Native Son

People's Champ

Wisdom from Chamberlain and Sonny Hill

Desire

'Sheed and AG. in North Philadelphia

Iconic

"You ain't ballin', you pump fakin'..."

Beanie Sigel - One Shot Deal (Feat. Redman)

Last night while driving home from my workout, I turned on 610AM WIP...the Philadelphia all-sports talk radio station. Ike at Night was on and the topic was the players only meeting called by Donovan McNabb. After a good 20 minutes, Ike changed gears to the NBA, and how Rasheed Wallace although slightly off center, is one of the best basketball talents the league has seen. I thought it was sort of a backhanded comment, so I think I'll tune in tonight and call in.

The talk of 'Sheed, and the upcoming NBA season, made me think back to when I started taking journalism seriously, and my first interview with Wallace. I attended his free basketball camp back in '02, and not only was I accepted as a member of the family, I learned a lot about the oft misunderstood gentle giant.

The following story never ran as I wrote it to sharpen my journalistic knives:

Like him or dislike him, Rasheed Wallace is a man on a mission. The two-time NBA All-Star (2000, 2001), whom enjoyed a stellar career at the University of North Carolina, and was a High School All-America (National Player of the Year 1993) he often stands misunderstood. However Rasheed Wallace is all about his family, basketball, and the community, which he best serves through the Rasheed A. Wallace Foundation. With the foundation he is able to provide the community with a positive outlet, basketball, knowledge, and an example of a hard worker, and devoted family man.

Philadelphia, PA, Simon Gratz H.S., 17th & Hunting Park Avenue – Summer time in North Philadelphia means a lot of things, but to Rasheed Wallace it means giving back to the community. During the week of July 2 – July 6 (excluding July 4th) Rasheed Wallace presented his annual free basketball camp to the masses that was North Philly. “Giving back to the community is very important. I see it as a reaction, a necessity if you will to give back to the community. Everybody isn’t going to make it to the NBA, so I try to provide various speakers at my camp. For instance my cousin is a police officer, and he came to speak to the campers. I also bring in lawyers, coaches, players, and people from all professions.” Says Wallace as people of ages cling to him like the sweat drenched camp T-shirt on the backs of everyone present. Jacqueline Wallace thinks the world of her son, as she takes a break from camp director/camp mother to reflect upon him. “I think that it’s fantastic that he is community oriented. The camp was his idea and it is funded for and sponsored by various outlets including him. He is a good guy, I love him and being an NBA player with the funds that he has, he has not changed. He is the same person that he has always been. I like the camaraderie that he has with his brothers (Muhammed Wallace, Malcolm Wallace, Ryan Tabb, and Michael Tabb) and he is a genuine family man.” You can take the man out of the ‘hood but you can’t take the ‘hood out of the man. Not to say that is a bad thing but Rasheed Wallace is as real as any NBA superstar can get. People drive by and beep the horn as he waves back while sitting on the steps of his former high school, signing autographs as he once did as an adolescent. Surrounded by family, former coaches (Bill Ellerbee, and Roland Wharton), friends and the neighborhood that he dearly loves, he stands tall at 6’11” 225 lbs, he stands taller as one of Philadelphia’s favorite sons. The Rasheed A. Wallace Foundation was established in 1997 to promote programs that enhance the quality of life for everyone, and helps to assist in the recreational and educational development of youth in Philadelphia, PA, Portland, OR, Durham, NC, and other selected communities where he has resided.

When asked about the benefits of the basketball camp Rasheed replied, “I try to give the campers the knowledge that they can be successful in other things than basketball. If I can reach out to one person then I can reach out to others. Besides that I want to teach basketball and give people the opportunity to become better players.” Former high school teammate and Temple University standout, Lynard Stewart came by for a fun filled week of basketball and life skills as he exclaimed, “We played high school basketball together. I figured that I should get involved it’s like a family thing. Besides I live up the street so I wanted to get involved and work with the kids.”

