The Boys of Summer
Gearing up for the new Mixtape Tour with the And 1 crew.
Ready or not, summer—and its unique style of play—is just about here, and we’re ready. SLAM Presents Streetball (with a dope cover story by Lang, who will break it out on the site shortly) is on sale next week, and most big Tourneys will be kicking off in June. Then there’s the AND1 Mixtape Tour, which has been remixed, so to speak, but is still going strong. Matt Caputo checks in with the Mixtapers during their visit this week to NYC.
For the hoops-obsessed, basketball season never ends—it only changes. Over the last eight summers, the AND1 mixtape tour has bridged the gap between the NBA playoffs and season tip-off with science-defying dunks and jaw-dropping dribbling. Because of the tour’s coverage on ESPN and past endorsements with Mountain Dew, AND1’s roster of national asphalt stars are arguably the most recognizable basketball players outside of the NBA. This summer, AND1, the company, and AND1, the team, promise more of the usual tricks, as well as trying some new ones.
“Man, I’m so excited about the tour playing outside agan,” says Kenny Brunner, or “Bad Santa,” after the AND1 team’s second practice of the year in the gym at Manhattan’s Baruch College. “I love the outside atmosphere like in Venice Beach and it’s a different environment for the fans. You know, I dive on the floor, so it’s going to be a chance to so who has the heart to take a charge and to dive outside.”
After several years of playing indoors, AND1 is bringing the tour back out into the open air. The nationwide, 10-city tour kicks off June 16 in Brooklyn’s Coney Island and will run through August 25. “We’re looking for a new look for the show,” says Grayson “The Professor” Boucher, who came to the AND1 tour as a 19-year-old college sophomore to-be. The now 22-year-old “Professor,” is the tour’s first and only white player and arguably the most popular. “Playing in those big NBA arenas, it’s hard to tell what city you’re in. Playing outside will give off a different atmosphere.”
While the 2007 tour will be considerably shorter in the U.S. this year, AND1 has doubled up on dates outside of the states. As part of the 10-episode reality T.V. show, the AND1 team will play the weekly schedule and after the broadcast fans will be able to vote online to choose for what player will continue. One baller from each local market will be selected to make up the team that meets the AND1 squad in the finale game. Each local player, based on their performance, will be vying for a contract with AND1 and a spot on the tour next year.
“I love playing outside, it’s where I play when I’m home” says Jamal “Springs” Nelson, a rookie to the tour blessed with Lebron-like leaping ability. “It’s a little easier to pull the moves indoors, but everyone here is used to playing outside.”
Like most of the players who have worn the AND1 uniform past and present, Brunner and Nelson are both renegades. A sub-six foot guard, Brunner was among the most elite prep players in the country when he came out of Compton’s Dominguez High School a decade ago. In his one year of college ball in the Big East, with Georgetown, Brunner would have been ranked seventh in the country in assists if he had played in enough games to qualify. He also led the Hoyas in scoring and steals. After jumping to a juco, Brunner joined Jerry Tarkanian and Fresno State, but legal troubles derailed what some scouts thought was potentially NBA-bound career. Brunner never even played a minute at Fresno State, at one point spending time in a Los Angeles jail on charges of assault with a deadly weapon and attempted murder. Brunner was also involved, along with Fresno State player Avondre Jones, in a bizarre incident in which a Fresno student was robbed of money and a camera with a samurai sword.
Brunner cleaned up his act, sort of. He managed to squeeze out one more season of college ball, at Southern Idaho Community College. At one point during that season, he reportedly organized a team boycott. When he wasn’t allowed to enroll at the University of Georgia, Brunner spent a hot second at a D-2 school before jumping into the pro game with the now non-existent San Diego Wildefire of the ABA in 2001. Since then he’s also played in the D-League, Italy, France, Germany and was also a part of the Denver Nuggets camp in ‘04. AND1 has allowed Brunner to re-invent himself.
“It’s a great situation here for me, having gone through all that I did in my life, to be able to learn from the mistakes I’ve made in the past and be a leader on this team is a blessing,” says Brunner. Even at 28-years-old and repackaged as the fan-friendly “Bad Santa,” he still possesses the same impressive passing skills and exceptional ball handling ability. “You’re never down and you’re never out as long as you continue to pray to God something good is going to happen. I think there is an outside chance I will be in the NBA. I think it’s my destiny, but I understand that I have to earn that.”
However, refreshing AND1 may have been for Brunner’s career, many other players are only in the early stages of what they hope to be long careers. Having helped launch the career of New York City playground legend and now legitimate NBA starting point guard in Rafer “Skip to My Lou” Alston, the current crop of AND1 players feel confident they are planted firmly on a stepping stone to the next level of basketball and beyond.
