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Asphalt Gods: An Oral History of the Rucker Tournament
The real basketball deal–the inside story of Harlem’s legendary tournament and the pros and playground legends who have made it world famous.
Earl “The Goat” Manigault. Herman “Helicopter” Knowings. Joe “The Destroyer” Hammond. Richard “Pee Wee” Kirkland. These and dozens of other colorfully nicknamed men are the “Asphalt Gods,” whose astounding exploits in the Rucker Tournament, often against multimillionaire NBA superstars, have made them playground divinity. First established in the 1950s by Holcombe Rucker, a New York City Parks Department employee, the tournament has grown to become a Harlem institution, an annual summer event of major proportions. On that fabled patch of concrete, unknown players have been lighting it up for decades as they express basketball as a freestyle art among their peers and against such pro immortals as Julius Erving and Wilt Chamberlain. X’s and O’s are exchanged for oohs and aahs in one of the great examples of street theater to be found in urban America.
Asphalt Gods is a streetwise, supremely entertaining oral history of a tournament that has influenced everything from NBA playing style to hip-hop culture. Now, legends transmitted by word of mouth find a home and the achievements of basketball’s greatest unknowns a permanent place in the game’s record.
Earl “The Goat” Manigault. Herman “Helicopter” Knowings. Joe “The Destroyer” Hammond. Richard “Pee Wee” Kirkland. These and dozens of other colorfully nicknamed men are the “Asphalt Gods,” whose astounding exploits in the Rucker Tournament, often against multimillionaire NBA superstars, have made them playground divinity. First established in the 1950s by Holcombe Rucker, a New York City Parks Department employee, the tournament has grown to become a Harlem institution, an annual summer event of major proportions. On that fabled patch of concrete, unknown players have been lighting it up for decades as they express basketball as a freestyle art among their peers and against such pro immortals as Julius Erving and Wilt Chamberlain. X’s and O’s are exchanged for oohs and aahs in one of the great examples of street theater to be found in urban America.
Asphalt Gods is a streetwise, supremely entertaining oral history of a tournament that has influenced everything from NBA playing style to hip-hop culture. Now, legends transmitted by word of mouth find a home and the achievements of basketball’s greatest unknowns a permanent place in the game’s record.
- GenresBasketball
272 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2003
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58 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
March 2, 2017
The book asphalt gods is a great read that all basketball fanatics will love. It tells the history behind the Rucker Park Tournament and the man, Holcomb Rucker, who started it all. The park is famous for hosting streetball legends and NBA superstars such as Dr. J and Kevin Durant. It has also hosted top college and high school players. The park is known to all true basketball lovers and the man behind it all created the tournament for the kids.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 26, 2020
An Excellent First-Hand Account Of A Magical Time In Playground Basketball History — NYC Style!
Having spent a good part of my pre-teen and teen years and early 20s in various playgrounds in Queens, NY as a basketball legend — at least in my own mind, I thoroughly enjoyed reading Asphalt Gods by Vincent Mallozzi.
In this book, Mallozzi brings to life again in a very nostalgic and memorable way the inside story of Harlem’s legendary Holcombe Rucker, the playground named after him, and the tournament he created In the 1950s that, over the years, became world famous. In Asphalt Gods, Mallozzi will make you feel that you are right there on the court playing alongside dozens of colorfully nicknamed young men from Harlem and surrounding NYC neighborhoods whose exploits in the Rucker Tournaments, often against multimillionaire NBA superstars, have made them playground divinity/“Asphalt Gods”. A few of the “Gods” you’ll meet (or be re-introduced to) are Herman “Helicopter” Knowings, Earl “The Goat” Manigault, Joe, “The Destroyer” Hammond and Richard “Pee Wee” Kirkland; and you’ll get to “see“ how they express their freestyle of “basketball art” against such pro immortals as Wilt Chamberlain, Julius Irving, Walt Frazier, Earl “The Pearl” Monroe, CaL Ramsey, Satch Sanders, Allen Iverson, Stephon Marbury, to name a few.
If you, too, are a playground basketball legend in your own mind and/or just a lover of the game, Asphalt Gods is a book I highly recommend to you.
Having spent a good part of my pre-teen and teen years and early 20s in various playgrounds in Queens, NY as a basketball legend — at least in my own mind, I thoroughly enjoyed reading Asphalt Gods by Vincent Mallozzi.
In this book, Mallozzi brings to life again in a very nostalgic and memorable way the inside story of Harlem’s legendary Holcombe Rucker, the playground named after him, and the tournament he created In the 1950s that, over the years, became world famous. In Asphalt Gods, Mallozzi will make you feel that you are right there on the court playing alongside dozens of colorfully nicknamed young men from Harlem and surrounding NYC neighborhoods whose exploits in the Rucker Tournaments, often against multimillionaire NBA superstars, have made them playground divinity/“Asphalt Gods”. A few of the “Gods” you’ll meet (or be re-introduced to) are Herman “Helicopter” Knowings, Earl “The Goat” Manigault, Joe, “The Destroyer” Hammond and Richard “Pee Wee” Kirkland; and you’ll get to “see“ how they express their freestyle of “basketball art” against such pro immortals as Wilt Chamberlain, Julius Irving, Walt Frazier, Earl “The Pearl” Monroe, CaL Ramsey, Satch Sanders, Allen Iverson, Stephon Marbury, to name a few.
If you, too, are a playground basketball legend in your own mind and/or just a lover of the game, Asphalt Gods is a book I highly recommend to you.
July 4, 2024
A spectacular oral account of the rich history of Rucker park and all the ballers, crowds, coaches, and lore that make that place so special. Basketball is truly universal in its ability to bring us together regardless of status, color, shape or size. Blessed to have found this at my local bookstore.
October 31, 2020
Heaven in Harlem
If you ever played schoolyard basketball and loved it in your youth , this is the Bible of NYC street ball
If you ever played schoolyard basketball and loved it in your youth , this is the Bible of NYC street ball
August 4, 2023
Some pure stuff about basketball itself and the real game back in the days. Well-recommended!
August 18, 2021
Libro perfetto per sognare il playground più famoso al mondo e le leggende che l’hanno solcato. Leggerete di campioni che spesso non hanno saputo ripetere le magie compiute al campetto sui parquet delle leghe professionistiche, ma proprio le alterne fortune di questi protagonisti rappresentano il materiale letterario più interessante di questo libro. Consigliata la lettura in queste torride giornate, così simili a quelle di Harlem evocate in questa opera.
June 26, 2021
Libro sicuramente interessante per le molte storie raccontate, su un basket di strada che in tanti casi non ha portato la celebrità dell'NBA a molti dei suoi protagonisti. Forse il libro può risultare un po' ostico per un pubblico non americano, magari con scarse conoscenze dell'ecosistema sportivo statunitense.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews