The mecca of basketball

[Notorious23]

When he said there is a lot of talented players, he didn't exactly mean New York creates NBA players. Its just that basketball is a such a big sport for the average person. Everybody plays it there and everybody plays it hard. Most of the talent in the NBA comes from all over the place. However, if you took every ball player in NY, and when I say ball player I mean people who play hard, you would have a lot more players from NY compared to anyone else. Every kids dream in NY is to play in the NBA. Thats why is the basketball mecca. The spirit of basketball lives there.

This explains it best for me. Thanks for a well thought out post.

[celticfan42487]

NY is just a big city. So it has to be some big city, might as well be NY

I'm still pretty sure most people out of America would consider NY the unofficial capital of USA

[NapoleonII]

It's a NY thing, you don't get it.

[MrSparkle]

Chicago is the mecca.

Jordan Bulls.

Rose!

Kendall Gill...

Finley..
Q Rich... uh...

Antoine...


Curry...

.....

Uh. Just kidding.

In terms of popularity, I think you'll find more basketball-happy people in NY than anywhere else on the planet. But LA, Houston, Chicago (southside) are comparable.

[amb1ent]

anyone watch entourage?

on knicks gamedays i envision mgs to be full of turtles. am i wrong?

[NetsForce]

New York isn't the Mecca of basketball, New Yorkers just want you to think that. It's a hood hype thing.

[Zerostatic]

Alot of you guys are failing to talk about MSG's history with college basketball. As for New York City itself, it has a rich history of underground hoops and streetball, (i.e. Rucker Park).

[Notorious23]

Alot of you guys are failing to talk about MSG's history with college basketball. As for New York City itself, it has a rich history of underground hoops and streetball, (i.e. Rucker Park).

I understand the college thing... but if streetball dudes are so good, why do NBA teams not just camp scouts in NYC. Why are they going to Europe, Africa, China, Iran, and Russia for players? If streetball dudes are so good, shouldn't the NBA be filled with them? There is 1 I know of and that's Telfair. He's a role player at best.

[Jerryd Bayless]

Everyone here loves basketball. You won't go one day without hearing 'Knicks' here.

[hsb]

It's a NY thing, you don't get it.

Basically, I have family in NY and I can conclude, opinion wise, New Yorkers just think NY is more important than it really is. No disrespect though.

Everyone here loves basketball. You won't go one day without hearing 'Knicks' here.

Lol, so? You can say that about almost any city with a franchise.

It is basically a cliché pushed by NY beat writers that then became reality. C'mon, lets call a spade a spade, New York is a baseball town before it will ever be a basketball town. Their history is nowhere near anything special, outside of the first NBA game being New York @ Toronto of coarse.

[meatball sub]

KENNY ANDERSON

[GIVE_WADE_THE_MAX]

I understand the college thing... but if streetball dudes are so good, why do NBA teams not just camp scouts in NYC. Why are they going to Europe, Africa, China, Iran, and Russia for players? If streetball dudes are so good, shouldn't the NBA be filled with them? There is 1 I know of and that's Telfair. He's a role player at best.

Streetball is just the left overs of who never made it pro. All the NBA talented players were recruited by a young age and actually learned to play in a system. Many NYC players that never made it are streetballers. They continue to play for the passion of the game.

NYC is considered the mecca of basketball bc its historically been very passionate about the sport. It's not only limited to just Manhattan but in any borough you can go and find a good pick up game. There may not be many current superstars that come from YC but historically its been a hotbed for NBA and college talent. Chicago or LA may come a close second but the enthusiasm for basketball in NYC even when the local teams suck is unmatched by any city. Its in our blood. NYC may have the msot courts per city block of any major city in the world.

[UrbanLegendMD]

Most of the talented kids in basketball are from NYC.

Examples?

Michael Jordan (left as a tot), Dr. J, Kareem, Lenny Wilkins, George Thompson, Jamal Mashburn, Marbury, Bernard King, Tiny Archibald, Carmelo Anthony, Artest...

Carmelo is from Bmore. He was just born in NY. He always says he's from Bmore.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvGDh9dd14o

I am not saying it's a mecca, but Maryland as a state has been doing a good job producing great players as of late, particularly Baltimore area.

[TMU]

New York is the biggest basketball city in the world. And like Rasho said, MSG is the biggest stage in professional basketball.

[NoDopeOnSundays]

Even though it's not NYC, you cant forget Mount Vernon when talking about Basketball in NY.

List of D1 players from Mount Vernon high school

Kevin Jones - West Virginia
Michael Coburn - Rutgers
Jonathan Mitchell - Transferred from Florida to Rutgers
Chris Lowe - Umass


Then there's Ben Gordon of the Bulls, and the fact next to Oak Hill, over it's history Mount Vernon HS has sent more players to the NBA than any other school in the country.

[Zerostatic]

but if streetball dudes are so good, why do NBA teams not just camp scouts in NYC. Why are they going to Europe, Africa, China, Iran, and Russia for players? If streetball dudes are so good, shouldn't the NBA be filled with them? There is 1 I know of and that's Telfair. He's a role player at best.

What is your point? The skill and talent of NYC streetball players has nothing to do with the popularity and relevance of the NYC streetball scene which is what I was referring to.

[Zerostatic]

Their history is nowhere near anything special, outside of the first NBA game being New York @ Toronto of coarse.

You have no idea what you're talking about. I think I must've seen Madison Square Garden and/or New York City mentioned at least 100 times at the basketball hall of fame.