“I’m still a youngin’, but I’ve been here for five years and streetball has opened up a lot of opportunities for me,” adds Boucher, who has a small role in the upcoming basketball comedy, Semi-Pro, staring Will Ferrell and has a lead role in a smaller film about basketball that shoots when the tour ends. “I can run a team, and I’m going to still play regular basketball, but I’m going to definitely play next winter somewhere, I’m not sure what minor league, yet, but somewhere.”
Besides Boucher, other players are excited about reaping the beyond-basketball benefits of being apart of the AND1 movement. While guys like Corey “Homicide” Williams, Daryl “Magic” Dorsey and Jimmy “Snap” Hunter have all build solid pro careers off appearances along the AND1 tour, other players who have yet to achieve their pro-hoops dreams are planning for a more entrepreneurial future.
“If basketball ended next week, I would come out with my own brand, instantly,” says Atlanta native, Philip “Hot Sauce” Champion, who returns to the AND1 tour after a two-year absence. Champion appeared in two video games, a television commerical and in the film Crossover in ‘06 since his tour debut in ‘01. “The ‘Hot Sauce,’ brand would sell like hot cakes.”
Other players, however, are still hoping to earn a chance to play in the NBA. While the odds might seem stacked against the AND1 guys, they do not, however, suffer from any lack of confidence.
“I could go overseas right now and get a job,” says Springs, who has never had a real job in his life and has been making money off his dunking ability since he was 16. But like everybody else who picks up the ball, my dream is to go to the league.”
In full scope, the AND1 movement seems to be less about marketing than it is about the game. While basketball purists might mock AND1 for encouraging poor fundamentals and loose team concepts, they deserve credit for legitimizing streetball and it’s players, who were once associated with the tragic honor of having never “made it.” As NBA fans accuse the league of taking themselves too seriously, AND1’s brand of basketball breathes new life into a sport that some still consider America’s “third game.”
“We’re excited about the show and the tour. The arenas are cool and selling out the Garden is great, but you can never really capture something like that in it’s essence, like to where it belongs,” says Troy Jackson, the 6-10, 370-pound monster of a man known as “Escalade.” The brother of former NBA star, Mark Jackson, he is AND1’s emotional leader and a year-round part of the AND1 team. “So for streetball to go back to the streets is a natural progression.”
58 Responses to “The Boys of Summer”
May.18 at 3:45 pm
hoblin22 says:
first. and only a few of them couldm MABYE hang in the league
May.18 at 3:48 pm
caputo says:
A very few…. But the tour isn’t about the NBA.
May.18 at 4:06 pm
Dennard says:
My favorite part of the tour aside from the hoops is Duke Tango - “OHHHHH BAAAABBBYYY!!!!!”
May.18 at 4:31 pm
Dblizzy! says:
I 2nd that Dennard. I wonder how the tour will be now that all the big names, besides Hot Sauce and Professor, have started their own thing?
May.18 at 4:51 pm
Holiday says:
Just thought I’d put my 2 cent’s in and say Streetball is garbage and And 1 is so weak!
May.18 at 5:40 pm
Billy Blanks says:
Obviously holiday has gotten his ankles broken on more than one occasion!
May.18 at 6:20 pm
Zee says:
Or he lives in a wack town And 1 wouldn’t bother coming to.
May.18 at 6:51 pm
Dennard says:
Yeah, Holiday needs to stop hating. Fundamental B-ball is the foundation of hoops, but how can you not like dudes doing 720 dunks? Come on fam, stop hatin….
May.18 at 8:20 pm
Holiday says:
Im just playin, I just wanted to see everybody’s reaction!
May.18 at 8:25 pm
Holiday says:
Although I do gotta defend my town, we had And 1 twice, but recently we had the biggest streetball legend ever here and of course we sent him packing with some new found respect for the fundamentals! can you guess were I live?
May.18 at 10:02 pm
sneakerhead says:
I love and1 streetball…. just not feelin and1 kicks
May.19 at 12:08 am
Holiday says:
yeah there apparel hasn’t been all that good since about the time the mixtape 4 came out but wasn’t really all that good anyway! but I do got respect for those guy’s but I would take an nba player over one of them any day!
