAIL
SHARE
- Yahoo! Buzz
- Digg
- Reddit
- Fark It
- Newsvine
- StumbleUpon
- Twitter
- Facebook
RSS

Post Your Comments ⁄

(0) Comments

Raimondi's observations from Friday's Nike/USJN National Championship

July 24, 2010 , ι By MARC RAIMONDI

COLLEGE PARK, Md. – I complain about New York City traffic all the time. Sometimes I mutter under my breath that it couldn’t get any worse.Well, I found out Friday afternoon that people from the Big... Read on

COLLEGE PARK, Md. – I complain about New York City traffic all the time. Sometimes I mutter under my breath that it couldn’t get any worse.
	 
Well, I found out Friday afternoon that people from the Big Apple aren’t the only ones who deal with gridlock. Driving down here was tortuous. There was traffic, then open road, then a minute later more traffic. Unnerving to say the least.
	 
But when I finally arrived at my destination, the University of Maryland’s Comcast Center was a sight for sore eyes. Immediately upon arriving, I saw some familiar faces – Starr Breedlove’s mother Shanice and little sister Chyna – and I settled in for a fulfilling night of girls hoops at the Nike/USJN National Championship.
	 
Here are some observations from my first day:
	 
-- Everything seemed to be running pretty smoothly at the Comcast Center. Games were a little late, but with the sheer magnitude of the tournament, that’s hard to avoid. The one disappointing thing was the refreshments – there were none when I got there at around 6 p.m. Now, that’s dinner time, yet I was told that the stands closed at 2 p.m. So from then until after 11 p.m., there was no nourishment available to parents and coaches – oh yeah, and media – outside of vending machines. Luckily, I stumbled upon a Five Guys a few blocks from campus. That was clutch after a long day of driving and hoops.
	 
-- The first player I went to see upon arriving was South Shore’s Tatiana Wilson of the Gauchos – and it turned out she wasn’t even playing. The former Francis Lewis guard turned her ankle earlier in the day and said she should be back Saturday morning. Wilson says she has interest from UMBC, Central Connecticut and Loyola and Gauchos Elite coach Ed Fontno said she could go even higher if she applies herself.
	 
“She takes her talent for granted sometimes,” he said. “She can go to a place like Rider or a bigger school.”
	 
-- I saw three South Shore players on Friday – Wilson, Jenice Winter and Aliyah Cooley – and all of them mentioned being very excited for next season. Cooley said 2010-11 was going to be “live.” The Vikings definitely think they’re one of the teams to beat in the PSAL.
	 
-- With that being said, Murry Bergtraum might still be the team to beat. Ashley Gomez and Donisha Watson are having big summers for New Heights and Cori Coleman will be one of the best players in New York City this winter. I was extremely impressed with Gomez on Friday night. She could be one of the big breakout players of next season – kind of like Coleman was this past year.
	 
-- Kevin White’s NYC Heat team is stocked with good guards – especially St. Peter’s stars Christine Kline and Jamie O’Hare. White couldn’t help but gush about Kline on Friday night. She’s now getting interest from Lafayette, Fairfield, Loyola and Wagner.
	 
“She’s like a Steve Nash, John Stockton type,” White said. “You have to watch her play a few times. People don’t appreciate how good she is.”
	 
The coolest part of the weekend for the Heat? The play of rising eighth grader Wei-Lyn Bautista, who hit a 3-pointer and a floater against the Philly Belles Nike team. She’s one to watch.
	 
-- The other Heat teams are having some success, too. Lynda Day’s squad was undefeated going into Friday night. White has been very impressed with the play of Christ the King rising senior wing Jessica Wasserfall, Mary Louis rising senior forward Julia O’Connor, St. Francis Prep rising senior guard Stacy Kurumusis and Mary Louis rising junior post Liz Gully. The play of O’Connor and Gully, both of whom missed time due to injury this past season, is good news for the Hilltoppers, who are going to need help down low. Hughie Flaherty’s Heat team is led by St. Peter’s rising senior forward Ashley Motrechuk, who is enjoying a breakout summer.
	 
mraimondi@nypost.com

PRINT
EMAIL
SHARE
- Yahoo! Buzz
- Digg
- Reddit
- Fark It
- Newsvine
- StumbleUpon
- Twitter
- Facebook
RSS

Post Your Comments ⁄

(0) Comments

Raimondi heads down to D.C. for Nike/USJN National Championship

July 22, 2010 , ι By MARC RAIMONDI

Much like the majority of high school girls basketball players have been doing all month, I’ll be packing my bags this weekend and heading to a tournament. On Friday, I’ll make the five-hour car ride down to the Washington, D.C., area for the Nike/USJN National Championship.
	 
