Aaron (The Problem) Williams has seen the revival of Team 914.
“We pulled together as a team late in the season,” he said. “In the beginning of the season nobody knew who the players were on Team 914.”
Many of the players who made the program one of the best on the New York City streetball circuit stopped playing or went elsewhere. Williams and his current teammates will get a chance to call themselves champions again this weekend after beating the Harlem Ballers, 65-55, in the Dyckman semifinals late Thursday night at Monsignor Kett Park. It is Team 914’s first such appearance since 2009, when it lost to TNP. It faces Skull Gang Friday in the title game, scheduled for 8 p.m.
“There are a lot of people who don’t know who we are,” forward Kirk Williams said. “That’s makes it more [motivational].”
Friday night will mark a chance to win not one, but two titles. Many of the Team 914 members, which also includes former Providence star Geoff McDermott and former Iona standout Scott Machado, will be playing for the Tri-State championship with the BSC All-Stars against D’Crew at Tri-State in Harlem at 7:30 p.m. Dyckman CEO Ken Stevens said they will do their best to accommodate the Team 914 players.
“It’s going to be hectic tomorrow, but this is streetball,” Aaron Williams said. “You got to deal with whatever the schedule is going to be. I hope it’s not a dilemma where I can’t make one game. … I want to play both.”
He and Machado wouldn’t let the game get away on Thursday. After the Harlem Ballers got within 53-47 with 4:30 left, Machado hit Kirk Williams for an alley-oop slam and then found him for an easy layup. Aaron Williams then delivered a floater that made it 59-49 with 3:00 to go.
“It’s going to be tough,” Kirk Williams said of winning two championships. “Real tough.”
Skull Gang 66, Brooklyn Stompers 61: Ali Season scored six of his 18 points in the final 3:00 to send the Skull Gang to Friday’s title game against Team 914. The Brooklyn Stompers got as close at 64-61 with 3.0 seconds remaining in the game on a 3-pointer by former Kentucky standout Rhamel Bradley.
“We just gave him the ball and let him workout,” Skull Gang forward Rob Lewin said of Season. “His guy couldn’t guard him.”
The game was delayed nearly 25 minutes because of the large crowd spilling onto the court near the benches after halftime. MC Joe Pope announced to the crowd “If we don’t get behind the white line we are going home.” Eventually, order was restored and Skull Gang, which had Knicks guard JR Smith and Sacramento Kings guard Tyreke Evans playing with them in the quarterfinals, will be heading to the title game.
“It’s a real good thing,” Lewin said. “Personally I’ve never been to the championship [here]. … All the other tournaments I’ve gone to the championships.”