Who remembers the Y2K craze? The world was supposed to end, or at the least, society was supposed to collapse. We got a terrible Will Smith album (Or if you were a misguided soul like me, you probably liked it.). We were all planning to end up like John Cusack in 2012, flying planes through buildings and angling for tickets to some special ship. But the best thing to ever came out of the year 2000 was the Sportscenter commercial. Who remembers it? Mark McGwire smashing computers. Charley Steiner, with a tie around his forehead, yelling, “FOLLOW ME! FOLLOW ME TO FREEDOM!” Read More »

I came to John Strickland’s wake in a black hoodie and shorts, like I was going to play a game, fresh from a workout — just the way John would have wanted. He had an NBA ball right next to him as he laid peacefully at Benta’s Funeral home in Harlem, while the NYC streetball community congregated outside to recall the life of one of the playground’s finest post players.

Strick, a.k.a. “The Franchise,” who passed away last week at 38 years old, would show up to most of his games in a sweaty t-shirt, shorts and drawstring bag with his sneakers in it, looking real kid-like. Read More »