Basketball
Top 10 streetball players ever
Streetball is much different from regular basketball - from the style of play to the rules to even the names that are considered among the greatest.
Team Serbia was down 9-8 to Team Russia in the Red Bull Half Court World Final in 2021. Needing a bucket in this prestigious streetball tournament, Team Serbia turned to its captain: Dušan Bulut.
After sizing up his defender with a between-the-legs dribble, Bulut drove right, before snatching the ball behind his back and stepping back for a fadeaway jumper from a few feet beyond the three-point line.
Dusan Bulut at the qualifier of Red Bull Half Court World Final in Cairo
© Markus Berger / Red Bull Content Pool
The ball, just like the suspense, hung in the air for what felt like an eternity.
Alas, everything must come down, and the ball did with a satisfying swish into the net. Hosted at the Scalo San Lorenzo, a picturesque streetball court located in the heart of Rome, Italy.
“It’s simply amazing,” Bulut said, recalling his game-winning shot. “Especially when you play in this kind of park, you see the passion for the game is here, and you want to give a show to the crowd. Then to win, it just can’t get better than that.”
While streetball may derive from basketball, there are several differences from scoring to rules to even the way teams or players run their offenses.
The 10 Top Streetball Players Ever
Names like LeBron James or Steph Curry may hold a universal weight within the world of basketball. However, in the streetball community, there are several other names that rise just as high as those two. In this crowded field of athletes, some of whom never wanted to go pro, here are our picks for 10 streetball legends.
01
Joe “The Destroyer” Hammond
Hailing from Harlem, Hammond is regarded by many as the greatest streetball player ever, including the New York Times. Despite having never played a minute of college or professional basketball, Hammond was known for dominating streetball courts in New York, once dropping 50 points on NBA Hall of Famer Julius Erving in a half in July 1971. He was a spectacle who stayed true to himself, turning down opportunities to play both in the NBA and ABA.
02
Earl “The Goat” Manigault
Born in Charleston, South Carolina, and raised in Harlem, Manigault was one of the best leapers in streetball legend, which was impressive given that he was no taller than 6’1. Many people consider Manigault the greatest basketball player to never make the NBA, with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar calling him the best basketball player he’s ever played against. The HBO Movie "Rebound: The Legend of Earl 'The Goat' Manigault" details Manigault’s life and his streetball dominance.
03
Richard “Pee Wee” Kirkland
Another Harlem legend, Pee Wee Kirkland, was known for his speed. After a successful college basketball career at Kittrell College and Norfolk State University, Sports Illustrated referred to Kirkland as “maybe the fastest man in college basketball,” leading one of the most high-powered offenses in college basketball history at Norfolk State. He was drafted by the Chicago Bulls in the 1969 NBA Draft.
04
Raymond Lewis
Hailing from Los Angeles, Lewis is known as one of the greatest streetballers on the West Coast. Regarded for his pure shooting ability and ball-handling ability, Lewis received about 250 college scholarship offers coming out of high school. Lewis once took on the 30 best streetballers in LA in a single day and beat all of them.
05
Billy “The Kid” Harris
Born and raised in Chicago, Harris picked up his nickname for dominating at courts and youth gyms during his younger years. A prolific scorer and an even better shooter, Harris played college basketball at Northern Illinois University. There, he averaged more than 17 points per game during his final two seasons, leading the Huskies to their first-ever top-20 national ranking.
06
Demetrius “Hook” Mitchell (now known as Waliyy Abdur Rahim)
Another West Coast talent, Mitchell dominated courts in the San Francisco Bay Area during the late 1980s and is considered one of the greatest talents to never make it to the NBA. Known for his amazing jumping ability, Mitchell could do a 360-dunk over a Honda Accord. Many NBA players acknowledged and respected Hook Mitchell’s abilities, including Drew Gooden, Brian Shaw, and Gary Payton.
07
Curt “Trouble” Smith
Coming out of DC, Smith had everything you could have wanted out of a point guard in the ‘90s. He was smart, tough, and a lethal shooter. Smith played his first two years of college basketball at Compton College--now El Camino College-in LA before moving on to play for Drake, where Smith averaged 21 points, five assists, three rebounds, and three steals in his lone season with the team. After his college career, Smith pursued a professional career, but he would return during the summers to dominate the DC streetball scene. Kevin Durant lauded Smith as the best basketball player to come out of the D.C. metropolitan area.
08
Julius “Dr. J” Erving
Erving might be one of the few basketball players whose name is as respected in streetball circles as it is in traditional basketball circles. Before becoming the beloved Dr. J who dazzled ABA and NBA fans and who brought the Philadelphia 76ers their only NBA title since the merger, the Hall of Famer cut his teeth playing streetball at Rucker Park. Much like in the NBA, Erving was renowned for his ability to make plays while in the air, whether it was finishing at the rim or passing the ball off to one of his teammates.
09
Cornelius “Connie” Hawkins
Another Hall of Famer, Hawkins was known for his graceful yet aggressive dunking ability. Coming out of Brooklyn, Hawkins’ dominance both in high school and in the streetball scene led him to a scholarship offer to play for the University of Iowa. However, a point-shaving scandal during his freshman year (of which Hawkins was convicted of no wrongdoing) derailed his college career and almost derailed his professional career after the NBA blackballed him. Through sheer determination, Hawkins managed to not only have a professional career but a successful one at that, culminating in a Hall of Fame nomination for the flair and showmanship he brought to the NBA that had yet to find its place there.
10
James “Fly” Williams
A great showman and a terrific rebounder, Fly Williams was raised in Brooklyn before playing his college career at Austin Peay State University. After averaging 28.5 points over his two years with the Governors, Williams pursued a professional career that didn’t last super long. However, his legend grew once he returned to his hometown courts, once scoring 100 points in a game in which he switched teams at halftime. His patented fadeaway dazzled fans and confused opponents.
Conclusion
Streetball is much different from regular basketball - from the style of play to the rules to even the names that are considered among the greatest. While all of the names listed above are legendary players from the past, streetball continues to evolve, and events like the Red Bull Half Court World Cup are proof of that still thriving scene.