Streetball comes to Indy

Conseco Field House in Indianapolis throbbed with bass and hip-hop showmanship. Dizzying combinations of white spotlights and erratically swerving blue and amber lights punctuated a pair of rap artists on the basketball court exhorting the crowd to "bounce -- everybody bounce, bounce." The act was prelude to a game between the AND 1 company's traveling team of streetballers plus the "home" team, which consists of more AND 1 players as well as three young men from Indianapolis. The "home" team qualified to be a part of the spectacle by beating out 97 other players in an open run tournament in the parking lot of the Field House earlier in the day. \nThe play was an extravagantly flashy modification of Harlem Globetrotters style tricks and entertainment, stripped of the comedic camp and infused with an over-the-top playground style. Players are christened with colorful superhero-esque names like Flash, Headache and Chisel for their streetball alter-egos. \nBright and sunny, last Sunday afternoon was perfect for accommodating the eager throng of hopeful players. The crowd might have expected a combination of the grim determination of sports tryouts coupled with the manly chest thumping that accompanies any large group of adolescent and post pubescent males. While dominated by young men, the affair had the pleasant family friendly atmosphere reminiscent of a traveling carnival. An articulate, orthodontically pristine carnival at that. \nThe fenced-off court, bordered three and four deep by spectators, sat in the shadow of Conseco, cornered by a brick building and a multi-level parking garage. Fans lined every level of the structure and leaned over the edges to watch the short games. At one end of the court was a stage on which a DJ spun records and microphone wielding judges -- members of the AND 1 touring basketball team -- maintained running commentary on the unfolding games. Quick-witted and even quicker tongued, these men entertained the assembled crowd with one-liners directed at players.\n"Sasquatch get bucket," to an inordinately large and hairy man.\n"When he takes his shirt off I see a lot of babies crying because they think it's feeding time," after a particularly stout, loose skinned player sank a jumper.\nA streetball player who identified himself only as Five, aka the Wizard played with prodigal flair, more worthy of street theater than basketball. He dribbled effortlessly between his own legs and his defenders' legs; off unwitting opponents' heads; into his oversized white t-shirt where he hula rotated the ball around his body. He dove to the ground for a series of break-dance inspired spins -- all while keeping his dribble. Five bounced the ball, mid game, and dropped to the ground for a series of pushups while blindly catching the ball on the nape of his neck. For the judges, the glorious excess of this display didn't obscure the fact that Five accomplished virtually nothing in terms of the game he was performing in, and he wasn't awarded the coveted bracelet that signified advancement to the next round. \n"I'm out there doing my thing, and they give the bracelet to some guy who just made layups. And I make up my own moves, I don't steal moves from nobody. But that's all right; I understand. I promise you'll see me again," Five said.\nHe was right, in later rounds he somehow appeared on the court despite lacking a bracelet.\nFive arrived in Indianapolis via a Greyhound bus from Detroit, where he advanced to play for a night with the AND 1 traveling team during a previous stop on the tour. Building elusive street cred and increasing streetball exposure were motivators for the trip. He wore impossibly long scarlet shorts and his short-cropped brown hair was perfectly gelled. Tattoos graced his neck and arms and he identified himself solely as a streetball player with no desire to play collegially or professionally. \n"I played high school, but my coach hated on me because I'm too flashy," he said.\nFive, age 20, averages four hours a day honing his flashy routine.\nNear the court was a tent marked "Nintendo" with graffiti inspired stylized letters. A man with huge arms wearing a retro Denver Nuggets, rainbow Lego-land Alex English jersey had a sleeping child in a baby carrying hammock over his shoulder, two other children were standing at his side, and he was admiring a fully customized 1966 Chevy Impala. The low-rider is part of a give-away promotion. In addition to metallic orange paint and chrome wheels, it has a huge plasma screen television that pops out of the trunk. Another father and son were sitting on a couch at the rear of the car playing video games on this television. Four other video game set-ups stood at the back of the tent and, while they were generally occupied, attention was clearly focused on the court.\n"It's your gym teacher with the ball, it's like fourth period again," quipped the master of ceremonies, drawing attention back to the game. \nNot only was the "gym teacher" the oldest player on the court, he was grouped with several unusually young players. Kids as young as 11 and 12 mimicked the moves of their favorite streetballers. One of these young players was Quentin Jones. \nIntelligent-eyed and unselfconsciously polite, Jones wore his hair braided in thick cornrows and sports a black tank top and shorts. He knocked down a mid-range jump shot against the older opposition, shooting from his hip as is the wont of 12-year-old ballplayers everywhere, as well as making a couple nifty ball-handling moves. He beamed with these successes.\nJones will try out for his junior high team in the fall and plays on an AAU team. \nWhen asked about future college or professional plans he replied with refreshing honesty and innocence, "I guess I'll try college or the NBA, but really I just love playing basketball."\nAnd like any 12 year old, Jones was thrilled at the opportunity to see some of his basketball heroes. \n"I just wanted to see some of the streetballers -- Hot Sauce, Syk Wit It," Jones said as his proud father stood by.\nAt the end of the day, Jones got to see the playground legends as well as 17-year-old James Thompkins of Indianapolis.\nA recent graduate of Indianapolis's Ben Davis High School, Thompkins won one of the three fiercely contested spots on the "home" team and got to play on the Indiana Pacers' court.\nHis style combined court savvy and knowledge of the game acquired in organized basketball with a fierce street inspired dunking style. After several colossal throw-downs on hapless opponents the judges stopped the game to remove the victimized defender from further contention, and relentlessly aggressive play. Thompkins was a crowd and judge favorite. \nThompkins will play for Black Hawk College in Moline Ill. on a scholarship in the fall, and he sees several differences between organized basketball and streetball.\n"This stuff out here is (about) who sees you. You really have to represent yourself," Thompkins said.\nRepresent himself both with streetball panache and unpretentious class Thompkins did, and after the extended hip-hop pre-game show's lights, bass and energy, he is on the court for player introductions in his hometown NBA arena.\nThompkins is realistic about NBA basketball, however.\n"I'd like to get my education paid for, and good Lord willing, if He allows me to make some money, keep playing"