“It’s an intense environment,†said Dyckman Director, Kenny Stevens. “I’ve been running this tournament for 21 years, and I’ve seen a lot of basketball. The only way to describe what goes on here is intense.†Hit the jump to read the rest of the story.
Summer leagues in New York City are in abundance, but there’s still an upper echelon reserved for the street elite. Some tournaments are respected because of the history they have, like the sacred Entertainers Basketball Classic at 155th Street or the Village’s West 4th Street Tournament. Hoops In The Sun at Orchard Beach in the BX is certainly at the forefront of moving our game forward and must-see ball. But only one tournament has a merge of old and new, a crowd capable of sending NBA players home shook and has the energy to showcase Team NIKE.
And that’s Dyckman.
“It’s an intense environment,†said Dyckman Director, Kenny Stevens. “I’ve been running this tournament for 21 years, and I’ve seen a lot of basketball. The only way to describe what goes on here is intense.â€
By day, the courts at 204th Street and Nagle Avenue are unassuming. Kids play pickup games under the watchful eyes of the elders on the sidelines and the ever-passing 1 train, rumbling and running on tracks high above the ground. But by dusk, the transformation begins. The smell of homemade barbeque shish kabobs sold outside the park and the anticipation for something that’s never been seen before simultaneously fills the air. The same kids who played earlier now gather around the piragua man for a cup of shaved ice and sweet syrup. It’s a tasty, saturated treat, much like the visual one they’ll get once the big boys hit the court.
The community here embraces the game like no other crowd in the city. At other parks, fans have historically been at held at bay, lining fences and scaling trees and buildings to get a glimpse of the action. But at Dyckman, there’s no telling where the court ends and the fans begin.
“When I was in college, my teammates would watch the highlights on YouTube and be like, ‘Yo, is it really like that?’†said Team NIKE guard and Dyckman hometown hero Adris “Too Hard To Guard†DeLeon. “Even when Jimmer Fredette and his brother TJ came, they watched one game and they wanted to play right away. That’s the energy that Dyckman gives off.â€
“Sometimes the fans come on the court, and they’re on top of the action,†DeLeon continued. “You only get one half of the court to do your thing. It sounds crazy, but the crowd gets hype when they see what you can do.â€
Dyckman announcer Joe Pope, who has called games throughout the city and as far as Japan, said Dyckman is always an extravagant event.
“Dyckman is the red carpet of streetball,†Pope said. “It’s reserved for the best of the best. I’ve been all around the world, and no one compares.â€
