
A lot of dudes who grew up in any part of NYC will tell you that they got their start by playing ball in the Catholic Youth Organization where churches used to travel to play rival churches. Many would stay open late in winter months and provide places for youth as myself to get to know kids from the neighborhood that didnt go to my school and play ball as well.
Due to the scandals in the 90s of the Catholic church and outright envy in the community in the form of these little store front churches,(try driving three blocks anywhere in the hood without there being four on every block,) donations dwindled and a lot of these churches closed their doors. It also doesnt help that Nike One, High Energy and countless other hood tournaments ceased to exist during the late 90s as well.
With no outlet to play, and kids barely having space to shoot hoops (overcrowding, tiny apartments, etc...) how can they produce much talent, academically or intramurally?
You bringing up Bill Russell? You really want to go down that road breh?![]()
The money that came into play changed the entire New York basketball youth league culture years ago. Some of the problem is just how piss poor the public school are at preparing kids for much of anything, some of it is a culture that long kept some of the best players mired in the streets, but those problems exist elsewhere too. I think the money that came into play ruined everything, because there ceased to be coaches and a combination of exploiters and power brokers came to prominence, and they have had no qualms using talented kids up without giving them anything in return. The travel team culture got out of hand too, and burned a lot of players out. New York had a number of years where top 10 nationally ranked recruits went to college and looked like they didn't even want to play basketball anymore. I remember cats like Curtis Kelly... what the fukk ever happened to dude? I know he transferred to K-State, but it was already too late.
I know some good dudes who are coaching talented city kids and their top priority is getting them to develop strong, consistent practice habits, and then actually getting them into good schools, whether that means local prep or boarding. But let me tell you something, their focus on education, coaching, and practice has not gone over well with parents (who are suspicious because it's so rare it seems like a scheme), opposing "coaches," or power brokers. The culture of NYC basketball has been rotten for a long, long time.
I also think other regions are just producing better players, and that's not so crazy, it happens. The real question for me is what the fukk is happening in the DMV that so many cats are coming out of that area looking like world beaters? And what about the Canadian renaissance? There are always a bunch of factors to talent swells and declines, it's really not that unusual for it to happen. On top of that, there are plenty of players currently in the league from the NYC area. The Chicago list doesn't really blow my mind because that's nothing new, Chicago has always produced serious talent, it's a basketball city.
Bill Russell > any nikka u bring up from NYC

Bill Russell > any nikka u bring up from NYC
Bill Russell > any nikka u bring up from NYC


this sounds amazing
ny had a good run of baseball players in the first half of the 20th century, then roundball dudes, cricket is next? i dont know how to play but i'm with it![]()

Yeah but the All Time NYC team is
SF Larry Bird
PF Connie Hawkins
C Captain Lew Alcindor
SG Chris Mullin
PG Tiny Archibald
Bench: Bernard King, Bob Cousy, Jamal Mashburn, Kenny Anderson (for sentimental reasons), Rod Strickland, Scientific Mapp (illustrious career), Conrad McRae, Adrian Autry, Pee Wee Kirkland (legend in two games), Alimoe (RIP).
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Yeah but the All Time NYC team is
SF Larry Bird
PF Connie Hawkins
C Captain Lew Alcindor
SG Chris Mullin
PG Tiny Archibald
Bench: Bernard King, Bob Cousy, Jamal Mashburn, Kenny Anderson (for sentimental reasons), Rod Strickland, Scientific Mapp (illustrious career), Conrad McRae, Adrian Autry, Pee Wee Kirkland (legend in two games), Alimoe (RIP).
![]()
these forums cold 
I thought Bird was from French Lick, Indiana?