Sports

A legendary Harlem spot for B-balling

By Cameron Adams

A spot at 155th Street in Harlem is known as The Mecca, a place where legends have shown what they were made of. 

Officially, the New York City-owned space is Holecombe Rucker Park, founded in 1974. NBA stars such as Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar have played on that court. 

“When you get to see [NBA players] it gives you hope to make it,” said Kobe, a Harlem native and basketball fan.

What happens on that court is about much more than just B-balling, said W.C. Swan, chief operating officer of Rucker Park Streetball, a nonprofit that hosts youth basketball programs, adult tournaments and other activities.

“If you can teach kids discipline and show them that the round basketball can take them across the world and have an opportunity to experience things they probably haven’t even dreamt of, I think that’s the goal,” Swan said. 

“It was built up from the bottom,” said Swan. “Now where we are, the last 40-50 years, it’s become a staple and probably, soon, a landmark.”