May.19 at 5:37 am
North Philly bol says:
Holiday you from Queens obviously.. The one thing I don’t get–charging money on the blacktop…obviously its a business and you need that money to survive but streetball in the park (your local hood or Rucker doesn’t matter), its free! “Man that nigga Walily dunks like Shawn Merion…Skip is their Magic, Skip is their Jason Kidd…they might not ever make it to an NBA arena but they can go right uptown to Rucker [for free].” -Alimoe
May.19 at 11:04 am
FlyinJ says:
and 1 is over…their kicks suck…i heard all their hot playas went to the new tour like air up there an ao - anyone know what its called I wanna check it out
May.20 at 5:38 pm
Russ Bengtson says:
ESCALADE. Troy Jackson is immense.
May.20 at 11:20 pm
ikep says:
nba scouts should be lookin at AO and HELICOPTER
May.20 at 11:25 pm
Kevin says:
does anyone know why hot sauce was in Syracuse, New York on saturday the 19th? i got my picture with him at the mall!
May.21 at 1:29 am
Styliztik Jones says:
Dblizzy!: It’s not like AND 1 picked a whole bunch of scrubs from the street to play on their tour. Only one who is not really know is 8th Wonder, but people have seen him already on the ESPN Streetball show. Kevin: Sauce and the AND 1 crew were in NYC that week because they had their “mini-camp”. They practiced from Monday-Wednesday. I thought they were going to have that mini camp in Aliso Viejo, CA, where their headquarters are now at, but I guess since the first tour game is in Coney Island, it would be more practical. Also, their last game of the summer is going to be at Long Beach, CA, supposedly at Queen Mary, next to the ocean liner. I really don’t see how they’re taking it back to the “hood”.
May.21 at 1:22 pm
Shiz says:
Any word on what Alimoe’s doing? dude was sick! 6′8″ with a Skip-like handle and magic-style dishes…absolutely nuts.
May.21 at 1:37 pm
Ben Osborne says:
kevin, why didn’t you ask him??
May.21 at 1:38 pm
Ben Osborne says:
MUCH more about 8th wonder in our Streetball issue…coming to a newsstand near you!
May.22 at 4:04 pm
gunit cj johnston da ginger says:
ite im jst wonderin if any y’all like the professor? cuz he’s kinda sick even dow he white. but niggas got hops dow init
May.23 at 8:00 am
bubga penis says:
y all are gay !!!
May.23 at 11:20 am
Jordan says:
the and one guys should look at a player like JORDAN HANNAH for the tour. the guy is unbeliveable
May.23 at 11:26 am
Kidd says:
Apparently you guyz aint tried out the AND 1 kicks lately cause seriously their aint no better shoe for ballin both indoor and out. I have a friend that works for AND 1 and I saw one of their future kicks catalog…those were some sweet kicks. The AND 1 tour is the only tour…out
May.23 at 2:53 pm
And1 says:
I jus wanted’ ta say what up to all the and1 fans n’ players… i myself am goin’ out this summer to philly to play in tha open run n ‘ mayb get my shot.. so ta all ya playerz… keep playin’ ~Shane a.k.a. Nytemare~
May.24 at 1:04 pm
skip says:
I loved AND1 in the arenas, i went to it once and loved it. outside will be hot but i dont like it too much. inside is where its at, but where is all the other guys?
May.25 at 1:47 am
Styliztik Jones says:
All the other guys joined a new streetball gig called “Ball4Real”. They’re going to have their own tour as well with open runs and a chance for one player to earn an endorsement contract at the end of the tour. http://ball4real.com/
May.25 at 11:09 pm
b.Tm says:
I’m looking forward to the Ball4Real tour, because most of my favorites are running it now. Plus, there are more tour dates, closer locations, and AUT AKA Mr. 720. The closest AND1′ll be is Chicago, on August 4th, and B4R will be in Cincinnati that day, so B4R is closer, and cheaper. Hmm… I think I’ll go for B4R. AND1 looks like it’s starting to get too commercial for me.
May.26 at 2:50 pm
WhiteWater says:
ight bad santa is sweet but the professor is on lock so get off my jock
May.27 at 4:26 pm
ben says:
You know what would be sweet? If they had the ball4real squad play the and1 squad. And they actually showed the game live. That would be tight.
May.28 at 4:10 pm
stay fly says:
man wat the hell is goin down with and1? they aint hittin up phoenix this year? theres two cats out here rite now that can put more than halve dem niggas on they backs with crossovers, that did not go on they lil show.
May.28 at 9:53 pm
Caputo says:
Yeah. Sounds like the World Championships of Streetball to me!…..Ben: I’m sorry about Lloyd Daniels.
May.28 at 9:54 pm
Caputo says:
BTW: This is something I will address.
May.29 at 3:07 am
ken carino says:
Big ups to And1 and the whole streetball deal!
May.29 at 10:05 am
White Chocolate says:
OHHHHH BABBBY!
