September 13, 2006 @ 11:32 am

Ron Artest and Dr. J Tell "The Real" Story of Rucker Park

by: Bomani Jones

Image Entertainment and Platinum Sight and Sound have come together to make The Real, a DVD that chronicles the park’s journey from its unpolished beginnings to its recent commercial explosion. The DVD includes interviews with NBA stars Ron Artest, Julius “Dr. J” Erving, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Kenny Smith. It also features streetball legends Joe Hammond and Hawthorne Wingo. The most exciting feature of The Real will be footage and photos from Rucker’s past. More than 200 photos from the ‘70s and ‘80s were used to make the film, as was footage of Dr. J’s first tournament there and from the Rucker Pro Tournament from the 1980’s. right Rucker Park is a cultural landmark, best known for flamboyant basketball playing in its infamous tournament, the Rucker Pro Tournament. Located at 155th Street and Frederick Douglass Avenue, the park is the most famous American enclave for playground ball. More than five decades ago, park employee Holcombe Rucker started a basketball program to give children an alternative to street life. Since then, legends like Jabbar (born Lew Alcindor) and Earl “The Goat” Manigault made their bones at Rucker’s historic courts. “The Real” is directed by Bob McCullough, Jr., whose father, Bob Sr., is a co-founder of the Rucker Pro Tournament. McCullough, Jr. also kept statistics at the Rucker for ten years. The Real is in stores now. Have a news tip? Email us.

Comments

Ms. inci says:

Member Name

A few years ago I stumbled upon a wonderful book about Rucker Park @ a NYC Public Library book sale. The photographs were so fabulous that I taped them to our modest walls, with hopes of transference of determination and strength from those players eyes to our....Any hoo, in the shuffle of life i've lost the book and the pics. Any info as to how/where I can find it again would be so very much appreciated.

Peace

December 31, 2006 at 10:02 am