Streetball

Streetball on ESPN is currently one of my favorite shows. It follows the And1 street basketball tour around the country as they look for future prospects, play exhibitions, and excite crowds. The personalities are intriguing, the basketball is very entertaining, and the quest for undiscovered talent is really engaging. They invite a local unknown who plays in an open run from each city to join the tour, but they can't ever have more than three new talents on the tour at a time, so they have to vote one of the undiscovereds (either the pick from the current city or one of the three from a previous city).

"The Professor" (all players are referred to by streetball nicknames instead of their christian names) has to be the most interesting portion of the entire show. He was picked up on the second date of the entire tour (here in little Portland, OR) and has made it through 19 games without getting kicked out. Oh, yeah, he's also white, short, looks like he's 13, and from Salem (BTW-he's a backup point guard for a Community College in Salem and he's really 19 years old) . He looks so out of place. He's awkwardly much shorter than everyone else on the court and he is the only white player, but his novelty factor isn't what has kept him from being kicked off, it's that he is the best player and the most entertaining player they've picked up. His passing, dribbling, and speed are all something to be in awe of. It's amazing he gets any shots in over these 6 foot 10 inches studs with 45 inch jumping ability, but he is consistently making crazy fall away layups and getting the crowd on their feet. Here's to hoping he makes it all the way.