Friday, July 5, 2002 - last day of the camp, and the campers were delighted to be entertained by a camp counselor game versus various wanabees. The campers, parents, and fans alike were privy not only to the game in which Rasheed Wallace’s team won, but a post-game slam-dunk contest. Rasheed Wallace was forced to bring out the best dunks as he was challenged ferociously by 20 year-old Mike Keys, 1999 graduate of De La Salle H.S., also in Philadelphia, PA. “It was just for fun. Basketball is everything. It is my life, and it comes before mostly everything”, says Keys as the crowd cheered him on as if it was the slam-dunk contest sponsored by the NBA.

Saturday, July 6, 2002 - brought an end to the festivities for the week as the campers and their family members were invited to a barbeque in near by Hunting Park with Rasheed Wallace and his family. Everything was free of charge of course, as Rasheed would not have it any other way. “I try to give an uplifting spirit to the community. I have a few business ventures and I want to provide for the people of North Philadelphia”, Wallace expressed and when asked about his future and the community he spoke very candidly and said, “Preferably good things are in store for the future. I’m the type of person to live day by day. I may want to put up a few buildings or create jobs in North Philly. When people think of North Philly they think of burned down buildings and drugs, but if we build it up then we can make things better for living.” This is Rasheed’s mission and he is ready and set like North Philadelphia is depending on him. Rasheed Wallace has not let Philadelphia down in anything that he has done and at this rate he never will.

Watch these videos for more on Rasheed Wallace:

They Reminisce Over You

Life after death

25th and Diamond - North Philly

The final season

"I reminisce for a spell, or shall I say think back, 22 years ago to keep it on track. The birth of a child on the 8th of October, a toast...when my granddaddy became sober...count all the fingers and toes, now I suppose you hope the little black boy grows..."

CL Smooth - T.R.O.Y.

I tape segments for BET News once a week in DC. This past Thursday, I extended an invitation to my friend from Temple University to tag along with me. He had never been to the nation’s capital before so I figured it would be a good experience for him. On our trip back to Philadelphia (after a trip to Chick-fil-A), we were talking about basketball, and I mentioned Hank Gathers. His face was expressionless, so I then asked if he knew who Len Bias was. This time was no different, his disposition stayed the same. I then took a moment to drive from 19th and Norris Streets, over to 25th and Diamond, to teach him about two of the greatest basketball players to ever play the game. I remember my brother dedicating a reverse lay-up to Len Bias in 1986, and when Gathers died four years later, I can recall watching one of my middle school classmates cry during roll call. I’ll never forget that moment, as I didn’t know either of these men personally, but through what they have achieved with a basketball, I was able to have a connection with them. Hank was from North Philly, and even though he played collegially on the west coast, we knew who he was, and what he meant not only to the sport, but also to our community.

Eric “Hank” Gathers is and forever will be the game of basketball, the game that he helped to make great. He was born in North Philadelphia and raised along the long shadows cast down by the Ramon Rozen Housing Projects; he learned the nuances of life from his mother Lucille. However it was at 25th and Diamond streets where he would experience the lessons of sports. Be it outside or within the legendary confines the Moreland Recreation Center, games were played and a young Eric Gathers became the man-child everyone knew and loved named HANK.

Many players have honed their skills at the Moreland Rec. Essentially its basketball holy ground having hosted the likes of Wilt Chamberlain, Guy Rogers, Hal Lear, Sonny Hill, Gathers, and his childhood friend Dawn Staley. He gave his all to his family and to his craft. Ultimately he gave his life, as the 94-foot court was not only his sanctuary but also as his final resting place.

We were blessed to have him for 22-years, and the titles of father, son, brother, cousin, uncle, high school champion, high school MVP, and Collegiate Player of the Year, cannot even begin to describe him. Hank is remembered for love, ambition, and numerous amounts of very great things that he had and accomplished. A 50-foot mural of him, now adorns the former Moreland Rec. Center, as it was renamed the Hank Gathers Center. He is survived by his family, friends, the entire North Philadelphia, and all those who play the game.

Photos:  Sports Illustrated

                 AXG