The Future of the NBA

Last night, I got a glimpse of the potential future of the NBA. I went to the Big Strick Classic in NYC and saw some of the top high school players in the country.  These guys are amazing.  They include Stephen Zimmerman, Rawle Alkins, Kelly Oubre, and more. I was lucky enough to interview Zimmerman and Alkins, and some other people involved with the Big Strick program including basketball trainer Sammy Clark, and Bingo, who is head coach of Team Nike and had actually coached Big Strick himself!  Like me, this was Bingo’s first time at the Big Strick Classic.  I will post more about the interviews tomorrow.

Meeting these players was like looking into the future. It was a fascinating experience. I sat at the top of the bleachers watching two scrimmages and witnessing players making explosive dunks, cool layups, long-range jumpers, and many smooth crossovers and fake outs. I’ve never seen so
many dunks in two games. Stephen Zimmerman , Kelly Oubre and Rawle Alkins were some three players that really floored me! Here are my impressions of these two ballers:  

• Stephen Zimmerman (center)– Man, can this guy can dunk!  His mid-range jumper is a sure shot and he can leave his defenders clueless with his  fakes. His footwork is truly    phenomenal and his blocks would make Mutombo proud. Meanwhile, his ball handling is equally impressive. He really is fun to watch. From what I saw last night, I would love this guy to be in a Knicks uniform someday.

• Kelly Oubre  (small  forward) – This guy aims to please. I saw him out there and he could not miss a shot! He is a natural athlete and I am sure he will be in a NBA uniform soon (hopefully the Knicks!). To my delight, he was nailing jump shots, acrobatic layups, three-point bombs and dunking the ball with style. The other team kept switching defenders but it didn’t matter, Oubre did what he wanted when he wanted and no one could stop him.  

• Rawle Alkins (shooting guard/small forward) – Another player with an exceptional performance. I loved his passion on the court displayed by outstanding ball-handling and passes. He also had some dunks that would definitely be worthy of the night’s top ten
  clips. Again, I would love to see this guy as a future member of the Knicks. 

Some other key standout highlights from the Classic included Ladarius Chester’s between the legs alley-oop to himself and two-handed it in the basket, Zimmerman’s fake pass over his defender’s head leaving the guy totally dumbfounded before sinking a three in his face, and a few half court  shots from a couple of players prompting many “oohs” and “aahs” from the crowd, including me and my brother.  

The Big Strick Classic was a great experience for me. I had lots of fun interviewing and meeting the players, many of which will make it to the pros. When they do, I will be able to recall this night with excitement and remind everyone that I predicted the future. 

Please comment and let me know your thoughts!  Also, check out my photos section of the event!