The Top Streetball Legends Of All Time

Earl "The Goat" Manigault

Earl "The Goat" Manigault was a 6''1' guard who grew up playing on the streets of
New York, most famously Rucker Park. His nickname as "The Goat" is believed to
originate from either the habitually mispronunciation of this last name, or from the
acronym of "Greatest of All Time." The latter is quite possible considering that
Manigault is considered by many to be the greatest basketball player to ever live. For
example; when Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had his number retired for the Lakers he was
asked who the best player he's ever played against washis answer was Earl Manigault.
Manigault was known for his incredible shooting, and his amazing jumping ability
which was a result of him wearing strength building ankle weights throughout his
early playing years. He is said to have had over a 52 inch vertical leap with the ability
to grab dollars off the top of a backboard and leave change, literally. Earl was
recruited by over 75 major universities including Duke, Indiana & North Carolina, but
ended up attending Johnson C. Smith University. Earl lasted only one semester due to
poor grades and subsequently limited playing time. After leaving college Earl got
caught up in drugs and spent two years in prison. Upon his release, Earl stopped using
drugs and started the "Walk Away from Drugs" basketball tournament where he
continued to work until 1998 when he tragically died of heart failure. It's safe to say
that when you're talking about the greatest basketball players of all time, streetball or
not, Earl Manigault's name can be mentioned with no hesitation.

Demetrius "Hook" Mitchell

Demetrius "Hook" Mitchell is a 5 foot 7 streetball legend from Oakland, California.

Also known as Waliy Abdur Rahim, Hook Mitchell is best known for his incredible
leaping ability; performing backboard shattering ally-oops, 12 foot rim dunks, and car
jumping 360 dunks. NBA all-stars like Gary Payton and Jason Kidd have been quoted
as saying Hook was a better skilled player than they, and that he is the best basketball
player to never make the NBA. Hook never made it as a professional because of his
problems with drug addiction and crime. He served a 51 month prison sentence
ending in April 2004 for armed robbery, and upon his release tried out for the Golden
State Warriors at the age of 39. Unfortunately for Hook he was cut after training
camp, it was just too late for him to get his start. Hook Mitchell was the focus of a
recent independent film entitled "Hooked" which was featured at the Tribeca Film
Festival and has been the winner of various documentary awards.

Richard “Pee Wee” Kirkland

Richard "Pee Wee" Kirkland is a streetball legend from Harlem, New York. Pee Wee
made his name playing at Rucker Park in New York and with his storied rivalry with
Tiny Archibald. Pee Wee was drafted by the Chicago Bulls in the fourth round of the
1969 draft but ultimately turned down the Bulls offer due to the fact that he was
making more money with his involvement in illegal street activities. These activities
eventually caught up with Kirkland and landed him in jail for an extended period.
Kirkland didn't stop playing ball however, and wound up scoring 100 points & 135
points in two separate ABL games. Now a reformed man, Pee Wee Kirkland travels
the country for his "School of Skillz" program (sponsored by Nike) which helps
children with good decision making and self-esteem. Kirkland has also been
successful as a high school basketball coach, winning championships with Trevor Day
High School.

Joe "The Destroyer" Hammond

Joe "The Destroyer" Hammond was a scorer, plain and simple. Joe did most of his
scoring at Rucker Park in New York, on one occasion dropping 50 points in one half
on Dr. J Julius Irving. He also set a Rucker Park single game scoring record with 82
points. Joe was offered an NBA contract from the Lakers after being tipped off by
Wilt Chamberlain, but Joe turned it down because the contract did not include a no-
cut clause. Despite never playing a single minute in college or as a pro, some consider
Joe "The Destroyer" Hammond to be the best offensive threat to ever play the game.

James “Fly” Williams

James "Fly" Williams of Brooklyn was a 6 foot 5 inch Guard who came up playing on
the playgrounds of New York City. Fly Williams got his nickname due to his "fly"
wardrobes and flamboyant playing style. He was known as a prolific scorer who once
scored 63 points on NBA hall of famer Moses Malone in a Dapper Dan Classic game.
Fly took his playground skills to the collegiate level in 1972 when he was recruited to
play at Austin Peay University in Tennessee. While at Austin Peay, Fly averaged 28.5
points per game in two years of play before leaving due to off the court hardships.
Fans used to line up five hours before the game for a chance to see Fly play, and for a
chance to catch one of Fly's legendary antics such as dribbling the ball of the court
during play for a water break, or joining the fans in the stands when he disagreed with
how the coach was managing the game. The crowds grew to love Fly Williams and
even came up with clever chants for him such as "Fly is open, let's go Peay!" Fly
spent time in the ABA, CBA and overseas but ultimately fell short of the NBA mainly
due to his unprofessional attitude. Fly's career was definitively dashed when he was
injured by a shotgun blast during a failed robbery attempt. Fly has since turned his
ship around and now spends most of his time working with disadvantaged youths.