Ever wonder what it’d be like to be an NBA player? Besides all the time you spend practicing, playing and traveling, you’ve always gotta stop through and show love to the fans. First we had Dwyane Wade and Chris Paul, then Russell Westbrook, and now the NBA’s leading scorer is making his way to Harlem. So after a long day of catching all the action at Rucker Park, stop through House of Hoops tonight for a Q&A with Kevin Durant. You won’t want to miss it. Read More »
If you’ve been around New York City for the past month, you’ve probably seen a huge bus driving around with a giant Kevin Durant picture on it. Well, that’s the Nike Mobile Unit. Built especially for the World Basketball Festival, these guys are everywhere! And why not? Offering exclusive product and customization, once you step onboard, you next destination is fresh. Check out what they’ve got inside. Read More »
You’ve seen the gear designed specifically for the World Basketball Festival, but have you copped it yet? The colors. The countries. The players. The shoes. The jerseys. The gear. Maybe you’ve seen the pictures dotting the viral landscape. Maybe you planned your whole summer around the NYC leg of Team USA’s quest for World Championship gold. Whether you’re a basketball enthusiast going through summertime withdrawal symptoms or a sneakerhead who’s just got to have the next hottest thing, BLVD 134 is the place to be. It popped up in July, and it’s holding it down for Nike, Jordan Brand and Converse along with some limited edition customization. If you’re going to hit up The Ball Room, walk down the block and check out BLVD 134. Read More »
After Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul and Michael Jordan showed up at Rucker Park for the morning session of yesterday’s World Basketball Festival, there was only one way Nike could potentially one-up themselves: Bringing Kobe Bryant up to 155th & Frederick Douglass for this morning’s session.
While a group of local kids were running through their paces at the Chainlink Fundamentals clinic, Kobe suddenly appeared in front of them — causing about half of them to freeze in their defensive slide drills while jaws hit the floor. Read More »
The Ball Room is a celebration of the past, present and future of the game of basketball through the lens of the Tri-Brand experience. Nike, Jordan Brand and Converse come together for the very first time at the World Basketball Festival to celebrate 100 years of basketball innovation through one-of-a-kind memorabilia, unique product and interactive digital experiences which are placed in exhibits and displays throughout the 1250 square foot space. So in-between all the action here at Rucker Park, make sure you stop through and check it out. Read More »
Perhaps you’ve heard about this thing we’ve got going on called the World Basketball Festival. No big deal, just a blockbuster four-day weekend dedicated to the greatest sport in the world, taking over the greatest city in the world, and attending by the greatest athletes and entertainers in the world. After Day 1 saw a Team USA scrimmage and Jay-Z performance at Radio City Music Hall, Day 2 was spent almost exclusively at historic Rucker Park in Harlem for a star-studded schedule … Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade and Chris Paul got it started at the Jordan Breakfast Club clinic. Read More »
It’s been a great day so far up here at Rucker Park. And because of this wonderful invention by the name of Wi-Fi, we’ve been able to keep y’all in the loop throughout all the action. So besides Austin getting up with Leandro Barbosa for a Q&A, there were tons of NBA guys on the court. Puerto Rico had Carlos Arroyo, Jose Juan Barea and Renaldo Balkman, while Brazil had Barbosa, Anderson Varejao as well as Nene and Tiago Splitter on the bench who sat this one out. Check out some of the pictures after the jump. Read More »
I had Leandro Barbosa pegged for a monster season in 2009-10. Coming off a down year where he endured the death of his mother and nagging injuries, Barbosa used the summer to lead the Brazilian national team to a FIBA Americas gold medal (and an automatic spot in the 2012 Olympics), and with his health in order, seemed ready to blow up like he did when he won NBA Sixth Man of the Year three years ago.
Didn’t quite happen that way. While his Phoenix Suns surprised everyone by making a run to the Western Conference Finals, Barbosa averaged only 9.5 points in 17 minutes per game and shot just 42 percent from the floor. Earlier this summer, he was traded to the Toronto Raptors in a deal for Hedo Turkoglu. Read More »
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