New York City is very well represented down in the DMV this weekend. While the consensus top player in the Big Apple, Bria Smith of Christ the King, is playing for Team USA at the U17 FIBA World Championships in France and Exodus is down in New Orleans for the Battle on the Bayou, the majority of NYC players are still in D.C.
	 
Bronx native Starr Breedlove, who recently announced her intentions of playing at DePaul Catholic (N.J.) next year since St. Michael Academy closed, is playing with the NY Gauchos Elite team with new South Shore rising senior Tatiana Wilson. Her teammate with the Vikings, Jasmine Odom, is in the tournament playing with New Heights Blue.
	 
That program’s White squad has become a force this summer, taking home a championship at Penn State earlier this month. Coach Rock Rosa’s squad has been together for a long time and with players like Cardinal Spellman’s Troi Melton and Tia Scott and Murry Bergtraum’s Cori Coleman, it could do some serious damage in D.C. also.
	 
Also in the tournament will be three teams from the New York City Heat program, which features some of the best talent on Staten Island and in Queens. The Long Island Lightning have a pair of teams and the CAS Panthers and Team BX will also be representing the Big Apple.
	 
For extensive and exclusive coverage – including features, results and recruiting information – of the Nike/USJN National Championship this weekend, make sure to stay posted to NYPost.com. And for up-to-the-minute musings,
	 follow me on Twitter.
	 
mraimondi@nypost.com

PRINT
EMAIL
SHARE
- Yahoo! Buzz
- Digg
- Reddit
- Fark It
- Newsvine
- StumbleUpon
- Twitter
- Facebook
RSS

Post Your Comments ⁄

(0) Comments

Help for Surrob, Hoops in the Sun notes

July 17, 2010 , ι By MARC RAIMONDI

Robert (Surrob) Negron gave and gave and gave to the New York City basketball community. Now, people have a chance to give back to him.Negron, the legendary hoops photographer and artist, died of a... Read on

Robert (Surrob) Negron gave and gave and gave to the New York City basketball community. Now, people have a chance to give back to him.
	 
Negron, the legendary hoops photographer and artist, died of a heart attack last month. Yet more than two weeks after the wake, his family is still struggling to give him a proper burial. His brother Willie, the coach of the Willie Howie All-Stars at Hoops in the Sun and a community fixture, has gotten some help from college programs and NBA organizations, but more is needed.
	 
Money orders and checks can be sent to William Negron at 724 East 231st Street, Bronx, NY 10466.
	 
For anyone who has ever received a photograph or a collage from Surrob – most of the time free of charge – it is now time to spare a few bucks to assist his family in this time of need.
	 
HITS heating up: Sadly, this weekend is sort of the midway point of the summer. But at Hoops in the Sun on Orchard Beach, there are some big things planned. Sunday is the Bash at the Beach, featuring three events.
	 
First up at noon is the 16-and-under all-star game matching teams from HITS and Conrad McRae in Brooklyn. From 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., McDonald’s and the New Jersey Nets are sponsoring a basketball skills clinic for kids aged 11 to 17. For more information on that, contact league CEOs Joe and Randy Cruz at hoopsinthesun@aol.com.
	 
The main event will be at 3 p.m. The Hoops in the Sun All-Stars will be challenged by the ESBL all-stars from the shore league down in Baltimore. There will also be giveaways, including a Nintendo Wii, iPod Touch, an NBA 2K10 video game and Yankees tickets for their game on July 22 against the Royals.
	 
mraimondi@nypost.com

PRINT
EMAIL
SHARE
- Yahoo! Buzz
- Digg
- Reddit
- Fark It
- Newsvine
- StumbleUpon
- Twitter
- Facebook
RSS

Post Your Comments ⁄

(0) Comments

↑ Back to Top

Viewing Page: 1 of 9

Next >

Subscribe to this Blog

About the Author

MARC RAIMONDI Marc Raimondi has been covering high-school sports in New York City for five years. He was previously a founding member of FiveBoroSports.com and worked as the associate sports editor and a staff writer at the TimesLedger Newspapers in Queens. Raimondi also had a stint writing for SNY.tv. A graduate of St. John’s University, Raimondi is a former sports editor and associate sports editor at The Torch, the school’s award-winning student newspaper. Under his guidance, the paper’s sports section won numerous collegiate newspaper honors.

Follow Marc on Twitter