The bleachers of Monticello High School's gym were packed this past Saturday to the point that some onlookers were forced onto the outskirts of the basketball court. But despite the overcrowded conditions, no one was ready to leave.
After all, it's not every day that "AND1," a popular traveling street basketball team that plays games nationwide, visits the school's courts.
Saturday's basketball game featured the AND1 players against a Charlottesville team. The AND1 players, though simply dressed in all white with no team logo, were far from plain in their playing style. Executing tricky dribbling combinations and flashy ally-oops, the players were quick to show the avid audience their slick moves. They played to booming hip hop music, complementing their game with sudden inspired dance moves like the "Harlem Shake" and plenty of laughter and jokes.
First-year College student Keith Combs, an AND1 fan, identifies the AND1 team players as "the legends of street ball." The team's talent on the courts is common knowledge for many serious ball players.
"AND1 pretty much started off from the streets of Harlem. The best street basketball players came together as a league and put on a show," Combs said. "They hold their own on the streets, in the courts."
Although widely recognized for their streetball skills, the AND1 players are by no means alone in the courts of street basketball. The University's own courts are populated by large numbers of ball players, many of whom are talented long-time players.
Fellow ballers
Combs is quick to distinguish between the different levels of basketball players.
"There's a difference between people who are avid basketball players versus people who just go every once in a while to screw around," he said. "I guess I'm kind of in between. I like playing aggressive games, with competition."
Combs said that he has found, somewhat to his surprise, a good number of avid players on Grounds who share his love for the game.
"Basketball is actually pretty good here," Combs said. "There are a lot more people here who play basketball and are good at it than I thought there would be."
Third-year College student Damion McLaren also said he recognizes talent on the University's courts, where he has made many friends.
"I met a lot of people through basketball. People who play frequently exchange numbers after a while. And then you can call them, and you all go play together," he said. "That's why at certain times there's a whole lot of good kids on the courts."
McLaren said he is used to gathering as many as 20 people together for a spur-of-the-moment game. And often the group formed is not limited to current students of the University.
"I know kids who graduated last year and play here on the weekends," McLaren said. "They are still part of the culture here."
"Shirts and skins"
Within University basketball culture there are distinctions between street and organized basketball games. As McLaren puts it, pick-up games here are "always shirts and skins," in order to distinguish between the two informal teams playing. He recites other recognized and unspoken rules of pick-up basketball with ease: First team to 11 wins, every shot is worth one and some playing times at Slaughter are better than others.
First-year College student Ritu Narula says she enjoys the laid-back atmosphere of pick-up games better than the structure of organized leagues.
"Pick-up is about enjoying yourself," Narula said. "Sure, winning is part of enjoying yourself, but you're playing because you love the game."
While Combs enjoys his regular pick-up games at Slaughter, he says he is partial to organized games.
"I actually like playing organized better because you have a crowd," Combs said. "Something about people watching you play, the game actually means something then. You're playing to do something--you're playing to win."
Days (and nights) on the court
McLaren had difficulty recalling when he first started playing basketball. After a second of thought, he estimated he started playing when he was around four years of age, roughly 16 years of playing.
Joining his first recreation league at a Boys and Girls Club at the age of six, McLaren continued playing into four years of varsity high school basketball. Even while playing on a team, though, he found time for pick-up games with his friends.
"After practice I played pickup with my boys," McLaren said. "I played basketball all year around -- my life revolved around basketball."
After playing basketball so intensely for most of his life before college, McLaren said he is disappointed with the limited amount of time he can allot to the game now. He reminisced about nights he spent back home perfecting his game.
"I played with college players from D.C. Their coaches would help me practice -- we would do drills at midnight," he said. "I was crazy -- when other people were going out, I was playing basketball."
Playing with the boys
Narula remembers her own initiation into basketball some time in middle school, when she started shooting hoops with her brothers. What started as a club sport in eighth grade grew into a high school career, and now is a constant passion in her life.
"You just keep at it because you want to get better. And now sure, I want to get better, but I play more to just have fun," Narula said. "I've become more confident and that's completely changed my game. My basketball's changed, more mentally, and I definitely want to keep changing it that way."
In order to improve, Narula is critical of her game. She says she watches games on TV not only for fun, but also to learn new moves she can imitate. Being female and always playing pick-up with most, if not all, male players has also helped her maintain a certain level of playing ability.
"It's definitely taught me to play stronger. I definitely think my role has switched," Narula said. "With guys, since they're so much better than me, they set me up. With girls, I have to put in more effort instead of letting the game come to me."
Even as they strive to improve their game, players find it difficult to express what exactly draws them to basketball.
"There are so many different ways to play it. It leaves a lot of room for creativity -- space to innovate, make up new ways to pass, score, dribble," McLaren said. "I love the sport, every aspect of it."
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