May.29 at 7:19 pm
ChainLink Baller says:
ball4real showin mad love givin up 100 LARGE to the best baller of the tour. it says it on they site. plus they havin carshow in every city. circus and special fx are on the squad now. ohh baby to that!
May.30 at 3:26 pm
sean says:
And 1 is more entertaining than 95 percent of the NBA game.
May.30 at 9:44 pm
lone jazz says:
hey seany boy, what about the other 5 percent?
Jun.1 at 10:48 am
T Buckets says:
Man wake up this is not real Ball. This is wack. That’s why basketball skills are on the decline in the US because your youngstas are more concerned with 720 dunks and crossovers than the fundamentals of the game like shooting. None of these dudes could make an impact in the league. If they could they would be playing. And I’m a former NBA player from Washington DC and a former NCAA all American. So don’t question my game or comments cuz I can back them up.
Jun.1 at 2:48 pm
caputo says:
T Buckets: Are you trying to say that guys in the park had wetter jumpshots before AND1 came around?
Jun.1 at 6:25 pm
ballin boi says:
I used to live in brooklyn but a while ago my family moved to southern Cali and and1 never came around here but now ball 4 life is coming and im glad
Jun.2 at 3:16 pm
dustin says:
u think about it only a few nba playas can hang wit these guys thu also….think about that
Jun.6 at 4:12 am
michael says:
what happened with all the and1 players, i guess they got too big and split? or not enuff $$$ for everyone? well it sux that it had to happen but why did and1 cut their shows to only big cities?? seems like its goin downhill for and1.
Jun.13 at 5:29 am
1 thru 5 says:
Man alot of them dudes got real games. Bad santa, baby shack, AO, main event, alimoe, and assasin. Could all play in da league and if spyda and professor were taller they could play there as well. These dudes got real talent I played against almost all of them. Almost all them have played in minor leagues. I respect them for creating another outlet for dudes that don’t make the NBA. So Tbuckets you can talk all your junk but you don’t wanna see them dudes and if you do play them I bet they will give you more than competition.
Jun.14 at 6:40 am
T Buckets says:
1 thru 5. If these dudes could play as well as you say they can they would be in the league. I’ve played against Baby Shak in various Leagues and pick up games in DC and his problem is he can’t check a dead dog. Plays no D, none, zilch, nada. You youngsters think that scoring and dunking is the answer to get in the league. Bad Santa, please. You must don’t remember him at G’town. Can’t shoot to save his life. Now Alimoe is the real deal. Professor, please this dude played D3 ball. More competition than who? (I won’t even address that one). You’re right I don’t want to see these dudes. I’m in my thirties and don’t hoop at all anymore. Paid my dudes earned my money and now I’m chillin. No of these dudes will be in the league, trust me.
Jun.21 at 6:20 pm
yomomma265 says:
helicopter scored 65 in an aba game.
Jun.22 at 5:24 pm
kamikaze says:
And 1 and Ball4real for life
Jul.1 at 10:19 am
bigmike407 says:
This is fun to watch but I don’t think any of these AND 1 cats can make the league. Outside of Alimoe, no chance. They’re entertainers, and that’s it. If you’re looking for skills, wait for October for NBA training camp.
Jul.10 at 12:02 pm
Yung Balla says:
y’all is trippin And1 is da best in dont got many fans like the NBA bt it sure as hell is more entertainin
Jul.10 at 4:41 pm
MR. AKA says:
wuz up with the split there’s the ball4real squad and there and 1 team wuz up with that
Jul.11 at 6:56 pm
Deon Carson says:
THese guys are little GGI is a 6-5 PF and spida and Fess are midgets how could they play in the L
Jul.15 at 11:15 pm
Bucknasty says:
the only one of them dudes that culd mabye play in the leauge is ao because hes one of the best passers alive
Jul.26 at 11:54 am
Hush says:
hmmmmmm…….when it comes down to it everybody gettin money, and life bout the come up, so respect a hustle, and enjoy what u enjoy, streetball and NBA both entertaining and if the NBA only 5% entertaining ur not a real hooper!
Aug.19 at 9:08 pm
TW11 says:
tour sux without mr.720, special fx and a.o. all they got is my boy springs who is the best streetball player not in the league
Sep.14 at 11:11 pm
red ninja says:
dude these and 1 players are probably the most athletic players ever but only a couple could make it to the league and who knows how long they’d been around in the league.
Oct.4 at 6:49 pm
heather doughty says:
AND1 is off the chain!!!!
Oct.4 at 6:52 pm
heather doughty says:
Man I doubt the Harlem Globetrotters could take you on