Dyckman Park can grow on you.
My first after trip there didn’t start well. I drove around in circles trying to find it and then spent approximately 40 minutes looking for parking before finding a spot on West 211 Street with the park on West 204.
Cars were double parked in front of other vehicles parked horizontally under the No. 1 train by the park. But by the night’s end and into the early morning I couldn’t help but get swept up in the league’s charm, talent and passion.
Dyckman was packed already and the first game was almost halftime. I watched games from behind a railing, sitting on the concrete sideline and standing behind rows of fans on the corner of the court. I was asked multiple times if I was a scout.
There were so many people there that kids were climbing the fences to see the action and one of the steps on the bleaches broke during the anticipated nightcap between Bingo’s All-Stars and Da Young Ones. You also couldn’t help but pick up the delicious scent of the curbside café turning out hot dogs, sausages and shish kabobs.
Then there was the basketball. Oh, the basketball.
There was a cavalcade of stars on display. It started with formers St. Raymond standouts Louis McCroskey and Ricky Torres, then former NBA player Kenny Satterfield and Arizona recruit Sidiki Johnson. The nightcap could have been a streetball All-Star game. Lincoln legend Sebastian Telfair put on a Bingo’s All-Star’s jersey along with former Rice star Keydren Clark, St. John’s alum Anthony Glover and his younger brother Mike, who is headed to Iona College.
On the other side you had former Louisville and Rice guard Edgar Sosa, Adris (2 Hard 2 Guard) DeLeon, and John (The Franchise) Strickland. If Lamar Odom, Ron Artest, Smush Parker and Andre Barrett were there, you’d really have a NYC basketball party.
The crowd was into every play of the finale, watching Clark bury 3-pointers, Sosa attack the rim and DeLeon, who scored 22 second-half points, make Telfair look just plain silly at times. There were, “oohs” and “aahs” and plenty of fans on the court.
One corner was completely covered in people, including me. The ball was taken out in front of the crowd and not behind the out-of-bounds line. But that’s part of the joy of streetball.
You never know what to expect.. Well except for tough parking, great food and even better basketball. I’ll leave earlier next time to devour it all.