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Rucker ParkFrom The Peopling of New York City: HarlemBALLIN'What do NBA All-Star Kobe Bryant and Former President Bill Clinton have in common? Well besides being part of some type of a sex scandal, both of these individuals have also been involved with Rucker Park at one point or another. Rucker Park, however, wasn’t built by the rich and famous; it was built from the sweat of athletes who, for whatever reason, never made it to the professional level.
 Rucker Park, located in Harlem - 155th Street and Frederick Douglass Boulevard - is considered by many as the Mecca of Basketball. It is home to many streetballers whose names are never the headlines of the Sports section, but are nonetheless infamous within the Harlem community and to those they entertain. Named after Holcombe Rucker, it served Harlem and its people in more ways than just entertainment. Holcombe Rucker had dedicated his entire life to Harlem and to better his community. Holcombe attended City College of New York while working full time as a playground director for numerous parks in Harlem. He graduated in three years with a degree in Education. He would then go on to start his own basketball tournament that would take place in a P.S. 156 Playground.[1] The Rucker League, whose motto was “each one, teach one,” aimed to stress the importance of both education and recreation. Rucker himself would teach the athletes the fundamentals of the game. He would also educate them, which included grading their homework. He let success on report cards dictate who would get to play. Throughout his tournaments, he also helped his athletes get hundreds of athletic college scholarships. Holcombe Rucker died of cancer at the age of 38, and in 1974, the New York City Council changed the name of the P.S. 156 playground to Holcombe Rucker Playground, simply known to the world as “Rucker.” [2]
LEGENDSA Dream Team of current famous faces and local faces that regularly play on the courts of Rucker Park.
HALL OF FAMEPAST LEGENDS WHO PLAYED STREET BALL AT RUCKER PARK:
 - Born as Julius Winfield Erving II - Helped launch a modern style of play emphasizing leaping and play above the rim - Won 3 championships, 4 Most Valuable Player Awards, and 3 scoring titles while playing with the ABA's Virginia Squires and New York Nets and the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers - Fifth-highest scorer in professional basketball history, with 30,026 points (NBA and ABA combined)
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar  - Spent 20 years in the NBA (from 1969 to 1989) - Scored 38,387 points—highest total of any player in league history - Won a record six Most Valuable Player Awards - Known for his "skyhook" shot—difficult to block because of his 7'2" body between the basket and the ball
 - Also known as: Wilt the Stilt, The Big Dipper, and Chairman of the Boards - American professional NBA basketball player for the Philadelphia/San Francisco Warriors, the Philadelphia 76ers, Los Angeles Lakers, and Harlem Globetrotters - Only player in NBA history to average more than 40 and 50 points in a season or score 100 points in a single NBA game
Editors: Sushanta, Andrew and Audrey
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