NY vs NY: Battle of the Titans
Nike is one of those brands that has been able to withstand the test of time. This summer they sponsored the 2nd Annual NY vs NY Basketball tournament which featured some of the best High School Basketball talent in the New York metro area. This tournament is nothing short of a genius idea as for 6 weeks Nike sets up camp at a different Streetball venue and brings people together by means of quality basketball. The NY vs NY family consist of a few major tournaments in New York City including Dyckman Park (Washington Heights), West 4th (East Village Manhattan), Watson (Bronx), Lincoln Park (Queens), Tristate (Harlem) and Gersh Park (Brooklyn). The mission of the tournament was to unite NYC at the grassroots basketball level and uplift communities in the city at the same time and in retrospect this is exactly what was done.
Dashawn Davis of Team Watson had a very impressive summer in the NY vs NY tournament. He was one of the leagues scoring leaders this year. Photo Nicole Sweet Sports
It’s no secret that New York City has been in somewhat of a decline for the past few years as far as basketball talent is concerned. This tournament gave the city a platform to showcase top tier talent and give them a chance to perform versus other talented players. Each team suited their fair share of talented youngsters. Guys like Precious Achiuwa (Tristate), Jaquan Carlos (Gersh), Scottie Lewis (Dyckman), Eric Dixon (Tristate), Ron Harper Jr. (Tristate), Dashawn Davis (Watson), Posh Alexander (Lincoln Park), Cole Anthony (Dyckman), Aiden Igiehon (Lincoln Park), Kofi Cockburn (Lincoln Park), Emoni Bates (Watson), Jonathan Kaminga (Lincoln Park), Joe Toussaint (Dyckman), Julian Champagne (Gersh), Anthony Marshall (Lincoln Park), Ja’Quaye James (Dyckman), Moussa Cisse (Lincoln Park), Jalen Nesmith (Lincoln Park) and many more…
Scottie Lewis suited up for Dyckman Park this year. Scottie is a top 10 ranked player in his class. Photo Nicole Sweet Photography
When you think about Basketball in New York City, you think about the city being the Mecca of Streetball. I can’t help but remember witnessing and hearing stories about the greats who gave their blood, sweat and tears to the courts of New York City. Guys like Kenny Anderson, Rod Strickland, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Chris Mullin, Joe Hammond, Pee Wee Kirkland and Connie Hawkins come to mind immediately. Me, being an avid Streetball fan, I dig deeper into the history of the city and think of guys like God Shammgod, Stephon Marbury, Ed Booger Smith, the late Black Widow, the late John Strickland (Franchise), Master Rob, Rafer Alston, The Future Malloy and a gang of other ballers who paved the way for any ballers who plays Streetball today.
Nike did something epic with the NY vs NY Tournament. They united NYC and showcased some of the best HS ballers in the country. Photo Nicole Sweet Sports.
Nike Basketball and Game 7 put a lot of planning and resources into this tournament of champions. NBA players like Ben Simmons, Lamar Odom, Tim Hardaway Jr., Quinn Cook and Kyrie Irving sat in on a few of the games this year enhancing the tournament that much more. Entertainers also were in attendance as well. The best players in the city are spread out around the boroughs playing at different tournaments. These tournaments all feel as though they have the best tournament in the city. The NY vs NY platform gives each of these major tournaments the opportunity to show and prove who has the best talent in the city. Although bragging rights were at stake there is a healthy competition between these venues and winning the championship is everyone’s goal.
Jaquan Carlos, a sophomore at Thomas Jefferson HS in Brooklyn was crowned this years MVP. He beat out some hefty competition and is a gem of a player. He is going to have a very bright future ahead of him. Photo Nicole Sweet Sports.
Gersh Park was last years Champions and they looked to repeat this year. Led by this years MVP Jaquan Carlos, Gersh looked very strong every single week going undefeated. Coach of the year Gary Erving prepared his team every week for battle and they were able to fight every single game until the final buzzer sounded. History would repeat itself as Gersh and Dyckman faced off in the championship for the second time back to back. This time the championship game would be held at none other than the Mecca of Streetball, Rucker Park in Harlem. This court is hallowed ground and has a lot of history attached to it.
Kyrie Irving of the Boston Celtics popped up at the Championship game at Rucker Park. Photo Nicole Sweet Sports.
Jaquan Carlos, only a sophomore at Thomas Jefferson High School in Brooklyn shined all tournament long. He was able to do whatever he wanted and even took on the challenge of going head to head in the championship against the #3 player in all of America, Cole Anthony. Carlos took the challenge and went to work controlling the pace of the game and scoring at will. The Championship, between Gersh and Dyckman, was announced by premier basketball emcees Cha-Ching and Mr. Talk Spicy, who bring a level of flair and showmanship to the game. At the end it was Gersh Park who hoisted up the golden trophy. They simply were too much for anybody to handle and they had a gang of loyal fans who made the trip with them to every venue. Salute to DP, Fly Ty and the rest of the Gersh staff. You did it again! But the question is now is “will they 3-peat?”??
***All Photography on this Article was provided by Nicole Sweet Sports. Make sure to Follow her on social media as she is one of the BEST photographers on the scene.